Monday, April 19, 2010

Historic Roofing Materials: Wood Shingles

Before the development of asphalt and fiberglass shingles, wood shingles were popular in New York and throughout the country in all periods of building history. The size and shape of the wood shingles Bronx as well as the detailing of the shingle roof differed according to regional craft practices. People within particular regions developed preferences for the local species of wood that most suited their purposes. In New England and the Delaware Valley, white pine was frequently used: in the South, cypress and oak; in the far west, red cedar or redwood. Sometimes a protective coating was applied to increase the durability of the wood shingle Brooklyn such as a mixture of brick dust and fish oil, or a paint made of red iron oxide and linseed oil.

Commonly in urban areas, wooden roofs Queens were replaced with more fire resistant materials, but in rural areas this was not a major concern. On many Victorian country houses, the practice of wood shingling survived the technological advances of metal roofing in the 19th century, and near the turn of the century enjoyed a full revival in its namesake, the Shingle Style. Colonial revival and the Bungalow styles in the 20th century assured wood shingles a place as one of the most fashionable, domestic roofing materials.

Historic Roofing Materials: Metal

Early metal roofing included copper and lead in early america. These were typically used where the pitch of the roof prohibited other types of shingles for use. Beautiful New York copper roofs cover many of New York's fine historic buildings, especially those with cupolas, domes or other interesting architectural features. Sheet iron was first used in the 18th century.

It wasn't until the 19th century that New York Roofing installation included the use of corrugated iron. The method for corrugating iron was originally patented in England in 1829. Corrugating stiffened the sheets, and allowed greater span over a lighter framework, as well as reduced installation time and labor. In the late 19th century, galvanizing with zinc helped to protect the base metal of New York metal roofing.

Tin shingles were another metal roofing material Queens. Tin shingles were embossed to look like tile or wood or embossed with a decorative design. This was an inexpensive, lightweight roofing choice. The low cost, light weight, and low maintenance of tin metal roofing Bronx made it the most common roofing material in the late 19th century.

Historic Roofing Materials: Slate

Slate roofing was brought to America from the old world Europe by settlers. Slate roofing was found in America as far back as Jamestown in the mid-17th Century. Although there were slate quarries all along the east cost, most of the slate was imported from Wales. For that reason, there are few slate roofed homes until the 19th century when slate roofing became more common due to the construction of railroads and Canals. At that time, homes throughout New York were constructed with slate roofs. Many of them survive today.

New York Slate Roofing is popular for the same reasons it was popular 200 years ago. It maintains popularility due to its durability, fireproof qualities, and aesthetic beauty. New York Slate Roofing is available in different colors (red, green, purple, and blue-gray). Many old New York buildings, especially Gothic and Mansard style New York Roofs, continue to use the original slate roofing with regular maintenance. For owners of historic buildings it is important to find a contractor who is familiar with Slate roofing Bronx and Queens restoration and maintenance. Replacement of historic roofing details on Brooklyn homes, for example, requires an undestanding of historic preservation and how to incorporate new materials, such as flashing, to improve the historic properties of the roof and keep the original roof character.



Sunday, April 18, 2010

Historic Roofing Materials: Clay Tile Roofs

In New York State, there are still a number of old homes with clay tile roofs. Clay tile roofing was used by Europeans as far back as the beginning of our country in mid-17th century America. S-curved tiles and flat tile roofing Queens were used in Colonies like Jamestown, Virginia. Roofing in New York City was made of clay for fire protection, a common problem in 17th and 18th century America.

Clay Tile: European settlers used clay tile roofing Manhattan as early as the mid-17th century; many pantiles (S-curved tiles), as well as flat roofing tiles, were used in Jamestown, Virginia. In some cities such as New York and Boston, clay was popularly used as a precaution against such fires as those that engulfed London in 1666 and scorched Boston in 1679.

By the mid-19th century, tile roofing in New York was frequently replaced by metal roofs. Sheet metal roofs were lighter and easier to install and maintain. The clay tiles were not often used again until the beginning of this century, when the Spanish style buildings created a new demand for tile roofing. Today, with a greater awareness of historic preservation, New Yorkers may want to maintain their Bronx or Queens tile roofing rather than Bronx roof replacement with convention asphalt shingles which do not reflect the historic qualities of old homes.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Types of Roof Underlayment

Part of your roofing contract needs to specify underlayment. But most homeowners don't know which products should be specified for their shingle roof Queens and what the options are. Underlayments come in three different forms - traditional felt paper, self-adhesive asphalt, and polyblends. Traditional felt paper is something that is typically used by roofing contractors for most residentian shingle and fiberglass roof replacements Bronx and well-known by the public. A 30-pound felt paper is frequently specified.

