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The roofing of your building is your first line of defense against the elements. It safeguards your family and belongings from rain, snow, wind, and heat. Yet, like anything else in your home, it doesn’t last forever. Knowing when it’s time for a new roof is crucial to prevent potential damage to your home’s structure.
Reading this post will guide you through the critical signs that indicate your roof may need replacement.
The age of your roof is one of the most significant indicators that it may be time for a replacement. Most experts agree that a typical roof will last between 20 and 30 years. If your roof is in this age range and you’ve noticed other issues, it might be time to invest in a new one.
Inspect your roof’s shingles closely. If you notice that the shingles are starting to curl or buckle, that’s a sign that they are past their life expectancy. Missing shingles are another symptom of a failing roof and can lead to leaks if not addressed.
Asphalt shingles tend to shed more granules toward the end of their life cycle. Check your gutters; if you find them loaded with shingle granules, it’s a sign that your roof could be near the end of its lifespan.
If your roof shingles are falling apart or missing in this area, it’s a definite sign you may need a new roof. Roof valleys are critical areas of your roof. Snow and rain flow through valleys into gutters. If the valley is compromised, you could be susceptible to roof leaks.
If you notice a spongy feel or trampoline bounce when walking on the roof, this means the underlying decking is weakened from moisture. Check your attic to see if there is any daylight coming through the roof boards. Also, look for moisture in the insulation.
This is another area to be concerned about. If your flashing consists of roof cement or tar, it may need to be replaced with a long-term, water-tight fitting, which would be a metal flashing system.
A sagging roof is typically an indication of a structural issue and could be due to problems with the decking in the attic or even the supports in the foundation. If you notice any sagging areas, it’s crucial to contact a professional as soon as possible.
Even with occasional maintenance, roofs can develop leaks. But if leaks become a common occurrence, it’s often more cost-effective to replace the entire roof rather than continuously repairing it.
Keeping an eye out for these signs will help you stay ahead of potentially significant damage. If you notice any of them, it’s best to get an expert opinion. A professional roofing contractor can assess the condition of your roof and recommend the best course of action—whether that’s a few minor repairs or a complete replacement.
Remember, your roof is an essential part of your home’s structure, so taking the time to maintain it will pay off in the long run.
If you have further questions about roof replacement needs, contact your local roofing contractor at ClearCoat Roofing to keep your best interests in mind.
We offer no-obligation free roof inspections for both residential and commercial properties.
Read our reviews to learn more about us.
In any architectural design, the roof serves as a primary defense line against the elements, particularly precipitation like rain and snow. One of the most critical aspects of a roof’s design is its valleys – a component that not only contributes to the overall aesthetic but also plays a vital role in a roof’s functionality.
Roof valleys are the V-shaped channels found on the point where two sloping roof sections intersect. In simpler terms, they’re the ‘troughs’ or ‘gutters’ that you see where different parts of the roof meet. They can occur in various types of roofing configurations, but they are most common in roofs that are not simple rectangles or squares, including L-shaped or complex, multi-gabled roofs.
The primary purpose of a roof valley is to channel water, directing rainwater and melting snow safely off the roof and into the gutter system.
Given their shape and positioning, valleys often bear the brunt of water runoff during heavy rain or snowfall. They are therefore designed to handle a larger volume of water than other areas of the roof.
There are three main types of roof valleys: open, closed, and woven.
Open Valleys: These are characterized by a visible channel running along the valley’s length, usually protected by a strip of metal. Open valleys tend to be more durable and offer efficient water drainage, making them suitable for areas with heavy rain or snowfall.
Closed Valleys: In closed valley configurations, shingles are laid across the valley, entirely covering it. Although aesthetically pleasing, closed valleys may not handle water runoff as efficiently as open valleys.
Woven Valleys: These are a type of closed valley where the shingles from both sides of the roof overlap along the valley line. Woven valleys are often used with three-tab shingles and are less common with architectural or laminate shingles due to their thickness.
