Is It Time For A New Roof?

A new roof is every homeowners most dreaded home improvement task. Lots of homeowners want to renovate their kitchens or bathrooms, but no homeowner wants to install a new roof. If the roof over your head lasts as long as you own the home, all the better. But that is not always the case. Every 20 or 30 years, sometimes sooner, homes need their roofing either replaced or reinforced.

A homeowner that suspects it is time to install a new roof needs to be sure. In this homeowner’s guide to residential roofing, you will learn some of the basic symptoms of a roof in need of replacement. Followed by that will be a brief outline of the work necessary to properly install a new roof, including the extensive preparations. Also covered are some of the roofing features available like a drip edge and an ice shield. Let’s get to it.

How do you know if it’s time for a new roof?
If your roof is leaking it will be obvious. Stains on the ceiling inside are a tell tale sign. Sometimes, though, a leak in the roof can be repaired locally without the entire roof being replaced. For the big picture, look for a combination of factors including the following:

*Algae growth – Airborne algae produce a dark discoloration on the roof that resembles soot or dirt.

*Curling, blistering, or missing shingles – These can be caused by moisture, poor workmanship, or high winds.

*Damaged flashing – This is caused by drying or cracking on an old roof, improper nailing, or settling of the home over time.

*Buckling – Buckling can happen when the house settles, if new shingles are applied over old ones, or because of poor workmanship. Poor workmanship includes improperly applied felt, wrinkeld underlayment, or lack of spacers between the roof deck and boards.

*Missing granules – Granules naturally wear off of shingles, but if there are so many loose granules that they are filling up your gutters or if the mat underneath is exposed, then your shingles have officially gotten too old.

*Signs of rot – This is more common in organic base shingles. Consider replacing with fiberglass shingles to avoid rot.

What does it take to install a new roof?
A good roofing crew will have a system in place when you order your new roof, including preparation. Without undergoing significant preparation, a homeowner risks the integrity of their new roof. If a roof is poorly prepared, it will quickly develop crack, holes, and eventually leaks.

Typically, the team will take up most of your yard, laying out the new roofing materials. Also they usually pull a dump truck up to the side of the house to throw in all of the old roof detritus that will be torn off and trashed. If you cringe at the thought of a heavy dump truck crushing your lawn, ask your roofer about a new technology called Mr. Buggy, which is a great dump truck alternative. The team will remove all the old shingles and pull out the old nails. At this stage it is time to replace or secure the roof boards. Each roof board should be inspected individually to ensure the future integrity of the new roof.

All debris must be removed from the roof at this point, because demolition will be over. It will be time to begin the actual installation portion of the roofing project. Next the team must install an aluminum drip edge along the eaves of the roof using galvanized nails to prevent rust. After the drip edge, it is wise but not necessary to install an adhesive ice and water sheild. This can be expensive but it is well worth it in wet or cold climates. Some states’ building codes require the ice and water shield, so do your homework.

Then the team will entirely cover the roof area with felt or roofing paper in overlapping rows from the bottom up, fastening it down with roofing tacks. Finally the new shingles are attached, from the bottom corner of the roof up to the very top. Any hips and valleys are overlapped, using a herringbone technique.

It’s over now. Congratulations!

Roofing is arduous work, requiring lots of manpower, that is best handled by professionals. Roofing requires a significant amount of demolition and preparation before the familiar shingles or shake are fastened down. It sounds simple here, but it takes days, and it is a very dirty and labor intensive job. The good news is that when the roof is done, it looks so ordered, fresh and beautiful that the whole house seems to smile to be wearing a new top. And as a homeowner, you are allowed decades of cozy security under a healthy new roof.

Need More Space? Clean Out The Attic For Some Much Needed Room!

Remodeling the attic is a resourceful and imaginative way to increase the usable space of a home without building additions or making significant structural changes to the house. The first step of any attic remodeling project is a thorough assessment. If your attic has enough room for you to stand up in without bonking your head on a rafter, that is a good start. Read this attic renovation primer to learn some basic inspections you will need to do before planning to remodel your attic.

Inspecting your attic includes making sure there is enough clearance to create a livable space up there. Inspect the ceiling joists and framing to make sure they are structurally sound. The ceiling joists are the wooden beams you have to stand on when you go up into your attic. These will become the support for any flooring you install in the attic. The ceiling joists must be a minimum of 2″ by 6″. If the joists are any smaller, they will not support the weight of the remodeled attic and it will crash down onto the rest of the home.

Make sure there is enough space to renovate the attic. Eight feet of clearance from the joists to the roof is a minimum standard. Also, depending on the pitch of the roof, the roof itself needs to be a certain width to justify the renovation. If the pitch of the roof is 1/2, then the roof needs to be at least 40 feet wide. If the pitch is 2/3, the roof needs to be 32 feet across. A 5/6 pitch requires a roof at least 24 feet wide for a satisfactory attic renovation.

Next, have an electrician inspect your home’s wiring to establish if your current electrical system can handle the load of an additional livable room, accounting for all the lighting and appliances you will add to the renovated attic.

Also, look for any leaks or damage in the roof that will need to be fixed during the renovation. Once finished with the initial inspection, it will be time to formulate a plan.

Once you have preformed the initial assessment on your attic, you will be able to decide for sure if you are going to renovate. If your attic is a good candidate for remodeling, your renovation plan needs to include some essential points. These essential points are: access, HVAC, flooring, and light.

Access
Most attics are accessed through a fold down lumber stairway or a ladder through a trap door. At best, the attic is reached by a cramped staircase that does not allow for normal foot traffic. Your renovation plan must make allowance, both spatially and economically, for a standard staircase from the living space in your home up to the proposed living space in your attic. Study your local building codes concerning egress in living spaces. For example, your renovated attic will need to have at least one window installed that will act as a fire escape.

HVAC
HVAC is an industry acronym that stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. Attics are typically heavily insulated for the sake of the entire home’s energy conservation. This mean attics are very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. Your renovation plan must account for these unique temperature ranges in the new attic. Your homes HVAC system will need to be expanded to accommodate and appropriately ventilate your remodeled attic.

Flooring
Since the majority of attics do not have a real floor, one will have to be installed. The “floor” of most unrenovated attics consists of nothing but the tops of the ceiling joists of the room below, usually with insulation laid down between the joists. If your attic is being used for storage, you likely have random boards laid across the joists for places to step and keep boxes of Christmas decorations and whatnot. Think about what kind of flooring you will use in your new attic. Make sure flooring is both glued down and thoroughly secured with fastening hardware to prevent squeaking down the line. Carpet is a good flooring option for attics, because it insulates and dampens sound. But carpet must be reinforced with high quality carpet padding and a secure base flooring.

Light
Attics are dark places. When renovating your attic draw up plans for adequate lighting. Electrical lighting is not your only option. If you install a skylight or dormers, the attic will be flooded with beautiful quantities of natural light during the day. Since the space is small relative to the rest of the home, paint the walls a light color to reflect illumination and help the natural light fill the room more effectively.

In the end, an attic renovation can be a wonderful thing. What matters most before beginning an attic renovation plan is adequate preparation. Find a reputable contractor that is willing to answer your questions. Inspect your attic for basic structural integrity and minimum clearance. Then work with a contractor and a design team to draw up a sound attic remodeling plan. Before you know it, you’ll be playing billiards in your new attic hobby room. Good luck!