Roofing Shingles – For Design, Style And Durability

Roof Shingles - Mar 29,2012 - No Comment

Roofing shingles are not only component that contribute to the high performance of a roof. The success or failure of a roof and whether it gives long-term satisfaction to its owners depends on a number of factors and also the different components that make up a roofing system. All these entities working together in tandem provide the best of results. The components that are part of the complete roofing system include roofing shingles, hip and ridge shingles, underlayment, insulation for attics, ventilation for the attics and roof.

All these components when applied to a roof following the guidelines laid out by the roofing system manufacturer offers maximum value and long-life for your roofing shingles. This also offers protection for your home that is long lasting and trouble-free.

Choosing beautiful roofing shingles for your home is a perfect way to enhance your home’s curb appeal. As the roof is major component of your home’s exteriors you should take care to choose a color and design that complements the style of your home and also the exterior’s look an feel. When you go shopping for your new roof make sure you keep these points in mind. At the end of your roofing installation your home should look more attractive and beautiful than it was before.

Color Of Roofing Shingles

After you have decided to change your roofing shingles you are faced with many doubts including whether you should retain the color of your previous shingles. There are variety of choices available today so, there is no need for you to stick to your old color scheme or type. Make sure that it complements the exteriors. If you are planning the re-do the exteriors then your new roofing shingles choice should match it.

Today’s roofing shingles get their rich colors from a combination of colored granules that are embedded in the shingles. Using these colors you can plan your exteriors to match your new roof. By exteriors we mean the exterior paint job, the siding, brick and stone work on the outside.

Roofs need not be dull, flat and boring. Add a dash of dimension to them with the architectural or dimensional shingles. These shingles are thicker, textured and rich in color. If your home has very elaborate exteriors then choose shingles that have toned down colors in soft tones. There are so many variety of roofing shingles available today, that is no excuse for choosing something lame.

There are online tools that help you picture your home as it would actually look by helping you upload pictures of your home and then applying the required shingles. You can use this tool to check out a variety of looks and settle for one that meets all your needs and is also aesthetically appealing.

Style Of Roofing Shingles

The roofing shingles style you choose also make a significant difference to your home’s look and feel. Do you want a consistent and smooth finish or rough and rugged look. Do you want your home to have a natural look and feel of slate or wood shingles or would your prefer to more staid and simple 3-tab shingle look. The architectural, dimensional or laminated shingles on the other hand give an interesting appeal to your home by providing a 3-dimensinal look.

When color is added to the above styles of roofing shingles you get a truly spectacular look and feel to your homes roofs.

Performance Desired From Your Roofing Shingles

Not all homeowners are aware of what they really want. They go by the advice of contractors, store assistants and others who they feel have more knowledge and expertise in this area than them. But, before you head out for your roofing shingles purchase it may be wise to do a bit of planning and learning about you and your family’s wants regarding your home’s roof. This helps avoid major hassles and delays later on. For example your roof might not need a complete replacement. All it might need is are some repairs and it will last several years more.

Suppose you have decided to make a new roofing purchase then you also have to work out what is your desired outcome from your new roof. What is the life-span you expect from your roof. Defined as durability of roofing shingles there are different categories of shingles available – 20-year, 25-year, 30-year warranties on shingles are available.

You also have to consider wind resistance needed, fire resistance and impact resistance in your area. You also have to pick your roofing shingles bases on your local climate needs, the annual rainfall, humidity, whether your area is storm and hurricane prone and so on.

When buying your roofing shingles make sure you get the complete roofing system including the hip and ridge shingles, the starter shingles, the ridge caps, the ice and water shield, underlayment, ventilation products and so on to get optimum performance out of your roof.