Self adhering products offer the advantage of being self-sealing which creates tighter roofs because the glue seals around the nails after they pass through the asphalt shingle roofing New York.


Roof Vents

In the hot summers of New York, a ridge vent could be avery important part of your asphalt or fiberglass shingle roof replacement Bronx, and could save money on your energy bills. Roof vents are an important product that draws hot, humid air outside and pulls fresh air into the attic. Venting moisture out of your house will reduce mold problems. Removing hot air will keep your air conditioner wasting energy and costing you money.

Roof Ridge vents Bronx are not required by national building codes, but many local codes are requiring the use of them. Check your local building codes to see if your city requires a ridge vent and consider getting one for your shingle roof replacement Queens whether it is required or not.

There are several products on the market that can be installed as part of your fiberglass or asphalt shingle roof New York project. Credit: Courtesy Tarco Specialty ProductsMichigan City, Ind. based Blocksom and Co. offers a natural fiber product called Roof Saver that vents the ridge and can survive the severe winds of Miami and the Southeast coast. Made from high-density fiber on polyester netting, it removes hot air from the attic and eliminates potential damage to the roof, the company says.

Rapid Ridge Metric from Benjamin Obdyke in Horsham, Pa., is a nylon and polyester product that will keep roofs dry and tight for a longer period of time, the company says. The product is designed to protect roofs that have been installed with metric asphalt and fiberglass shingles New York. It helps the asphalt shingle roof Queens stay dry in warm regions of the country. The product is also a benefit to builders, Grimes says, because it comes with its own 1 U-inch collated nails and installs quickly.



Purpose of Roofing Underlay

Even homeowners who are very picky about the brand of roofing shingle they prefer forget about what's underneath that shingle: underlay, or roofing felt. Few people, and even some roofing contractors from my experience, understand the purpose the of underlay. Yet, the roofing underlay design, specification and installation can have a big impact on the functionality of your new asphalt shingle roof New York and an impact on moisture in your home. Talk to your roofing installer Bronx about the types of underlay available for your roofing system New York. It is an important element of your fiberglass or asphalt shingle roofing Queens.

The roofing underlay should allow water vapour to pass freely through, and prevent water penetration into the building structure and insulation. Roofing felt is designed to hold condensation formed overnight on the underside of roofing materials and release it as vapour during the day. It is also a secondary layer of protection if your asphalt single roof Bronx fails, allowing rain, dust, wind, and moisture through. It also protects the insulation in your attic. With all these factors, your asphalt shingle roof replacement Queens or other shingle roofing should include careful consideration of the proper underlayment for your roofing material and climate.

How to Prepare for Roof Installation

You may be wondering what to do with yourself, your family and your pets while your roof is being replaced. There are a couple questions you will want to ask yourself: 1) Am I going to be home during the day while my roofing contractor is pounding above my head, and potentially shaking bits and pieces of dust and materials down on my head? If so, can I deal with this?

If the answer is no, or you have a baby or children, or need quiet because you work from home - you will need to figure out a solution. Two years ago, I hired a roofing contractor New York to replace my asphalt shingle roof Queens and I learned several good lessons for this experience. The first was this: If you can leave your home and stay nearby during construction, that is a nice option. Of course, this is not often an option and not as important if you work outside the home 8+ hours a day. However, I had a 3 cats, 2 dogs and a baby so this was a serious consideration.

The next thing to consider is how the roofing is going to effect your interior. In most finished interiors, it is not an issue. In my case, we had our office in a converted garage with open rafters covered by underlayment and about 4 layers of old asphalt shingle roofing Queens that needed to be removed. As the roofing progressed, debris came raining down on our home office and it continues to slowly waft down onto important items 2 years later. Needless to say, don't expect the roofing contractor Bronx will take preventative measures. Make sure prevention is in the contract and completed before construction, or do the work yourself before rooofing construction New York begins.
The next issue is your yard. Most licensed contractors Queens will make an effort to cover your landscape and lay a tarp down to collect fallen materials, including nails. Even so, don't count on it. Get it in writing or do it yourself. If you are very particular about parts of your garden cover them yourself. In my case, the contractor promised to collect the roofing nails with a magnet, but two years later I am still finding nails that could be stepped on or eaten by my toddler or dogs.
Finally, you should find a place to put your animals other than your yard while the roofing contractor is comleteing his or her work. Your dogs may become protective and try to attack the workers, creating liability issues for you. At the least, the roofing installers Queens may leave the gate open and let your animals out. In my case, both of these issues occurred - fortunately, I was at home to curtail the damage. But still, how much hassle do you want to have? Crating your dog or putting her in a dog run is your best bet if you won't be at home.


