Of Your Toughest Roofing Questions Answered
The TOH pros offer up their best advice for shingling properly, sniffing out leaks, and knowing when its time to reroof an old roof.
Putting a safe roof over your head isnât necessarily a one-time deal. Shingles stain, condensation collects, and high winds carry roofs wherever they please. Thatâs where the TOH crewâs knowledge and your sweat equity enter the picture. Here, we cover roof-related scenarios to help prevent future mishaps, like a missing roof.
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How Does It Perform Against Other Synthetic Roofs
Property owners are split when choosing between thermoplastic olefin and polyvinyl chloride .The two other synthetic materials are durable, provide excellent UV resistance, insulation, and even have higher PPI and less prone to piercing compared to EPDM roofs.
However, they are quite expensive. EPDM roofs cost about $0.4 per square feet. Meanwhile, TPO roofs cost $5-$9 per square feet and PVC costs about $7-$10 per square feet. If maintained well, EPDM roofs can last 15-30 years, the same lifespan as both TPO and PVC. Colored EPDM roofs can cost about $0.8-$1.00 per square feet, which are still not a bad deal for added UV resistance and thermal shock.
EPDM roofs are capable of resisting hail damage, cyclic fatigue, and they will not fold against low-temperature flexibility, which affects asphalt shingles and modified bitumen.
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Technical Reviewers & References
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Pros Of Bowie Tpo Roofing:
- Durable and flexible. TPO is highly flexible, which means it can better withstand impacts and other types of potential damage.
- Environmentally friendly. TPO doesnt contain some of the chemicals used to produce other roofing materials, including chlorine. TPO is UV resistant , which means you can use less energy to cool your home in the summer. TPO is 100% recyclable.
- Hot air technology. TPO is hot air-welded, making the seams strong, flexible, and highly water-resistant. The seams of a TPO roof are up to four times stronger than EPDM seams, which must be sealed using adhesives.
- Color range. TPO is available in white, but it can also be manufactured in grey or black for aesthetic purposes.
Install Deck Protection & Starter Shingles
Now it’s time to install the roof deck protection. These roof components act as a weather-proofing and protective barrier between your house and the elements, helping keep water and cold temperatures out.
- Drip edge at the eves. Start by laying roof deck protection, or shingle underlayment, over the decking . Use chalk lines to determine where you’ll lay them.
- Using your cap nails, secure the deck protection to the roof. Overlap each row at least 3 to 4 inches. If you live in an area with inclement weather, you should consider using a special leak barrier protector.
- Then, install new flashing and starter shingles at the edges.
- Nail the drip edge in place using your hammer and roofing nails. Always install flashing around a chimney and other valleys where two roof planes meet as these areas are more prone to leaks if not protected.
Tip: When installing deck protection, work from the bottom to the top of the roof.
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Roofing Felt Installation Details
Reader questions on roofing felt installation specifics
Anonymous said:
Hi Dan, a couple of roofing questions:
1) We often see roof felt stopped short of the eaves. Builders argue its not a problem. I once had a written opinion from NRCA stating felt needed all the way to the eaves but can’t find it anymore. Any known reference clearly indicating need to felt to eaves?
2) Asphalt shingles on less than 2:12 pitch, builder says ice& water shield under it, I know that’s not OK but again any reference source you may know of?Hope all is well in NY land, nice here in Raleighwood. – Steve Smallman –
Reply:
Thanks for the important questions Steve:
1. Felt underlayment omission from some roof areas: this defect – taking a shortcut by leaving off some roofing felt, is an example of a wider problem: building codes & standards writers have given up on trying to anticipate every possible way that people can make a mistake, shifting instead often to “performance” codes that give the general intent of the code. So we’ll have trouble finding an explicit citation for your question part 1.
But a reading of roof shingle manufacturer’s specifications for using an underlayment does not find any exceptions that allow leaving out some of the coverage area.
I’d excuse the omission of felt at the eaves and at rake edges of a roof IF instead the roofer is installing a stick-down impermeable barrier such as ice and water shield. Otherwise it’s a mistake.
Also see ROOFING UNDERLAYMENT BEST PRACTICES
Can Gutter Guards Cause Leaks
A gutter guard can cause leaks if you fail to maintain or install it correctly. You must clean your gutter guards regularly or your gutters could get clogged and damaged. Manufacturers and professionals recommend that you clean your gutters at least every 2 years if you have gutter guards.
Gutters with no protection are much more maintenance-intensive and you need to clean them twice per year. You should clean your gutters more than every 2 years even with gutter guards if you notice problems. This is especially true if you have several trees around your home that are close to your roof.