Metal Roof Shingles & Metal Roofing Materials

Roof Shingles - Mar 23,2012 - No Comment

Various Kinds of Metal Roofs

This provides many benefits for homeowners who choose it for their roof. These advantages are becoming increasingly apparent, as the dramatic rise in the popularity of metal roofs tells us. Responsible for this is also the growing variety of metal roof materials, no longer simple corrugated tin roofs, but rather a proper selection, which differs in durability, fire resistant standards, weight and cost of metal roofing of different types. Every house and every homeowner can find the metal roof that is right for them.

The Benefits Metal Roofing Provides

Consider the following categories, in each of which it proves to be a wise option. Metal roofs are seal out water, are strong against winds, are easy to clear snow off of and are totally resistant to fire, mildew and rot. A metal roof is guaranteed to reach its warranty period in full force. To add to this, metal roofs are considerably lighter than other roofing materials, requiring no additional structural support whatsoever. Not only their light weight make them easy to install, but also does the fact that metal roofing shingles come in sheets or sections, allowing for a quick and simple installation process.

Read the rest of this article about metal roof shingles here.

By Eldad Levi

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

http://EzineArticles.com/?Metal-Roofing-Materials&id=3070946

Replace Roof Shingles – Maintenance Is Key To Long-Life Of Roofing Shingles

Roof Shingles - Mar 21,2012 - No Comment

Every responsible homeowner will replace roof shingles that are damaged as soon as they notice them rather than neglect it and end up replacing them entirely which is a nightmare that is best avoided. A careful maintenance schedule that makes sure the roof is in top condition should be right at the top of list of things to do on a homeowners maintenance schedule. Annual or twice yearly inspections and maintenance is a must.

Apart, from this whenever there are strong winds, heavy rains, storms, blizzards or hurricanes you will have to make sure your roof has not been damaged in any way. If you find any signs of damage then fixing it immediately avoids water seeping through the exposed areas and finding their way into the house. Water damage can be very expensive for your home. The water rot the wood sheeting and ruin the paint job in the interiors if neglected for long. Replace roof shingles that are damaged and fix any potential problems and you can sleep at night peacefully. Neglecting this simple tasks can literally hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your roofing bill.

It is time to replace roof shingles if your roof is 20 years or older. If you find roof shingles that are badly damaged, worn, curled, cracked or broken then replace them. Assess the damage to see if it needs partial repairs or a complete overhaul of the whole roof. If it’s simple matter of replacing a few worn out shingles or nailing back shingles that have come loose in wind or lifted up due to improper nailing then you can do it yourself.

If your roof is a shallow or medium pitch roof on which you can walk comfortably without the danger of you slipping and falling, then replace roof shingles that you think are potential problem makers. There are 3 most common problems usually a homeowner will face during this inspections and which are easily fixed without involving a roofing contractor. Make sure it is warm and dry afternoon when the shingles are supple and easy to install. Don’t do this in the early mornings when there is dew or when the roof is wet and slippery.

Missing Shingles

If you find any shingle or part of shingle missing then replace the whole shingle. If you have left-over shingles from your last job then the use them else you can buy a bundle from the roofing supplies store. Get a close match if you can’t find the same shingle type as your roof. Tools you will need include hammer, pry bar, knife to cut the shingles to required size, roofing nails. Every shingles needs 4 nails. When the course above is installed the nails from that course also pass through the top edge of these shingles.

Use the pry bar to remove the first row of nails by sliding the pry bar under the shingle that is above the damaged shingle. Gently lift and free from the sealer strip. You will see the nails keeping the damaged shingle in place. Pry upwards, once the nail comes up about quarter inch press the shingle down and remove the nail. Do this with remaining 3 nails. Now, put the bar under the shingle directly above damaged one and remove second row of nails. Once all 8 nails are out, you can pull out the damaged shingle. Now, replace roof shingles in place of old, damaged ones.

Sometimes, you can’t removed nails as the shingle is brittle and cracked. Cut v-notches on the replacement shingle to fit under the nails and nail it place at 4 other places.

