If you plan to replace your home roof this spring, then you should choose a roof that is not only attractive, but that also suits the unique needs of your family.
If you are tired of your sky-high home cooling bills in the summer or have difficulty keeping the top floors of your home as cool as your first floor, then you should choose a new roof that helps keep your home as cool as possible during the summer to help lower home cooling bills or encourage an even temperature throughout your home during the hot summer.
Read on to learn two tips for choosing a new roof that keeps your home cooler in the summer.
Roof pests come in many forms. A nest of raccoons is easy to notice, while a more sinister influx of termites may not become evident until they’ve eaten thousands of dollars of your home. But whether the size of the infestation (and of the pests themselves) is large or small, you’ll want to catch it as quickly as possible. So you’ll need to check for pests regularly.
Here are some parts of your roofing system that are likely to be attacked by pests as well as what signs you’ll want to look out for.
1. Vent Flashing
The spot where an exhaust vent exits your roof can be a popular spot for raccoons and squirrels to attack. One reason is that the warm air coming out through the vent alerts them to the fact that if they get inside, they’ll find a warm spot to live.
Tightening your building envelope means you’ll need to close up gaps, beef up insulation, and otherwise shore up your home’s defenses against the outside environment. Your home’s building envelope consists of anything that keeps the inside in and the outside out. The more insulated and less drafty your home’s components are, the better your envelope is.
As you can imagine, your roof and attic are a large part of your home’s building envelope. In summer, you have to consider how to keep out the sun’s excess heat, but in winter, keeping in your heated air is the big issue. Here are some ideas on how you can upgrade, improve, and supplement your roof and attic with this in mind.
One of the first decisions you need to make when selecting a new roof is the color. Your color decision can be used to guide all other decisions, including which shingle material to use. There is no exact science to roof color selection, but there are a variety of different considerations to keep in mind so that you pick a color you can live with.
Color Balance
You can begin narrowing down your color choices right away by realistically assessing the options in contrast to the dominant colors on the rest of your home.
How long your roof will last depends on the material it’s made out of. The National Association of Home Builders says to expect roofs with asphalt shingles to need replacement after a life expectancy of up to 20 years. Fiber cement shingles will last about 25 years, and slate, copper, and concrete roofs have the longest life expectancy at around 50 years.
No matter what material your roof is made of, however, if you don’t take proper care of your roof you’ll likely end up needing major repairs or a full replacement before it reaches its full lifespan. Here are a few roof maintenance tips to help you avoid this scenario.
Your roof is perhaps the most important part of your house. Your house, its contents, and the people who reside in it all need the roof for protection. As important as the roof is, most homeowners don’t think much about it unless something goes wrong.
When something does go wrong, homeowners are often surprised to learn the homeowners insurance policy they have paid faithfully for years may not cover them. Here are three commonly asked questions about your roof and your property insurance.
Once the leaves start to fall outside, you can be sure that winter will be here before we know it. In addition to the preparation you do on the inside of your house to make sure it’s ready for colder temperatures, one of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to inspect your roof as well.
The last thing you would do as a parent is send your child out in the cold with a coat that has holes in it. And your roof is like a winter coat for your house. When your roof is in great shape, it keeps you and your family warm and shielded from the snow all winter long. Let’s take a closer look at three specific ways you can prepare your roof for the winter.
Although bad weather events such as hailstorms and windstorms are common causes of roof leaks, that doesn’t mean your roof can’t develop damage even on a sunny day that will then show up at the next rainfall. Here’s how your roof can become damaged without any hostile weather events.
1. Pests
Squirrels may be cute, but they can also be quite rascally. If squirrels manage to access your roof, they could chew and claw at any of your roof components and potentially cause considerable damage. For example, when looking for shelter, a squirrel could chew its way through your roof and into your attic.
Contractors have two types of rubber roofs to choose from. One style is ethylene propylene diene terpolymer, EPDM, which consists of a roll of rubber material. Roofers tend to use EPDM more for commercial than residential buildings. The other style of rubber roofing consists of rubber shingles, which are common for residences.
Here is what you need to know about the composition, advantages, and installation of these rubber roofs.
Composition of EPDM
The rubber roofing membrane, EPDM, has two primary ingredients, ethylene and propylene. Both are derivatives of natural gas and petroleum. Manufacturers produce a single-ply rubber roofing membrane at either 45 or 60 millimeters. The rolls come in widths ranging from 7 ½ to 50 feet. EPDM roofing membranes are available in both white and black.
Flashing is cut-to-fit, sheet-metal material fastened under shingles and vulnerable roof areas. Flashing prevents water from seeping into the roof decking, attic, and home. Copper is a reliable, long lasting material that’s often used for roof flashing. Here’s a quick guide to the benefits and uses of copper for roof-flashing applications.
Copper Flashing Outlasts Shingles
If you choose to have copper flashing installed on your home, you may never need to have flashing installed again. That’s because copper used for flashing is a long-lasting material that won’t need to be replaced nearly as soon as your roofing shingles.
Tightening your building envelope means you’ll need to close up gaps, beef up insulation, and otherwise shore up your home’s defenses against the outside environment. Your home’s building envelope consists of anything that keeps the inside in and the outside out. The more insulated and less drafty your home’s components are, the better your envelope is.
One of the first decisions you need to make when selecting a new roof is the color. Your color decision can be used to guide all other decisions, including which shingle material to use. There is no exact science to roof color selection, but there are a variety of different considerations to keep in mind so that you pick a color you can live with.
How long your roof will last depends on the material it’s made out of. The 
Your roof is perhaps the most important part of your house. Your house, its contents, and the people who reside in it all need the roof for protection. As important as the roof is, most homeowners don’t think much about it unless something goes wrong.
Once the leaves start to fall outside, you can be sure that winter will be here before we know it. In addition to the preparation you do on the inside of your house to make sure it’s ready for colder temperatures, one of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to inspect your roof as well.
