What Affects The Cost of a New Roof?

Roof Repair - Oct 05,2012 - No Comment

There are many factors that impact the cost of a new roof. And while you can manage to fit the cost of a new roof into any budget, there are some unavoidable components that add to this expense and that you will have to consider before starting any roofing project.

One of these is the extent of damage to the existing roof. If there are leaks and gaps in the roof where shingles have been chipped or blown off, then you will probably have to do an extensive repair job or replace the entire roof. Another is the size of the building, which obviously means a larger roof area will cost more to have fixed.

Whether you do the repair work yourself or hire workers will determine the cost of a new roof. If you are a do it yourself enthusiast who enjoys working on projects for home improvement, then you’ll save on the expense of a handyman or contractor. However, in any case, the cost of a new roof is not insignificant, so be sure to carry out your homework carefully to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

For more tips on the factors that affect the cost of a new roof, read this special report.

Sheet Metal Roofing Prices – Why Sheet Metal Roofing?

Roof Repair - Oct 05,2012 - No Comment

You will notice that sheet metal roofing prices are quoted on square. A square is nothing but 100 square feet of roofing area. This is a roofing term. Sheet metal roofs are molded from flat sheets and then formed into the required shapens like panels. These sheets are not the only products, other accesories are also manufactured along with the sheets to give roofs a totally professional look. The final products are then given a finish which enhances the look and feel of your home.

Sheet metal molding can be done either in the factories professionally and with degree of uniformity or can be done on the job site using special equipment. There are draw backs to doing this kind of sheet panels onsite of the job as there are limitations to what can be done and number of finishes that can be applied are also severely restricted. Also, the warranty applicable is also very limited in such cases.

Getting a factory finished products is worth even if the sheet metal roofing prices are higher as you get better choice of finished products and colors. The quality of the product is uniform and predictable. The warranties applicable are of longer duration and will be backed by the manufacturers guarantees on products and finishes. Factory bought sheet metal will weigh about pound for every square foot. It is of uniform thickness. The metals available as roofing material include steel, copper and aluminum and their alloys. As the panel sizes of of sheet metal roofing are huge they are suitable for large buildings.

To know more about the subject click here

Roof Replacement – 4 Steps to Take When Hiring a Roofing Contractor

Roof Repair - Oct 05,2012 - No Comment

As a home or business owner, you know that roof replacement is no laughing matter. Replacing your roof is a serious undertaking in terms of time and money– and should be treated as such. Sure you want the job done quickly, but if you make the mistake of hastily hiring an incompetent roofing contractor, it will likely cost you dearly.

If you are considering replacing the roof on your home or business facility, there are a few proven steps you should take before hiring a roofing contractor. Failure to follow these steps could result in lots of future headaches.

Step 1 – Don’t just pick the first guy you find in the phone book. Perform your search carefully. Find local consumer feedback on roof replacement contractors through trusted sources such as Angie’s List or the Better Business Bureau. These resources will inform you as to whether formal complaints have been lodged against a contractor. They will also let you know if they have a spotty service reputation with previous clients. Remember, if previous clients weren’t happy with the contractor’s service, odds are you won’t be either. And if the roof replacement contractor isn’t registered with the Better Business Bureau, don’t even give them another thought. Take your business elsewhere.

Step 2 – Once you have a list of 2 or 3 potential contractors that have passed the first test, it’s time to interview each of them. When interviewing, ask about:

? their area of specialty

? how many years they have been in business

? certifications

? guarantee of quality work

You’ll also want to get a detailed itemized estimate of the work to be done. Carefully analyze each estimate. Look at the prices based on comparable materials, warranty periods and such.

Remember, you always get what you pay for. Don’t get so hung up on price that you just search for the cheapest guy off the side of the road. Anyone can quote the cheapest prices. But few can provide quality work. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean the highest price offers the highest quality either. Be smart and carefully weigh all your options.

Step 3 – Regional weather and climate considerations should always come into play in roof replacement. These issues affect not only the materials used, but also state law regulating roofing contractors. For example, in the Texas Gulf Coast area, roof replacement must pass windstorm inspection in order to obtain a windstorm certificate. If a roof doesn’t pass this inspection, the home can’t be insured. Since Hurricane Ike, many home and business owners have had to obtain re-roofing jobs because they originally hired contractors whose work did not pass windstorm certification. Think of the time and money wasted!