Curled Shingles

Due to age or constant exposure to elements the shingles curl at the corners. If you notice it, then glue it down. A caulking gun sprays a little glue under the shingle and press it down. Weigh it down for 24 hours. There is no need to replace roof shingles here.

Cracked Shingles

A cracked and torn shingle doesn’t mean you have to replace roof shingles. Apply a thick bead of roofing sealant under both sides of cracked shingles. Press the shingle down. Now, apply another bead of sealant on top and spread it around with your putty knife. Just sprinkle some colored granules found in the gutter and no one will know that you have fixed it.

Roof Coatings – How Do They Help?

Roof Shingles - Mar 15,2012 - No Comment

Roof coatings cover the roofing materials and protect them from the elements. But how else can they add value to your roof?

This article from which I’m sharing an excerpt below has some helpful information…

“Roof coatings insulate your roof and create better heat efficiency, lowering your cost of air conditioning. Roof coatings keep metal roofing material from rusting or leaking. Corrosion induced damage of roofing materials is reduced. In these ways, the longevity of your roof is increased by coating.

Other advantages from roof coating have combined to make them very popular among home owners and roofing contractors alike. You can learn more about roof coating materials and their benefits from this article about roof coating”

Learn more about this on the
Roofing Shingles Prices Guide.

Valley Tips for Roofing Shingles

Roof Shingles - Mar 11,2012 - No Comment

If you’re serious about learning how to install roof shingles, you’ve come to the right place. But first let me tell you about a job I was on many years ago in Cape Coral, Florida…

It was a brand new house with a shingle roof. It also had a complicated roof design and six valleys. The builder went a little too far cost-cutting and hired a couple of day-laborers to shingle the house. He had paid them just $10 per square for 30 squares, a total of $300. All was fine and dandy until the first rain… when all six valleys leaked!

Of course the day laborers were long gone by then, which is just as well according to Einstein. He said that some problems can’t be solved with the same mentality which created them in the first place! This was one of those problems.

That’s when the builder called the small, but reputable roofing company I worked for.

The valley errors were all pretty obvious… and typical of the ones that rookies and poorly-trained roofers make. I will say this for them… they were consistent. All six valleys had exactly the same problems. And all six had to be completely re-laid, costing the builder more much more than he paid for the entire roof.

One of your biggest challenges when roofing your own home is the valleys. After repairing hundreds of them over the years, I see the same mistakes over and over. Here are the three most common problems… and how to avoid them!

Read the 3 tips on how to install roof shingles – here.

By John C. Bishop

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_C._Bishop

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Install-Roof-Shingles—Three-Valley-Tips&id=1489181

Roof Shingles Installation – Eaves, Edges, Valleys

Roof Shingles - Mar 09,2012 - No Comment

Roof shingles installation is not just about slapping shingles on the plain areas of the roof and hammering in a few nails. There is more to roof installation that meets the eye at first glance. It is how we deal with the eaves, the edges, the valleys, the ridges and the areas around fixtures like chimneys, skylights, dormers and other vents on the roof.

Not taking proper precautions while installing shingles in these areas can spell disaster to your roof

Before, we start with the shingles an important layer that is usually forgotten by most newbie or diy roofers is laying the ice and water shield. This is very important for roofs that very shallow pitch. The shield layers should be at least two feet higher than the inner wall. If you find that shield height is lower than raise the height by installing an half roll. Make sure that the shield is at least half or three quarters of an inch overhanging the plywood edge. It should be under the drip edge and seal gaps between fascia and plywood.

This way the ice does not backup under the drip edge and into the top of the fascia board. Place the ice and water shield in the valleys too. Next, important step is applying felt all over the decking. Use the 30 pound or 15 pound felt depending on the building rules in your area. Make sure the felt rolls overlap and nail the layers into the decking in three rows with a slight offset so that they make a W pattern of nailing. If you live in very windy conditions add an extra row of nails to keep the felt from getting blown away.