Due to the large volumes of water that roof valleys manage, they are susceptible to wear and tear and potential damage. It’s not uncommon for debris like leaves, twigs, or even snow and ice to accumulate in the valleys, leading to blockages. These blockages can prevent water from draining properly, causing it to seep under the shingles and potentially lead to leaks, mold, and structural damage over time.
Regular roof maintenance should therefore include a thorough inspection and cleaning of roof valleys. Any signs of wear or damage, such as rusted metal, cracked or missing shingles, or granule loss, should be addressed promptly to prevent minor issues from becoming major problems.
In other words, roof valleys are a crucial part of your roofing system. They play a vital role in protecting your home from water damage and contribute to the roof’s aesthetic appeal.
Proper understanding and regular maintenance of roof valleys can significantly extend the life of your roof and ensure it continues to protect your building efficiently.
If you have further questions about roof valleys, contact your local roofing contractor at ClearCoat Roofing to keep your best interests in mind.
We offer no-obligation free roof valley inspections for both residential and commercial properties.
Read our reviews to learn more about us.
Ridge vents are installed at the peak of the roof, typically running its length. They are designed to allow air to circulate underneath the roofing so as to prevent moisture buildup. To give you a clearer idea of the role that ridge vents play in a roofing system, here are three of their biggest advantages.
In combination with wind, a ridge vent can create a ventilation system in your attic. It ensures that fresh air circulates continuously, which is critical to preventing mold and mildew from growing in areas like the attic crawl space and the underside of the eaves.
Ridge vents are typically constructed with air space, which enables proper air flow at the top of your home and below your roof. If you’re planning for a roof replacement, your roofing contractor can ensure that the ridge vent will function correctly and provide sufficient air flow.
Ultimately, ridge vents offer additional protection against some common culprits behind roofing problems. Moisture can cause extensive water damage. Without fresh air to get rid of moisture, your roof and attic will become more vulnerable to mold and rot.
Excess heat is another issue that vents can address. If air is not being drawn into and exhausted out of the roofing structure, excess heat can potentially build up in areas like the attic and lead to premature aging of the roof.
If you have questions about your ridge vents or need help installing or repairing, contact us. We always offer free roof inspections with our visits.
Often, home and business owners are undecided on whether to repair or replace a roof. Both options, however, are viable depending on the age and condition of your roof. In this post, we discuss when its ideal to repair or replace your roof.
Roof damages can be quite subtle, which is why you should schedule annual inspections with a reputable ClearCoat Roofing Contractor. You should also have your roof inspected immediately after any catastrophic event. Before picking out the repair or roof replacement materials, make sure you go through any HOA Roofing requirements.
Although the new roof is quite an expense, it is bound to last for decades.
Contact ClearCoat Roofing, we are a reputable licensed provider. And we offer free roofing inspections, always.
Letting professionals handle your roof replacement project means putting the protection of your home into someone else’s hands. Understanding what a roof replacement entails, may help put your mind at ease. The following are some basics.
You no doubt want the highest quality materials used for your home, but you may not know what those are. Speaking with your residential roofer about the options available can help you make that decision. Some materials commonly used for home roofs include asphalt composition shingles, metal roofing, wood shakes, and slate roofing. These materials come in different colors as well, so you can match a variety of exterior home features to your roof.
One thing you don’t want to do is trust the job to someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Contacting a professional residential roofer will ensure the job will be done correctly and last a long time. You want a company that does what they say they’ll do, as well as exceeding your expectations. Look for a roofing company with a great reputation that hires roofing professionals and ensures they are properly trained. With all these components pulled together, your roof will get done correctly.
The cost of your residential roof replacement project will depend on the size of the job, the materials used, and the pitch of the roof. Speak with your roofer about the specifics of the job to truly understand what you’ll be expected to pay by the end. If the cost doesn’t work with your budget, you can work out a different arrangement beforehand to ensure you receive a nice roof within your price range.
Understanding a few basics of residential roof replacement can get you ready to face the project head on. Contact us today to get your roof replacement scheduled.