Step 4 – Make sure that you schedule your roof replacement job with the contractor’s main office supervisor. This ensures that an agreed upon timeline is in place, which in turn guarantees that the job will be completed on time and as ordered. Both parties will be on the same page and you’ll be on your way to having a new roof.

Remember, roof replacement is a big deal. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense. When you hire a roofing contractor, be careful to do your homework.

Find Roofing Contractor Houston and Roof Replacement Houston at BayAreaRoofersInc.Com

By Nathan Riley

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nathan_Riley

http://EzineArticles.com/?Roof-Replacement—4-Steps-to-Take-When-Hiring-a-Roofing-Contractor&id=4612238

Ventilation & Your New Roof

Roof Repair - Oct 05,2012 - No Comment

An oft ignored facet of the durability of your new roof is proper ventilation. Heat and moisture can build up in your attic, making the rafters rot faster and causing shingles to buckle. That’s why louvers, vents, eaves and slits are important.

Your ideal attic will have a secure layer of insulation on the floor that prevents heat loss from the house, a vapor retarder beneath it to prevent moisture from reaching the attic and enough vented open space to let the circulation of air happen freely. Having a space of at least an inch between the insulation and sheathing is recommended. The NCRA recommends 1 square foot of free vent area for every 150 sq.feet of attic floor.

What Will Harm Your New Roof?

Your roof’s performance is at the mercy of various elements of nature.

Sunlight and heat cause wear and tear of your roofing material, with direct exposure to the sun accelerating this process.

Rain water seeping beneath shingles and shakes can cause the roof structure to rot and weaken it. Damp encourages growth of moss, mildew and fungi.

Wind can stress shingles and even lift them right off. Damage can be extensive if the quality of your new roof isn’t good.

Snow and ice in colder climates can cause physical injury to your new roof. When the ice melts, unless water flows off it can create more harm.

Condensation in moist weather promotes decay of wooden components of your roof. Ventilation can help minimize damage from condensation.

Moss, algae and fungi grow on moist wood or even shingles and shakes. They not only weaken the structure, but also create health hazards for residents.

Trees, branches and leaves near the building can potentially impact your new roof by falling on it or pressing upon it.

Other factors that can weaken your roof are the result of wear and tear on your roof, with missing or torn shingles, deterioration of poor quality roof shingles and flashing degradation leading to damage.

A new roof is a major undertaking. Some home owners may be qualified to install one themselves. Most are not, and seek the services of a roofing professional. If you fall into that category, hopefully you have enough information to hire the right one for your needs.

Use a Roof Shingles Calculator To Order Shingles for Roofing Projects

Roof Repair - Oct 01,2012 - No Comment

It is important to correctly estimate the number of shingles needed for a roof and a roof shingles calculator can help quickly and easily compute it. If you buy too many shingles, it will be a waste of money. And if you under-estimate the shingles count and fall short mid-way, you’ll be forced to extend the job with attendant rise in expenses.

Calculating the number of shingles you will need for a roofing project has been made simple with the advent of online roof shingles calculator scripts. Manufacturers sell shingles by the bundle. Each bundle has 3 squares worth of shingles. This means that if you measure the area of the roof in squares (100 square feet), and divide this by 3, you will arrive at an estimate for how many bundles of roofing shingles you’ll need to order.

The first step, then, is to measure the length and width of your roof. Each square of shingles will cover 100 square feet. When you multiply the length and breadth measurements you will get an idea of the roof area. This will need to be covered with roof shingles.

When you divide the area in square feet by 100, you get the number of squares. When you multiply this by 3, you get the number of bundles needed to cover the roof. In essence this is what a roof shingles calculator does.

There are many roof shingles calculators available across the Web, and free to use. All you have to do is type in figures and click a button to receive an instant estimate of roof shingles needed for the project. This information can then be vetted and validated by a professional roofing contractor.

For more on the ways to use a roof shingles calculator, be sure to read this short report – click here.

How To Use a Roof Replacement Calculator To Save Money?

Roof Shingles - Sep 27,2012 - No Comment

For any home owner thinking about replacing a roof on residential buildings it will be of great help and value to use a roof replacement calculator to estimate costs. This can let you compute an average expense so that you can plan out your budget for home renovation and improvement.

Many factors influence the cost of roof replacement including the slope, pitch, area to be covered and other complexities in the installation process created by dormers, vanes, chimneys and hips. If your roof has many such complexities, expect the cost to be much higher.

A roof replacement calculator can factor in these variables and using estimates derived from national averages for material and labor costs, it can give you a projected figure which will be reasonably accurate and help you make more informed and intelligent choices for roofing your home.