Next, comes the actual roof shingles installation. Start with the starter courses. These are 3-tab shingles with the tab cut off. Install the shingles, let them overhang a over the drip edge by half an inch. The tar strip show be at the edge preventing it from getting blown off in a wind.

Start from the outer edge. Install the first few shingles then go the next,row by cutting off 6 inches in the next shingle and keep cutting cutting off 6 inches for every row above. The first row of shingles have to go on top of the starter shingles with the tab faces downwards towards the edge of the roof. After you no longer can reach to lay a shingle comfortably, move your ladder little and continue laying the shingles till you reach the other edge. Proceed upwards till the ridge.The staggering of the rows helps prevent the lining up of shingles which in a heavy, wind conditions can simply tear off whole columns of shingles in a zipper kind of effect. Each shingle has to be nailed in using 4 nails.

If you have any doubts about how specific roof shingles installation has to be done then look at the wrapper that comes with the shingles. The directions for the laying them are clearly spelled out in these wrappers. Follow those directions and you won’t go wrong.

Roof Shingle Calculator – Estimating The Requirement Of Shingles

Roof Shingles - Mar 07,2012 - No Comment

A roof shingle calculator will be of invaluable help to homeowners to make a correct estimate about the number of roofing shingles needed for a job or a re-roofing project. Give yourself lot of time to assess and making the required math to know the number and quantity of shingles, the felt paper, under-layment, flashing, nails, vents, turbines, ridge caps and other materials needed to complete a roofing project.

When you do a thorough job and make your calculations as accurate as possible you will be able to order all the materials before starting the roofing project. You don’t have to wait around for materials after you start laying the shingles. A roof shingle calculator gives you an accurate amount of shingles to order. Based on this figure you can order all other related items. When you prepare well in advance you job will move along smoothly and with out interruption. You also can finish it on time which gives more satisfaction than anything else.

A roof shingle calculator needs some preliminary data that is used to arrive at the number of shingles to order. Here we will explore two methods of calculating roofing shingles quantity to order. You also have to factor in extra roof shingles for wastage, overlapping and starter shingles.

There are certain roofing terms that you need to know when using the roof shingle calculator.

Square- This is a roofing term that refers to an area equal to 100 square feet in real terms. So, if you are buying a square of roofing shingles it means that it will cover 100 square feet of roof area.

Bundle – Shingles are wrapped in paper or plastic and sold in bundles. These bundles are light enough to be carried by any person. So, when buying heavier shingles you will need to order more bundles than when buying light-weight shingles. Usually the standard asphalt 3-tab shingles cover 3 square per bundle. There are about 29 shingles in bundle of size 12 inches by 36 inches. Heavier laminated and architectural shingles need 4-5 bundles to cover the same area.

So, now you know the basic terms used in roof shingle calculator. Next, most important step is to go measure your roof. You need to the area of your roof to order roof shingles. To measure the roof you can either measure it or use the sheet count method.

Measurement:

Get up on the roof measure each plane of the roof, get its length and width and calculate the area by multiplying the lenght and width of each of plane and adding them all up to arrive at the square footage of the roof to be used in the roof shingle calculator. If you have steep slopes then measuring the area is a little more complex. First measure the length of the building at the ground level and make provisions for any roof overhangs. Now, walk up a ladder and using a stiff measuring tape, measure the length of the slope from the eaves to the edge of the ridge.

Sheet Count Method:

In the other using the sheet count method to use in the roof shingle calculator, you just count the number of sheets needed to cover the whole area. It’s fast method and can be done from the ground. This can be only done with the sheathing is exposed and panels are of 4 feet by 8 feet are used as structural panels. Count the full panels and make a estimate about the ripped and crosscut sheets at the edges and make it up to a full sheet. If sheets are diagonally cut then assign them a size of say or half or quarter depending on the cut. As each sheet measures 32 feet area you can arrive at the square footage by adding up all the sheets you have counted.

How Much To Order?

