Roofing Shingles Reviews – Pick The Best

Roof Shingles - Nov 28,2012 - No Comment

It is best to be informed through studying different roofing shingles reviews before buying a roof for your home. There are several great brands out there but to find the very best you need to knowledge and experience. Several experts who have worked with roofing all their life have shared some vital information about roofing shingles. Armed with these reviews it becomes easier for you to pick out the best roofing material for your home. Remember that the roofing industry is highly competitive and to get the best quality you have to pay more.

The competition is intense in the roofing industry and the makers of the shingles know that price conscious customers will drift to another company if they don’t have shingles in a particular price range. Hence, they offer products in different price ranges. For the better quality shingles that last longer without major repairs or relaying are priced much higher than low quality shingles. Many homeowners are willing to blow several thousand dollars on interior makeovers of a single room inside the house, but are unwilling to shell out extra 1000 dollars for a quality roofing. Contractors and roofers do not lose money as the installation charges remain more or less the same, hence you see people settling for low quality asphalt shingles. It is better if homeowners read up roofing shingles reviews and invest time, energy and money is buying the best shingles for their home. This will give them trouble free roof for a long time.

Roofing Shingles Reviews: Owens-Corning

This roofing shingles company has been around for a long time and makes shingles to the best standards in the industry. The company offers 15-20 years warranty on their low-cost range of shingles like Classic 3 tab and Supreme Fiberglass. The Berkshire range is the higher architectural roofing shingles that comes with 50 years warranty. The shingles comes with different resistance ratings. Better quality gets better ratings but all the lines meet the standards set by the roofing industry for fire resistance, wind resistance and impact resistance. If certain geographic areas need special standards then you need to look for the ratings like for instance WeatherGuard has better wind and algae resistance. Again, the shingles performance will vary depending on the local weather conditions. The higher end shingles can be used for heritage buildings and elegant estate home. The product lines of Owens Corning get an average rating of 8 on a scale ranging from 1-10.

Roofing Shingles Reviews: Tamko Shingles Company

This family owned business makes roofing shingles and has been in the industry for over 60 years. Their 3 lines of shingles include Metalworks, Lamarite Composite and standard 3-Tab asphalt shingles. They come with 30-50 years guarantees depending on the line of shingles chosen. The steel shingles are lesser in cost than natural slate or cedar shake shingles. The architectural range costs much less than steel shingles. Laying these shingles are standard procedure. But, for certain types of shingles you need to follow installation procedures laid out by the company. Here it has to be noted that the interlocking steel shingles are not suitable for slopes less than 3.5. The composite range of shingles are durable and long lasting. They are made to high fire and impact resistance ratings. Tamko is rated 7 on a scale of 1 through 10.

Roof Shingles Estimate – How To Evaluate Your Roofing Expenses

Roof Repair - Nov 25,2012 - No Comment

A roof shingles estimate will include the cost involved in roofing your building, including the expenses for material and labor. To make sure your estimate is accurate and reliable, you first will require the right measurements of your roof area. Once you have the right information to hand, you can make an informed choice between doing it yourself or hiring an outside contractor for the job.

To begin your roof shingles estimate, start off by measuring your roof area. Draw a diagram on paper of your roof. Different roofs have different shapes. You will need to break it down into components, each of which you can computer the area for easily. The best way is to view your roof in terms of squares, rectangles and triangles.

Use a tape measure to find out the length and breadth of each component. Jot it down on the sheet of paper. Using simple formulae, you can compute the area of each section. Then add up the totals to get the complete roof area that will need working. Roof shingles estimates are slightly more complex than merely recording roof area because the shingles will overlap, resulting in a little extra.

Typically a roof area of one hundred square feet will require 4 to 5 bundles of shingles to cover completely. You will also need a little extra for the first row, the ridge and valley overlaps, and for unusual projections if any. You’ll also need nails to fix them in place. Depending upon which shingles you plan to use, your roof shingles estimate will have to consider the number of nails per shingle.

Wherever flashing will be used, be sure to take linear measurements. These areas include (but are not limited to) chimneys, vents and skylights. You may also require removal of existing roofing elements, and this must be factored into your roof shingles estimate under labor costs. Some contractors will charge a flat rate for this, while others will charge you a price based on the number of sheets or shingles that must be removed.

Labor costs range widely from one place to another. Your roof shingles estimate must be based on local costs. You can find them online where many roofing websites offer calculators to let you compute this expense conveniently. Another hidden cost may be the expense involved in dumping the debris after your job is finished.