Negotiating Your Roofing Estimate and Contract

As I discussed in a previous post, you should get three estimates from licensed roofing contractors. The roofing estimate Queens can come in many forms. Some contractors will give you very little information, with just a few line items and a total cost for your roof replacement Queens. The best cost estimates come with each line item listed with it's cost. All estimates should specify the materials to be used for the roofing project, including the underlay, the warranty and the payment terms. The more information that is in the estimate, the easier it is to compare with other quotes. A common practice for contractors in general, is to leave items out of the quote for a lower total price. That is why it's important to review your roofing estimate Bronx and final roofing contract carefully, to be sure you are comparing apples to apples. When you have chosen a roofing contract Bronx that suits your needs, including quality, estimate transparency, and cost, the contractors will provide you with a contract. Your contractor may have provided you with roofing options, including good, better and best-and include product samples and literature. You will need to choose among these options before he or she finalizes the contract.


In general a contractor who takes the time to prepare a good proposal may do a more thorough job, because he or she has shown an attention to detail. Beware of contractors who will not put your agreement in writing, it is difficult to negotiate after the fact and there is the potential for many misunderstandings. It may seem easier in the beginning to discuss something verbally, but in the end there is too much room for miscommunication, and sometimes dishonesty.
When a roofing contract Bronx is presented, it should spell out the proposed roofing work, prices and completion date. Read the contract carefully. Misunderstandings are the most common cause of contract disputes.

Pay special attention to be certain the following points are covered in the contract. Building Permits - Do you need local roofing permits, costs, and what are the posting requirements? The start and completion date should be posted on the contract, including arrangements for rainy weather delays. Your city building department will need to inspect the roof construction, usually after all the materials are stripped off, and again at completion. This should be included on your roofing contract Queens as part of the timeline. Also, important, and a source of much chagrin for homeowners is the site cleanup. Homowners can spend months cleaning up old roof shingle debris and dangerous nails. This is often not thought of before the project - but the roofing contractor is anxious to be paid at the end and often fails to finish the cleanup of the job site as a result. Payment terms will be a part of the contract, with the majority of the fee due at job completion. Any contractor who wants upfront payment may disappear with your money, especially if they are not licensed (check their contractor's license and business license with the New York State). In addition the roofing supplier(s) and any subcontractors should be listed.


How to Choose a Roofing Material

Choosing a roofing material is straightforward for most people, they simply replace their existing Asphalt Shingles. But even among Asphalt shingles Queens there are many options, including style, color and material differences. Choosing a premium dimentional shingle may not be much more expensive if your roof area is small, because the largest part of the cost is installation. A premium Asphalt shingle Bronx can add style and charm to your home if your roofline is visible. Modern asphalt shingles can replicate the appearance of many other roofing materials such as tile roofing Bronx or slate roofing. This is particularly important if the style of your home is traditional. A conventional alphalt shingle New York will detract from the period style of your home if you have, for example, a tudor style home. Utilizing your New York Roofing Contractor's Product Knowledge is your best bet for determining the brand, color, etc. Your roofing contractor Bronx should have up-to-date knowledge on quality products for your project. He or she is the best source of information, but you should explore options on the internet and do your own research if you are looking for something special, or if your roofline stands out as an important feature of your house. Ask questions about different materials such as brand names, life span, thickness, design, available colors and warranties. Selecting the best products may result in a longer life span, warranty and your overall satisfaction with the final appearance.



Sunday, April 11, 2010

Selecting a Roofing Contractor

After you have made a list of at least 3 potential roofing contractors to replace your shingle roof, tile roof, or metal roofing system, it is a good idea to call them and gather more information before asking them to provide a roofing estimate. Professional roofing contractors Bronx expect to provide information and are glad to do it to earn your business. This being said, there are many contractors out there who seem non-responsive. It is often useful to let the contractor know you will only be accepting bids from 3 contractors - some homeowners like shop endlessly at the expense of contractor's time. Some roofing contractors Queens have had experiences with unreasonable or dishonest homeowners or homeowners who seem flaky and unsure. Therefore, while you are interviewing them, they will also be interviewing you before they agree to work on your roof replacement Bronx.