Even a fine mesh gutter guard cant protect your gutters entirely, but they can certainly help. Improper installation is the easiest way for a gutter guard to cause leaks. That is why professional installation is a great idea if you can afford the average $1,400 cost and have limited experience with gutters.
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The Exceptions: Raised Roofs
Read the complete information on Installing Radiant Barrier Under A Tile or Metal Roof. If you are going to install a roof like this, what a great time to go for it you will have the necessary air gap to make it work and the results are awesome. You can install the radiant barrier foil below the raised shingles either on top or below the battens. RoofingFoil + Underlayment is designed to go on top of the roof deck and is an underlayment product and radiant barrier all-in-one and is an excellent choice for metal and tile roofs.
The RoofingFoil + Underlayment is Miami-Dade approved for use in roofing. This underlayment goes great under metal, tile, slate, standing seam, and other metal and tile roofing systems that have a batten system, or a naturally occuring air space between the roofing material and the deck. Roofs with RoofingFoil + Underlayment are 20°F to 40°F cooler than roofs without it! Click here to see how RoofingFoil + Underlayment works: RoofingFoil.com
The easiest and best way is to run the foil out over the roofing felt, tack it down and then install the battens followed by shingles or metal roofing.
The Purpose Of Roofing Felt Is Roofing Felt Necessary
Have you ever approached a roofing project and wondered: is roofing felt necessary?
For more than 25 years organizations such as the National Roofing Contractors Association and the Canadian Asphalt Shingle Manufacturers Association have included roofing felt in their roofing and waterproofing recommendations. It is also a requirement under many building codes.
Read on to understand the purpose of felt paper on roofs, and how this product will add an integral layer of protection to your roof and your residence.
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Remove All Vent Covers Vents & Other Installed Items
To fully expose the existing roof membrane, remove any vents, vent covers, skylights, air conditioner rooftop units, antennas, satellite dishes, or other items from the roofs surface. It is important also that you do not forget to remove the plastic caps and any flanges around the plumbing vent.
Most of these items are easy to remove. You will have to remove any old lap sealant from the edges of the flange so you can get at the screws that will need to be removed. To remove the air conditioner, you will have to unscrew the four bolts holding them down.
These can be found inside the ceiling assembly on the interior of the RV. Once you have these out, you will be able to remove the rooftop unit. You will also have to disconnect any wiring between the top and bottom assemblies.
Be careful not to damage any of the items when removing them so they can be re-installed without an issue. When you have the components of the roof clean up all the edges, clean any remaining lap sealant from the flanges, and set everything aside.
How To Properly Install Gutter Guards To A Shingled Roof
Every type of gutter guard is slightly different, but none of them are too difficult to fit. If you have a shingle roof, you’ll need the following tools:
Then just follow these steps, taking into account that there might be slight differences depending on the make and model you have:
If you would like a professional to install gutter guards to your shingle roof, fill in the form below for a free quote in your area!
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What Goes Under Roofing Shingles
What goes under roofing shingles? That is a question that many homeowners have. The answer varies slightly for each homeowner, but there are a few basic steps to follow. First, you must install the felt. Once you have the felt in place, you need to staple it down evenly. Be sure to put enough nails in the corners, and do not walk on any unnailed felt. Once the first course of felt is installed, you can begin working on the second course of felt. rolled roofing
Roofing underlays are a secondary weather barrier that prevents water leakage and ice dams. These can be caused by poor attic insulation. To avoid these problems, consider using a self-stick roofing underlayment, which adheres to the roof decking. It also seals around nails to prevent leaks through those holes. This is especially important for homes in colder climates and high-wind areas.
After the shingles are applied, the roof covering is the next layer. This layer is the outermost layer of the roof and forms a barrier over the other layers. It is important to keep the shingles in place as they are the first thing you see when you look at a homes roof. It protects the roof and fills in the spaces under the cutouts and joints for the next row of shingles.
How Much Roofing Felt Do I Need
Roofing felt is sold in rolls and the product label will give information on the area contained. Divide the area of your roof by the area of the felt rolls you plan to use, and allow an approximate 10% extra for waste.
No matter what residential roofing project youre undertaking, in the words of the Canadian Asphalt Shingle Manufacturers Association, using a felt or synthetic underlayment just makes good roofing sense.
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Eggs On An Asphalt Roof
Q: Not long after we moved into our home, some wise guy threw eggs at our asphalt shingle roof. I went up there and scrubbed with every cleanser I could think of, but all I got was a bad manicure. What should I do about this unsightly mess?
Carrie, Grand Junction, Colo.