As you can see, roof shingles estimate calculations are not simple or intuitive. But with discipline and some guidance, you can get a reasonable estimate ready quickly and that will help you make a rational decision about how best to get the job done and have your roof shingled nicely and easily.

Why Rubber Roofing Is An Excellent Choice For Your Home?

Roof Shingles - Nov 23,2012 - No Comment

Rubber roofing is one of the most flexible and durable alternatives to traditional roofing systems widely used these days. Conventional roofing materials such as wood, metal and more are typically subjected to weather and season changes, as these materials basically experience damage and breaking from their constant expansion and contraction.

Although, this is very common for conventional roofing materials, rubber roofing on the other hand is durable, flexible and can withstand the constant contraction and expansion without damaging its barrier of protection, as rubber roofing gives a natural barrier and protection to moisture and dampness.

Rubber roofing is constantly gaining popularity among homeowners and building contractors due to their ease of repair, toughness and durability. Rubber roofing membrane and rubber roofing shingles are basically the most common types of rubber roofing. The membrane system utilizes a seamless single piece of rubber that seals and encompasses the entire surface of the roof. While the shingles system employs layered rubber roofing shingles that provide a good barrier of protection between the weather elements and your home.

Ethylene propylene diene M-class or EPDM rubber is what rubber roofing is made of, as this synthetic rubber is made from recycled materials, making them eco-friendly and safe to use. EPDM rubber roofing is very convenient and efficient, as it provides a great barrier of protection for your home against the elements.

Ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber are fixed firmly to the substrate of the roof by adhesive and comes in large rolls, as nails are not employed in installing EPDM rubber. This lack of nail holes that prevents standing water from penetrating or seeping in is what makes Ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber an excellent choice.

Rubber roofing has many benefits when installed in you home, aside for being flexible, durable, and needs only very low maintenance, these roofing materials foremost benefits is they completely makes your roof water resistant, especially for home or building roofs that are basically flat, which are rather easily prone to leaks.

Ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber roofing are very much energy efficient since they greatly keep homes cooler during summer and warm during winter seasons, as you can even enhance or upgrade your home insulation while doing your roofing. Rubber roofing is also efficient in collecting rain water for yard use like watering the plants, cleaning or washing your vehicles, and more, as it does not contaminate the run-off rain water.

Having rubber roofing installed at home is very convenient, as this type of roofing system is very easy to maintain and repair. If in case a rubber shingle gets damaged, it can conveniently replace or repaired. Broken rubber shingles or tears to the whole rubber roofing can be easily repaired or fixed by patching and restoring the damage or tear section with another piece of rubber and bonding it with adhesive. In addition to extend the life of your rubber roofing, applying over the whole roof surface a layer of sealant to further protect it from the elements.

Roof Estimate Form – Speed Up The Contracting Process

Roof Repair - Nov 22,2012 - No Comment

A roof estimate form can help you quickly and effectively find the right contractor to help with your roofing needs – and work with you within your budget. You can use a roof estimate form for a new roof covering, or any other substantial roofing project. You may even use them for roofing maintenance style jobs, including for residential and commercial structures.

When you use a roof estimate form, be sure to include as much material as you can. This is so that contractors can respond with the right information on hand, instead of having to go back and forth with you in a search for more data. Also, the estimate they give you will be more accurate when they know what exactly needs to be fixed.

When you fill up and submit a roof estimate form, most roofing websites will forward your request to a number of specialists. Typically your request will go to 5 different contractors. Some of them may be the best known brands and experts in the area. This is because most roof estimate form websites work with a slew of different contractors, who compensate them for sending along viable leads for new work.

Before you submit your data using a roof estimate form, be sure to do some research. Find out more about the requirements you have, by studing articles on various roofing websites and even asking for a risk-free survey or quote from your local roofing expert. Many contractors will do this for you with no obligation in the hope that it will lead to paid work later on.

Once you have a clear idea of what you want a roofer to do for you, go to the roof estimate form and fill up the fields. Be thorough and detailed. Give information about your current roof and the status of it. Offer information about when you last repaired it, the current condition it is in, any problems you’re facing with it, and specifics of any damage it has sustained.

Then explain more about the kind of new roof you are interested in having installed. Keep in mind that your roof estimate form will go out to many different people, some of whom may be the ideal persons to fix your roof or install a new one that matches your unique needs. By providing them with enough details, they will be more likely to bid or respond to your request than if you merely provide enough to make them curious enough to call you for more.

Your roof estimate costs will be provided by different people who partner with the website hosting the roof estimate form. You will typically get up to 5 estimates. It will include costs for each component as well as overall expenses. If you anticipate requiring other related services, like architect, building control and supply/install services, then mention those too in the roof estimate form you are filling in.