We offer free roofing inspections with any visit.
Check our our reviews to learn more about us.
Looks can be deceiving. For instance, there are few things as lovely as icicles hanging from roof eaves and gutters. In some regions, they dangle for months, like crystal jewels, sparkling in the sunshine. And yet, in many cases, they signal that the roof may have a problem with ice dam buildup that needs attention before water seeps into the house.
Ice dams form at eaves and gutters and prevent snow – and ice meltwater from leaving the roof. Ice dams are simply ice buildup that dam water on your roof.
They’re often caused by a temperature imbalance in the attic. As heat rises in the house and makes its way into the attic, the upper portion of the roof may warm faster than the lower portion at the eaves without proper airflow.
If the upper portion becomes warm enough to melt snow (above 32°F) while the lower portion remains below freezing temperatures, snow will melt, flow down the roof, and refreeze before it can flow off the edge.
This can also be compounded by naturally rising ambient temperatures during the day and falling temperatures at night. What results is a dam, which will hold the remaining water, snow, and ice on the roof.
Insufficient or deteriorated attic insulation can allow warm air to move from the heated areas of the house to the attic space.
Properly balanced attic ventilation helps slow snow melting by allowing cold air to enter the attic space, in turn driving out warmer air. This reduction in warm attic air helps decrease the chance of snow melting on the roof.
Almost all roofing materials are designed to shed water. As ice melts and refreezes, it can damage the shingles and other parts of the roof system. When a growing ice dam pushes water back up the roof slope, that water may flow under the roof shingles and penetrate into the roof surface or house below.
That’s why GAF factory-certified roofers will always recommend a layer of strong protection like WeatherWatch® or StormGuard® Leak Barrier. These products help prevent leaks due to water backing up in your gutters, wind-driven rain, and, of course, damaging ice dams. They are self-adhering membranes that seal around fasteners and the edge of the roof, helping to protect the most vulnerable areas of your roof against leaks.
Here are 3 steps you can take to prevent ice damming this winter:
Depending on the size and accessibility of your roof, you can use an extendable snow roof rake to (carefully) pull fresh snow off the roof before the melt-and-freeze cycle even begins. Snow and ice removal can be dangerous work and if done improperly you might risk injury to your shingles – or more importantly – yourself! We strongly encourage you to engage the services of a professional to assist with snow rakes and ice dam removal.
Ensure you have a properly-balanced attic ventilation system that allows fresh air to continuously move through the attic space under your roof. To find out how much ventilation you should have, use our ventilation calculator.
Proper attic insulation will do more than prevent ice dams; it can also help reduce your heating costs by keeping warm air in your living space, where it belongs.
Contact us if you have any additional questions about what causes ice dams or if you need assistance with any ice dam removal. We always offer free roof inspections with every visit.
Read our reviews to learn more about us.
No one ever wants to find water leaking from their ceiling, as this is often a sign that your roof is leaking. Whether you are home when the leak starts or come home to it, it is important that you take immediate action to avoid further damage to your home.
If you find water dripping from a bulge or discoloration in your ceiling, it’s likely that water is pooling on the other side of that bulge or dark spot. Grab a bucket, trash can, or some sort of container and place it under the site of the drip or leak. You may even want to consider propping up a board inside the container so the drips hit the board and not the accumulated water. This will minimize the repetitive dripping sound.
Next, take an old screwdriver, locate the center of the bulge where water is accumulating and puncture it right in the middle. I know it might seem strange to punch a hole in your ceiling to stop a leak, but the new hole will allow the water to drain smoothly and relieve pressure on the rest of your ceiling. If water accumulates and pools, the entire ceiling could collapse.
If you are confident you know where the leak is coming from and can safely get to the source, cover the exterior surface with a large tarp. If you can’t reach it, or feel unsafe doing so, it would be best to immediately contact us to handle that for you. We do offer emergency tarping services for minimal cost to the property owner, just contact us.