If the roof shingles you are ordering are of the kind that cover 3 bundles to a square then it is easy to order one bundle for every sheet of roof sheathing you counted. If you are buying the heavier or lighter kind of bundles then just divdide the number of sheets of sheathing by 3. This gives you the total number of squares of sheet needed to cover the roof. The calculations are fairly simple and you can work it out yourself that three sheets of sheathing cover roughtly 100 square feet or one square in roofing terms.

All these measurements may seem very simplistic but you don’t have to be really that exact considering that there will be wastage of shingles and at the edges and corners you have to allow for good margin, you have to calculate for the overlapping and so on. If your roof shingles calculator allows for healthy margin for extra shingles then that might be quite enough. Else, you need to order more.

Take Into Account Wastage

Remember that you will need to order more than the just square foot area of the roof. Starter courses along the eaves and at rakes, extra shingles for ridges, hips and valleys all need more shingles than the area they cover. Also, in order to stagger the joints you have to cut the shingles by half a tab length for every row, this again will generate its own waste, against the walls and around chimneys and other vents, shingles will need to be cut to fit correctly. Some wastage is inevitable due to breakage, wrong cutting, improper nailing or tearing. So, add about 3 bundles of extra shingles to the value arrived at by your roof shingles calculator. If you are inexperienced you may need more than that.

Roofing Shingles For Sale

Roof Shingles - Mar 05,2012 - No Comment

Roofing shingles for sale can save home owners a lot of cash when it comes time to replace an existing leaky roof or install a new one. Asphalt shingle roofing is the most popular choice when it comes to roofing systems. These shingles are available in multiple styles and at various price points to appeal to all budgets. They have generous warranty terms of 30 to 50 years.

Roofing shingles for sale come in all variations and styles to fit and match architectural and color schemes of different constructions. For those who want thin and light shingles, the fiberglass composite shingles make for an ideal choice. Each square needs 3 bundles of these lightweight shingles to cover, and the weight can be between 80 and 100 pounds. Not only do the lighter roofing shingles place a smaller burden on the roofing frame but it is also easier for roofing contractors to carry up to the roof.

Organic shingles are another kind of roofing shingles for sale. These are heavier and more durable than fiberglass versions. They have a mat backing of felt or paper into which asphalt is embedded along with mineral granules that prevent fungal and algal growth. These shingles are more flexible and water absorbent. As a result, they are more prone to warp and damage in time.

Shingles reflect these variations, with geographic locales stocking the forms that are more suitable for the local weather and climatic conditions. For instance, organic roofing shingles for sale are more often used in the northern United States while fiberglass composite types are popular in the south.

Roofing shingles for sale must comply with standards and guidelines established by local governing bodies. ASTM D-3462 is one such standard for fiberglass roofing shingles. Organic roofing shingles are governed by ASTM D-225. Municipalities and local bodies insist upon roofing shingles meeting the criteria set down for safe construction, and it is up to home owners to consult with building inspectors and contractors to ensure that their homes meet these norms. If you’re doing your roofing project yourself, be sure to check your labels to see if all criteria are met. Also check with your local building inspector.

You can save a lot by buying roofing shingles for sale. It is true that you may not always get the best quality material or the style or color that you most desire. But by being patient and watchful you will be able to get a good deal for a significant cost saving. Places to look out for roofing shingles for sale are from roofing contractors who may have surpluses from other projects, ebay and other online auction sites and clearance sales at warehouses who are looking to get rid of older inventory.

Whatever shingles you decide to buy and where you choose to source them from, you must read the packaging labels and consult with an expert or inspector before finalizing your decisions. Picking the wrong shingles or installing them in a manner that doesn’t meet the prevalent guidelines can lead to costly revisions that neutralize any cost advantage you got by buying roofing shingles for sale.

Tag Archives: roofing shingles

Missing Shingles

Curled Shingles

Cracked Shingles

Measurement:

Sheet Count Method:

How Much To Order?

Take Into Account Wastage