When you meet with your New York roofing contractor, you will notice the contractor's who truly enjoy their work and take pride in the quality and materials they provide. The contractor will provide you with their business information including New York contractor license number, phone number, and address. Any Brooklin, Bronx or Queens roofing contractor should carry worker's compensation and general liability insurance. Request the name and address of the insurance carrier, along with a copy of the company's insurance certificate. You also request three professional references from your roofing contractor and call them once you are close to a final decision.



How to Find a Roofer

The first step in hiring a roofing contractor for roof replacement is (naturally) to first find a few roofing contractors who can inspect your roof and submit a bid to you. But where do you find roofers? How do you know if they do quality work? The obvious option is to ask your friends and neighbors for their experience and get referrals. The second option is to drive around your neighborhood and watch New York roofing contractors work in progress. This is often a common site on a summer day. Talk to the homeowner and find out if their roofing contractors Queens are honest, professional, and licensed.


You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce about contractors who are active in the community. The Better Business Bureau, state and local licensing authorities, local trade associations and your local yellow page directory are also excellent sources of information. Online sources for asphalt shingle roofing contractors Bronx and other roofing installers include craigslist and Angie's List. Make sure any Contractor's you use off Craigslist and other anonymous sources like the Yellow Pages can supply you with a list of references. Local suppliers of building products can also supply you with names of quality Roofing Contractors New York. Once you find three quality roofers Bronx you can move on to the next step - asking them to submit a bid.


Metal Roofing Options in New York

Do you have an old roof with curling fiberglass or asphalt roof shingles? Maybe you've been doing small scale roof repair for a while, fixing each leak as it comes. At some point with an old roof, the cost and hassle of roof repairs becomes too great to ignore. The obvious answer is to remove your roof (if it has 2 or more layers) and replace it with yet another shingle roof Queens. However, it may be worthwhile to explore your options. There are a number of asphalt shingle roofing alternatives on the market, these include slate roofing, tile roofing, rolled roofing, and metal roofing Queens. All of these roofing alternatives are much longer lasting than asphalt roofing Bronx. But both tile roofing and slate roofing are heavy, and can only be used when your house meets load bearing standards for these materials. Your contractor can inspect your rafters and tell you what types of material are possible with your house. Chances are, if your existing roofing system is asphalt, your house will not be adequate for tile or slate. However, metal roofing is light, long-lasting and can be installed over your existing roof!

Metal roofs have a number of advantages over traditional roof shingles. The most notable benefits are ease of installation, long-life and it is the lightest roofing material which means that you don't need to remove your existing asphalt shingles Bronx. Much to many peoples surprise, metal roofs are significantly lighter than other types of roofs. Typically they weigh less than one-third the weight of asphalt/fiberglass shingles; and are as much as 75% lighter than clay, concrete or slate.

Metal roofing is also highly resistant to forces of nature. Naturally, it is the safest roof to have in fire-prone areas. Metal roofing Queens is a noncombustible roofing material with a Class "A" rating - the highest rating given. Also, Metal roofs are not noisy when it rains. The noise levels of a high quality metal roof are about the same as other roofing products such as asphalt roofing Bronx or wood shingles or clay tiles Queens. Metal roofs are also resistant to hail damage. More so than asphalt/fiberglass roof shingles. Depending on the quality, some metal roofing products have the highest impact resistance and hail rating granted by the insurance commissions in the hail belt regions of the U.S. Some insurance companies even provide a reduced rate for metal roofs. In addition, Metal roofing is wind resistant. Check the wind warranty for details on wind force resistance for your chosen brand.


Are there any any disadvantages of metal roofing? There are a couple. Depending upon your area, it may be hard to find a residential roof contractor New York who installs metal roofing. Many contractors specialize in commercial metal roofing rather than residential roofing Bronx. Check online review sites for roofing contractors as well as your Better Business Bureau. The other potential disadvantage is cost. Metal roofs Bronx cost more than a 20 year warranty asphalt/fiberglass shingle roof; however a metal roof can cost substantially less than many of the high-end architectural shingles now being sold.