As you may already know, unfortunately if your roof is actively leaking due to weather, we can not repair the leak until that weather has stopped. The tarping service will act as a temporary fix to minimize the damage inside your home until our staff can fix the problem.
One of our experienced roofing professionals will inspect your roof both from the exterior of the roof as well as the inside of your home, typically through the attic. Inspecting the underside of the roof decking can show signs of water damage, however it is not a foolproof method so inspecting the roof for damage is needed as well.
It is important to act quickly when it comes to a roof leak. Leaky roofs never fix themselves or get better on their own. Even if the leak isn’t bad yet. Get it fixed now. Often we hear from homeowners that they noticed a stain on their ceiling or possibly some bubbling for awhile but thought it was nothing serious. Avoiding the issue will not fix a leak in your roof. Many times by the time you notice damage within your home it is already too late. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspecting your roof twice a year, in the fall and spring. Here is what to look for to prevent a fixable issue from turning into a damaging and costly repair:
Roof leaks are typically just signs of a much larger problem. Both danger and the probability of structural damage increase if unaddressed. Regular inspections are your best defense against a leaky roof. Be aware, search for leaks, and talk with our contractors about the condition of your roof regularly.
Understanding a few basics of residential roof replacement can get you ready to face the project head on. Contact us today to get your roof replacement scheduled.
We offer free roofing inspections with any visit. Read our reviews to learn more about us.
Have you ever walked outside on a cold morning and noticed the frost that covers the ground? You might have to scrape your car before you can drive, and your grass may look like a sparkling wonderland. Direct your view upward to have a look at the roof. Is there frost on it? Do you know whether frost is good or bad for your residential roof? How do you know when to worry?
The frost itself that collects on your roof isn’t necessarily good or bad. Roofing materials are made to withstand the weather, and roofers who work in cold environments know which materials will hold up best. As long as your roof is in good repair, you shouldn’t have to worry about water damage.
The fact that there’s frost on your residential roof could actually be a good thing. If you look around and notice all your neighboring houses have frost, but yours does not, it could be an indication that your attic insulation isn’t quite up to par. The frost may be spotty, which also means the insulation isn’t properly in place. Without proper insulation, the heat that should be warming your home is leaking out through the attic and the roof, which is melting the frost.
If there’s a lack of frost on your roof, there could be cause for alarm. You should only worry if your neighboring houses have the same amount of sun exposure as yours. For example, your neighbor’s house might be blocked from the sun by tall trees or a taller building, while your home is in direct sunlight. As soon as the sun hits, your frost could melt away, but will remain on your neighbors due to the shade. If that’s the case, you would not need to worry.
If your house is not in direct sunlight, and everyone else has frost, you should contact a roofer to see if there’s a problem with your roofing and insulation. Contact us, and we will provide a free roofing with no obligation.
Read our reviews to learn more about us.
When you install a new roof, the last thing that you want to happen is for the roof to fail. Unfortunately, when a contractor does a poor-quality job, this is exactly what happens. Here are some of the most common reasons for roof failure.
Good ventilation keeps a roof in good health. You should have a ventilation system that pushes heat and moisture out during the summer. This will minimize expansion due to temperature changes. Also, it will keep your attic cool throughout the year.
When it comes to home renovation, it is important that the projects are finished right. Even with the best materials, if the roof is not installed properly, it is not going to function correctly. You need to ensure that your roof is installed right the first time, by a contractor who knows what they’re doing.
When it comes to choosing materials, you want to take more than cost into consideration. Even if the low-cost products look appealing, you need to keep in mind that the lower costs can also mean lower quality materials. When you have high quality materials, your roof is more likely to last.
You need to protect the protrusions where exhaust pipes, chimneys, and dormers connect to the roof. These areas are prone to leaks and other problems. Metal flashings are the best way to seal this area. You do not want to use caulk or any other type of sealant. These products degrade over time.
Roofs can fail for a number of different reasons. If you want to make sure that your roof doesn’t fail, then you’ll have to invest in regular maintenance and inspections. The higher quality the job, the more likely you are to have a roof that lasts.