Some forms make this simple by checking a box or selecting a button. Others will require you to type in the information into a form field. Many will also give you some free information or booklets to help you better understand your needs so that you can fill in a roof estimate form more reliably.

The use of roof estimate forms has made things simpler and faster for both contractors and home owners. Take advantage of this trend – and find your ideal roof builder online.

How a Roof Calculator Will Make Your Life Easier?

Roof Repair - Nov 21,2012 - No Comment

As a home-owner, a roof calculator will help you while trying to figure out the best way to arrive at a roofing estimate or plan your roof repair. You will be able to quickly and easily determine how much roofing material you need for a specific kind of roof using the roof calculator tool.

Most online roof calculator apps have a simple set of boxes to fill in with details. You will need to measure your roof and have details such as your roof area to plug into the appropriate fields. Since roofs are of different sizes and shapes, this can be a tricky task. You will need to take a series of measurements. If your roof is unusually shaped, try and break it down for measurement into squares, rectangles and triangles, and calculate the area using simple formulae.

Once you type this in and click a button, the script will automatically and instantly let you know how many bundles of shingles you may need to roof it, or how many rolls of roofing are required. If you plan to use roofing felt, then the computation will show how many rolls are necessary.

The size of a roof is presented in “squares”. A square is 100 square feet. Shingles usually come in bundles that will roof one third of a square. This means if you have a roof of 10 squares, you will use approximately 30 bundles of shingles. Roofing felt rolls are available in strips of 3 feet in width and 36 feet in length, and will cover around 1 square.

While only a rough estimate, using a roof calculator will make it easy and fun to figure this out. And it beats the alternative of making a wild guess, or even getting started without a clue and then over-running your budget massively. If you are not still sure about how many tiles or shingles you will need, then contact an expert (or fill in a roof estimate form) and a person more experienced with these things can help you out.

Roof calculators have made things easier for D-I-Y roof repair enthusiasts. But roofing is usually better left in the hands of experts. Apart from knowing how best to handle difficult tasks and working under challenging environments (such as on sloping roofs), they are also able to get sizable discounts on materials and labor. A roof calculator will tell you how much material you will need. But if you calculate regular charges, and then compare them against what a professional can offer you, there will usually be major cost savings to enjoy.

Use TPO Roofing For Effective Roof Waterproofing And Durability

Roof Shingles - Nov 19,2012 - No Comment

Thermoplastic polyolefin or TPO roofing membranes are made from ethylene propylene rubbers that are single-ply roof membranes. TPO roofing has a well patented performance of weldable hot-air seams and is engineered to conjoin the durability and flexibility of ethylene propylene diene monomer or EPDM roofing that. TPO roofing membranes are quality tested, have an excellent ozone resistance, algae resistant, safe to install and very eco-friendly.

TPO roofing manufacturers are very confident about the material accurately welded seams that this thermoplastic polyolefin roofing membranes are sometimes promoted as a seamless roof on the market. The TPO roofing seam strengths and sturdiness are about three to four times compared to the tape and adhesive seams of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM).

TPO roofing membranes are highly resistant to impacts, punctures and tears with excellent flexibility and durability. TPO roofing installation come fully-adhered (employing a special adhesive, the roof is conveniently glued to the substrate), ballasted (TPO roofing membranes are laid loose over the roof) or mechanically-attached (employing some sort of special screw-fastener types to hold and secure the TPO roofing membranes). The type of fasteners used will rely mainly on the type of roof substrate, although, basically these fasteners are screw-types.

The are many benefits and advantages when employing thermoplastic polyolefin roofing system, as this recyclable roofing material has a high level of resistance, reflectivity, and flexibility, especially its white membranes, which exceed Energy Star level of performance established by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). They are highly resistance to algae and mold growth that hampers reflectivity, thus reducing the much needed saving on energy.

TPO roofing membranes provides long-term weather protection and can withstand high winds, heat, and other prolonged high temperatures. In addition, TPO roofing cost is reasonable and affordable, although some people find them a bit expensive, comparing to their excellent quality features and benefits, it certainly not an issue.

Thermoplastic polyolefin roofing has been around for over a decade now and constantly gaining in popularity among roofing contractors and homeowners alike, as an excellent choice in roofing installation and replacement. Basically, thermoplastic polyolefin roofing has a lifespan of about ten to twenty years, as this range depends mainly on the type of installation done.

Among some of the factors that contribute to the roofing system lifespan are weather conditions during installation, full removal and replacement of the existing roof, amount of slope, time spent in the installation, just to name a few. Typically, full removal and replacement of the existing roof and installing a new one will lead to a much longer roof lifespan, as well as less harsh weather conditions and steeper slope.