A:Tom Silva replies: Egg residue should come off just fine if you flood the area with water while the egg is still wet. But if it gets a chance to dry, or worse, if it gets baked on by the sun, the job isnât as easy. Iâd try soaking the area with water, then spraying it with a nontoxic, biodegradable cleaner such as Simple Green, which was originally formulated to remove protein stains. Let the cleaner soak in for a while as you keep the area moist, then gently scrub the area with a soft-bristle brush. Working with cleaners and water on a roof will make surfaces slippery, however, so be very careful.
When youâre done, the color of the roofing may be noticeably different, but thereâs nothing you can do except wait it out. Maybe it will blend in over time.
Remove Everything From The Roof
It is likely that you have some things on the roof of an RV that you need to remove. That can include roof vents, skylight domes, antennas. You need to remove all of that, leave nothing behind. It includes termination bars, strips everything that you have on the roof must be uninstalled and set aside.
It is quite easy to remove these with a simple screwdriver. Usually, it is a ¼ head screwdriver. Scrap off all sealant from these elements too, use a putty knife or a 5-in-1 tool for that. Clean them thoroughly so you can install them back later.
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The Cost Of Epdm Roofing
The last thing and most important thing you need to know about EPDM roofing is how much itll cost. Just know that its impossible to give you an exact price due to all the different cost factors.
The numbers below should only be used to help you understand the budget needed for EPDM roofing. With that in mind, EPDM roofing will cost around $14.00-$17.00 per square foot for smaller projects and around $12.00 per square foot for slightly larger projects.
A couple of big cost factors help determine where youll fall in the price range above. The first one is the type of insulation used under the actual EPDM roofing membrane.
It costs more to use insulation thick enough to insulate the entire structure than using fabric insulation and gluing the membrane to it. The second factor is the size of the roof getting EPDM roofing installed on it.
If you have a smaller project, the cost per square foot will actually be on the higher end of the price range. For larger projects, the cost per square foot has the opposite effect and drastically decreases.
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Improves Overall Look And Uniformity
The roof deck does not always lay perfectly. If you were to install shingles directly to the roof deck, that uneven surface would cause a lot of vulnerable spaces for water to go, and it would look bad, too. A layer of felt paper or another kind of underlayment helps create a uniform surface for shingles to be installed.
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How Do You Replace Flashing Under Siding
Nail the siding, stopping before placing the final nail at the end. Slide half of the piece of pan flashing, oriented vertically, under the end of the siding. Make sure the bottom of the flashing does not emerge at the bottom of the lap siding. Secure the flashing and the siding by fastening them to the structure.
What You Need To Know About Roofing Underlayment
A beautiful roof is one of the most important features of your home. It improves your homes curb appeal, keeps you warm and dry, and protects your home from the damaging effects of hail and other rough weather. But underneath your homes asphalt or architectural shingles is something thats even more important to keeping your home safe and secure: its underlayment.
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Underlayment Application Of Asphalt Shingles On Low Slope Roofs
Continuing from from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:
Asphalt shingles can be used on roofs witha slope of 2:12 to 4:12 if double-coverage underlayment isused.
See UNDERLAYMENT DOUBLE vs SINGLE.
Start with a 19-inch strip of 15 lb. asphalt-saturatedfelt along the eaves, and lap succeeding courses by19 inches as shown in Figure 2-3.
Wherever there is a possibility of ice or snow buildupor the backup of water from leaves or pine needles, installa self-adhering bituminous membrane along the eaves thatextends up the roof to a point at least 36 inches inside theinterior wall line.
An alternative approach, not widely usedanymore, is to seal all laps in the lower courses of roofingfelt with lap cement or asphalt plastic cement.
In areas with extensive snowfall or windblown rain, the best protection against leakage is to cover the entire low-slope roof area with a bituminous membrane, as shown in Figure 2-4.
Vertical end laps should be at least 3 inches and horizontallaps 6 inches. If the roof changes to a steeper slope,for example, where a shed dormer joins the main roof, extendthe membrane 12 to 18 inches up the main roof slope.
Bituminous membranes are self-healing around nail holes,and because they bond fully to the sheathing, any leaksthat occur cannot spread.
As a safeguard against expensive callbacks, many roofers now apply membrane to the entire surface of any roof with a slope of 4:12 or less.
Considering An Epdm Roof For Your Business
A new roof is one of the most expensive improvements you make to your building and is what ultimately offers it the most protection from the elements. That makes it vital to know about the benefits and drawbacks of EPDM roofs before deciding whether or not to buy one. Youll also want to consider your long-term plans for your building and whether or not an EPDM roof is suited for them, as shingle or metal roofs typically add more value to a building. In the end, working with an expert can provide you with the knowledge you need to make the right decision for your business.
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