Don’t miss checking out this free report, “Roof Replacement Calculator – Finding The Cost Of Replacing Roofs“

Compare Roofing Shingles Before Choosing The Best

Roof Shingles - Sep 25,2012 - No Comment

The biggest challenge that begins after you’ve decided that a shingle roof is best for your home is to compare roofing shingles. Sometimes it may appear as if a wider range of choice is actually a curse, because it would be so much simpler to have to pick from just a couple of options. That way one would be saved the hassle and anxiety of making the right choice and compare roofing shingles of diverse types. But fear not – this report will guide you through each stage of the selection process and help you eliminate less effective choices until you’re able to confidently pick the ideal roof shingles for your home.

Roofing shingles come in different forms and styles, from a range of manufacturers. When you compare roofing shingles, it’s common to start at the simplest denominator – price point. There are wide differences in price ranges for roof shingles starting from the cheaper 3-tab asphalt shingle roof and going up to expensive slate roofing. There are also geographic and local factors to consider while choosing a roofing shingle as the climatic conditions, architectural design of your building and the environmental friendliness of your preferred option will all influence your final choice.

With your choice for variables to compare roofing shingles so wide, where do you get started? We’ll begin by listing the different kinds of roof shingles that are available on the market, and order them by price. This information is an introduction to the broader ranging topic of how to compare roofing shingles, and if you’d like to learn more about it, you can visit our comprehensive report linked below.

Asphalt Roofing Shingles are the most commonly used type, coming in a whole range of colors and variants at different prices. Asphalt shingles are tough and long lasting, and can resist extremes of weather and temperature. They are waterproof and can be easily installed by home owners themselves or by any roofing contractor. 3 tab asphalt are the basic type of shingles, coming in different color choices but with no texturing.

Architectural shingles, on the other hand, are laminated tiles which provide a perception of depth and elegance to any roof. This adds to the aesthetic appeal. When you compare roofing shingles of architectural style with others like slate or shake roofing, the advantages show up starkly. As the cost of architectural shingles is almost the same as 3-tab asphalt, but provides a much richer appearance, many home owners prefer this to the basic form.

How to use a Roofing Material Calculator

Roof Repair - Sep 24,2012 - No Comment

A roofing material calculator is a very helpful tool. When calculating the price of materials for your new roof, a roofing material calculator allows you to do this quickly. It enables you to estimate the size of your roof and the required roofing materials and the cost. To do a calculation, simply enter your roofing dimensions, choose roof type and pitch and it will give you the cost for 30-year asphalt roofing shingles.

Measure your roof from the ground up, adding any overhangs to the total roof size. Estimate the roof pitch (slope) and enter the dimensions and pitch into the calculator. State whether it is a Gable roof, Hip roof or Mansard roof. Only rectangular roofs can be used in these calculators, without valleys or dormers.

There are many roofs with irregular shapes, and it is not possible to account for them within the scope of these calculators. If your roof has an irregular shape or is rather cut up, try using the factor multiplier (roof difficulty setting in the calculator) for a more accurate estimation.

Roofing Material Calculator: How Roofing Materials Prices are Calculated:

The results of the calculation of roofing materials, include the roof size in square feet as well as a detailed list of the required materials need for a new roof installation. It will include the following:

Roofing Shingles – price per square (100 sq. Ft.) – three bundles of shingle in one square
Roofing Underlayment – 30 lb Felt, Ice and Water Shield along the roof eaves
Drip Edge
Miscellaneous accessories – nails, pipe boots,
Step flashing (for chimney flashing),
Roofing caulking
Ridge Vent
Ridge cap shingles
3-tab shingles for starter course

All roofing prices are based on what national building materials retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s charge for roofing materials. Prices are virtually the same here as trade prices where most contractors buy their materials. In fact, Home Depot’s price on GAF Timberline architectural shingle is actually lower than most trade roof supply places.

The following types of shingles – Three tab asphalt shingles (25 year), 30 year common architectural shingles and 50 year asphalt shingles will all have prices provided.

There are four major asphalt roofing shingle manufacturers in the USA/Canada, and the prices are averaged among them. There is also a waste factor to be taken into account for each type of roof: Gable, Hip and Mansard’s roof waste factors are 7.5 per cent. Mansard roofs have a flat roof in the center and often windows along the Mansard side, so adjustments need to be made to the waste factor at some point, as well as add an option in the calculator to select the number of Mansard roof windows.