Understanding a few basics of residential roof replacement can get you ready to face the project head on. Contact us today to get your roof replacement scheduled.
We offer free roofing inspections with any visit. Read our reviews to learn more about us.
Most people are familiar with at least one acrylic plastic, Plexiglas. Plexiglas is an all-acrylic material, usually associated with a polymeric, plastic material that is extremely durable, and has excellent weathering properties, and is very resistant to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and the adverse effects of weathering. Plexiglas is an all-acrylic material, meaning that it is composed entirely of highly durable building blocks called monomers. While this is a clear sheet of the acrylic plastic, most acrylics are blended with other materials to create other easily recognized products such as paint, adhesive or caulk.
Acrylic polymers can be formulated to be tough and hard, and also very flexible. Plexiglas impact resistance is one example where it is used in banks to provide bulletproof shields. But acrylic polymers can also be manufactured to be flexible, to be tolerant of movement at low temperature, very elastic in their behavior.
In the mid-1950’s, acrylic technology developed to the point where these polymers could be incorporated into waterborne emulsion. This created the advent of the acrylic latex waterborne house paints. In the mid-1950’s, an excellent highly durable house paint was based on solvent-based alkyd chemistry. In the 90’s the most widely used, highly durable house paint material is a waterborne acrylic material.
The key feature of acrylic materials is that they can be used for a wide range of applications, but you need to use the right acrylic for the job. Polymers that you would use to make adhesives would not necessarily make good floor polishes. The polymer chemistry that’s used to make elastomeric roof coatings would not necessarily do well as a leather tanning material. The acrylic used for house paint would not necessarily make an excellent caulk or sealant. But they’re all acrylics. So the key thing here is the right acrylic for the right job.
Acrylic polymers have been engineered that are specifically designed for roof applications, and specifically for roof coatings. Coatings manufacturers have tried to use house paints on roofs but these were too brittle. Formulators also tried to use caulk and sealant technology to make elastomeric roof coatings, but they have not been totally successfully – resulting in failures. Today the technical requirements for a successful roof coating are fully understood.
Acrylic roof coatings refer to a liquid-applied monolithic (seamless), fully adhered, elastomeric membrane that’s formed in situ on the roof. These coatings are applied 5 to 10 times thicker than a house paint. Typically, the thickness of an exterior house paint is 3 mils, .003 inches. For elastomeric roofing applications, these would be 15 to 30 mils. So we’re talking about membrane-like materials. EPDM is often 45 mils; HypalonR and PVC are 60 mils. However, with these coatings the membrane comes out of a can. That’s why the term formed in-situ on the roof is used. It’s applied as a liquid. As it dries, it forms a tough membrane, like EPDM and like HypalonR. But, unlike those materials, it has no seams. No field or factory seaming is necessary. Moreover it is also fully adhered. These coatings are not mechanically attached like other types of single-ply membranes.
Roofs are dynamic environments, meaning they expand and contract. We look at a building, and we don’t think it moves. In a microscopic examination, roofs are dynamic. There’s thermal expansion, seismic expansion, the weight of snow and rain loads, wind uplift and “flutter” and vibrational effects that subject roofs to movement. The coating must be able to tolerate that kind of movement at roof temperature, and high temperature, in the summer, low temperature in the winter. Roofs must also tolerate foot traffic resistance. People are going to be walking on these roofs. They will be servicing HVAC units, cooling towers, satellite dish antennas; all kinds of equipment that’s placed on a roof. The roof must be able to withstand foot traffic and the abuse from maintenance and repair crews.
However, these Elastomerics are not caulks or sealants. While they must tolerate expansion and contraction, and the dynamics associated with the roof, just like a caulk or sealant. But, caulks and sealants don’t require resistance to standing water, impact resistance, or reflectivity properties.
Allow our consultants to answer any questions or offer a free inspection. We also offer Gonano clear coating technology, a more advanced type of coating.
Contact us today if you have any questions about getting started.