by United Roofing MN | Aug 30, 2011
Minnesota Townhouse and Condo Roofing Contractor Minneapolis MN Budget time has come and gone, Minnesota has had several tornados and rain storms, your maintenance budget has already been exhausted due to roof leaks…… and it’s only August. What do you do? You scramble to get quotes for roof replacements, have an association meeting to try to explain to the community why you need to do a special assessment or secure a loan for a capital improvement project. In the end, you hope that the project and financing are approved. Does Your Roof Have You Covered? Does this sound familiar? If so, you should know how to identify the signs that your roofs are either failing or nearing the end of their life expectancy. Here are the danger signs that you can look for: Current leaks. These leaks are most likely due to inadequate or missing underlayment, deteriorated and/or missing flashing or poor overall workmanship by the original roofing contractor. Many apparent roof leaks are actually flashing leaks. Without good, tight flashings around chimneys, vents, skylights and wall/roof junctions, water can enter a home or building and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and electrical systems. Flashings should be checked as part of a biannual roof inspection and gutter cleaning. The appearance of water stains on interior ceilings and walls over the winter months. The most likely cause of these stains is an ice dam. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that usually forms either at the eave of the roof or where a side wall meets a roof edge. Once an ice dam forms, it prevents water...
by United Roofing MN | Aug 25, 2011
Your Roof’s Ventilation System Could Be Costing You Money One of the most important aspects of the way your roof is designed and built is proper ventilation. You simply cannot over-estimate its importance. Improper ventilation allows formation of condensation, moisture accumulation, and damage to the roof deck and will eventually lead to the instability of the roof. Your family’s health can also be affected by improper roof ventilation. What Will Happen If A Roof Doesn’t Have Proper Ventilation? The industry standard for roof ventilation to provide 1 square foot of intake ventilation and 1 square foot of exhaust or outflow ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space, provided the area is insulated with a vapor barrier. If the area is insulated without a vapor barrier, the requirement doubles. Proper ventilation of the roof and attic of a home will achieve several important functions: It makes your attic space cooler It makes your home more energy efficient It prevents condensation and accumulation of moisture on the inside of the roof deck, and will prevent rotting of the roof deck It will reduce the risk of fire Several types of vents can be used to adequately ventilate your roof. Roof ridge vents are placed along the ridge line of the roof. Ridge vents are used for exhaust or outflow of moisture, heat, and stale air. Soffit vents and Eaves are placed at the lower extremes of the roof and provide the intake ventilation. If you live in an older home, your roof might not be constructed for roof ridge or soffit vents. Older homes were not built with the tight seals of today’s...
by United Roofing MN | Aug 23, 2011
Poor Roof Ventilation Can Cause Shingle Damage There is a great deal of moisture that accumulates in a home. This moisture, like heat, rises and works its way to the top of your home. Without adequate ventilation, this moisture would accumulate and cause the top of your home to deteriorate. Ventilation allows this moisture to escape and helps bring balance to the moisture that accumulates on the roof as well. Ceiling fans, vents and ridge vents all make up the ventilation system that ensures a home, attic and roof have ample air to release moisture. The roof ventilation systems consist of both intake and exhale vents. These vents balance the air between the roof and the attic. Why Do Roofs Need Ventilation? If your home doesn’t have proper ventilation, you will experience a number of problems. Moisture will accumulate and cause various parts of your roofing system to deteriorate. Excess moisture can cause shingles become warped or loose and possibly slip off. If the water damage extends to the underlayment, wood underneath the roof can warp or buckle. This can lead to structural damage and may extend into the trusses or rafters. If these structures become damaged, they may fail to support the roof. It is extremely important that your roof has ventilation according to code specifications and that the ventilation system is working properly. The best way to ensure that your ventilation system is installed properly is to hire a Minnesota roofing...
by United Roofing MN | Aug 18, 2011
Ventilation is Key To The Life Of Your Roof More than ever, homeowners are frustrated by poor-performing roofing products, especially when a new roof costs between $5,000 and $10,000 and lasts only 12 to 15 years. In some cases, it is a bad brand of materials. More often, however, inadequate attic ventilation is the culprit. Building standards, driven by energy shortages, have sewn up the homes that we live in tighter than a drum. Surprisingly, standards of ventilation adopted in the 1930s are still in use today. Therefore, most homes are very under-ventilated. Home Ventilation and Energy-Efficiency If you take a moment and think about it, it’s easy to understand why ventilation and energy-efficiency is a catch-22. Many of the principles of creating an energy-efficient home deal with locking air inside the home to prevent heat loss. This, in turn, creates an environment of continuously recycled air. In recent years, indoor air pollution has become more of a problem than outdoor air pollution. Air filtration systems can help purify this recycled air, but energy-efficient homes lock in moisture as well as air. This can lead to condensation forming on your windows, mold problems, and roofing failures caused by wood rot and ice dams. Roof ventilation is the best and, in most cases, the only way to prevent these air and moisture problems. Roof Ventilation Roof ventilation is a major concern to anyone who is thinking about having their home re-roofed. It is common for the average household to produce from four to five pounds of water vapor per day. To illustrate how much water that is, go to your...
by United Roofing MN | Aug 16, 2011
Roof Repair MN | Minnesota Roofing Minneapolis MN Did you know that 90% of roof leaks are caused by improperly installed or deteriorated roof flashings? The other 10% of roof leaks are usually the result of improperly installed windows or gutters which can cause water to leak along and inside walls of your home. If you have noticed your roof is looking a little more damaged than usual, or, if you have discovered some horrifying leaks in your roof, then it might be time to consider roofing repair services now. Minnesota Roofing Repairs Missing or Torn Shingles – have you noticed that some of your shingles have blown away or gone missing? If this is the case, then your roof is not doing its job- offering complete protection from the weather and climate. If a shingle is missing, then the roof structure is more vulnerable to water damage and rotting problems. It is best to repair any missing shingles as soon as possible to prevent the problem from spreading. Deterioration of Shingles– another common reason for roofing repair is due to shingles deteriorating over time. This is often caused by daily wear and tear due to the harsh weather. Snow, ice and rain can all lead to water damage and rotting while sun’s rays can also cause the shingles to deteriorate over time. Flashing deterioration – if you are noticed roof leaks in your home, then it could be due to flashing deterioration. Without good, tight flashing around your chimneys, vents and other roof structures, water can easily enter the home. In many instances, flashing problems can be fixed...
Click Here To Use
Click Here