TPO roofing membranes are mostly available online and among local retailers, hardware store, and home improvement depot. As most TPO roofing manufacturers and retailers offers warranties ranging from five years to twenty years depending on the type of TPO roofing system chosen. For commercial and industrial roofing applications, TPO roofing warranties will depend upon several factors that include exposure to the severe weather conditions and the elements, thickness of the membrane, and more.

Roof Paint – A Dream Solution For Roof Repair & Waterproofing

Roof Shingles - Nov 17,2012 - No Comment

Roof paint is necessary and essential for every type of roofing system, as roof paint provides additional protection and barrier against various weather conditions and the elements. The roof of your home is constantly subjected to weathering, acidity, degradation, and even time itself. Having all these factors slowly affecting and degrading the integrity, durability and protective coating of your roof will eventually lead to wearing-out and damage, which is why roof paint is required to provide the much needed support in protecting your roof.

There are many different types of roofs such as rubber roof, metal roof, concrete roof, wood roof, shingle roof, asphalt roof, just to name a few. Although these types of roofing system are mostly installed with a protective roof coating, it is still important to apply paint on top of these coatings in order to make certain that the roof lifespan will last much longer.

There are many different varieties of roof paint to choose from such as rubber roof paint, wood roof paint, metal roof paint, to name a few. You can also choose an array of various colors in order to make your roof more striking and beautiful. As these many varieties of roof paint colors are easily and readily available to procure online and among local retailers like hardware store and Home Depot.

Choosing the right paint color for your roof is not that difficult, however, roof painting can be a much more challenging and tough task. As this requires right timing, preparations, right painting procedures, weather considerations, and great effort on your part to make sure that you achieve the right look and appearance that you desire for your roof.

To do this, pick the right roof paint type that matches the type of roofing material on your roof. This roofing material can vary from wood, rubber, metal, or asphalt will be the deciding factor when picking the right type of roof paint. You can always ask for assistance among paint experts at your local paint retailers in order to ensure you procure the right type of roof paint.

It is also recommended to ask for other roofing materials like a roof sealer, primers, paint additives, and more that are essential before you start painting your roof. You can apply multiple coats or layers of paint when painting your roof, but make sure that the surface of the first layer completely dries first before applying the second coat, as this is very important in order to avoid or prevent easy flaking of all the coats of paint.

Three coats or layers of roof paint is very ideal when painting your roof. However, if you have the extra cash and are not completely sure about roof painting, it is advisable to hire roof painting professionals or painting contractors to do the job for you.

After finishing the roof painting job, you can be sure that your roof will acquire more additional lifespan it needed and be able to save more and avoid costly roof repairs in the near future, as a good quality roof paint and an excellent painting job will help and allow you to achieve that.

Roof Shingles – Finding The Right Option

Roof Shingles - Nov 15,2012 - No Comment

The most eye-catching part of any home is its roof shingles. That is the first thing we notice about the home. The color, the shade, whether it is hipped, sloping, flat, gabled, how the colors match the exteriors of the home and so on. The roof apart from the aesthetics also performs an important function of protecting the home. Wind, rain, sun, snow, the cold and the heat are kept at by roofs installed with precision and care. Once laid people homeowners usually forget about the most important aspect of their home – the roof.

That is until the roof shingles get damaged, chipped, worn-out, broken or fly-away due to fierce storms or otherwise. When water starts leaking through the roof and dripping over your expensive carpet or sofa set, you start panicking and remember that your roof needs some care from time to time.

Most roof shingles last around 20-30 years. That is usually the amount of time a family spends in a home. Most homeowners have moved on to a bigger home before the life-time of the shingles ends. When repairing or replacing roof shingles there are lot of issues that need to be carefully considered. You need to know whether a simple roof repair and replacing a few shingles is all it needs or whether the roof needs a complete overhaul. If after inspection you find that the roof shingles are fine and it needs only minor repairs that is a major saving in costs for you. However, if the entire shingles need replacement then that is a major project which needs due planning and implementation.

First and foremost any underlying problems needs to be fixed before the shingles are laid. Next, comes the difficult choice of selecting a particular brand or type of shingles from the many hundred choices on offer. Not just color, there are a whole range of textures, types, designs and more to choose from. Slate, tiles, architectural, asphalt are just a few of material choices to pick from in roofing shingles. For a homeowner the whole task of re-roofing or re-shingling can be intidimating, costly and messy unless they have trusted contractors to do the job.