All About Roofing

Experts recommend that you repair or replace your roof every ten to thirty years. Since they're the first things exposed to damaging elements of nature (like rain, wind, sun, snow, hail, ice, etc.), it's not surprising that they need a little attention now and then. Of course the climate in which you live will determine how often you repair or replace your roof as well. For example, a roof in a climate that changes from extreme cold temperatures to extreme hot ones year after year after year is prone to problems like brittleness or even crumbling. Roof Styles There are six basic styles of roofs. The most common roofs are gable roofs and you can immediately recognize these types because they're in the triangular shape that we're all familiar with. A flat roof looks just like its name implies. Although there are many variations, most roofs are structured along these two basic styles.

For example, most roofs are sloped (or pitched) and depending upon the climate, a roof may be high pitched or low pitched. High-pitched roofs are found in climates that produce a lot of precipitation. As you might have guessed, precipitation such as snow or rain doesn't stand much of a chance against a high-pitched waterproof and/or thermal resistant roof. In warmer climates, like the southwest, you'll find many buildings and homes with low-pitched roofs. For your protection, your city may mandate a specific roof pitch (measured in degrees). How Roofs Are Born To build a roof from scratch, constructors (more appropriately called, roofers) will more than likely either frame it (put it together) at ground level and then hoist it onto the house, or attach a prefabricated roof onto the house in the same manner. The idea is to build as much of it within easy walking distance before attaching to the top of a home - where roofers later have to climb up and apply additional materials. What Roofs Are Made Of What materials? Well first, roofs begin as 2 x 4s. These act as a roof's frame. Once the frame is built, it's hoisted atop of a house, and then it's covered with plywood, or sheathing. If advisable, your roof's sheathing may be covered with insulating board as well. As a precaution against water damage, vital parts of the roof may even be covered with metal flashing.

Atop of the 2 x 4s, the plywood, and sheathing lies what most of us finally recognize as a roof: it's covering. Coverings range from asphalt to clay tile, and from slate to concrete tile, however most of them are covered with either hot tar or shingles. Shingles are squares of roofing materials overlapped and nailed to the surface beneath it.

When you talk to your contractor about the type of roof you want, you're bound to hear some terminology that you're unfamiliar with. Defining all these new terms is beyond the scope of this article, but you can rest assured that your contractor is well familiar with the lingo and is more than happy to describe your options.

Author Paul White represents FloridaHomeBuild.com. A site designed to help home owners from Florida locate local home contractors with their home improvement projects.

Visit http://www.FloridaHomeBuild.com

Is Insulation Really effective Soundproofing for Walls?

One of the oldest and most established methods for improving the sound isolation of walls is the use of insulation. It?s fast, reasonably inexpensive and easy to install. You probably have some interior walls in your own home filled with insulation. But how effective is it, anyway? Does it stop the type of sound that is most annoying you?

It might be best to first consider how sound moves from one side of a wall to the other. A typical wall will have a sheet of drywall / stud / drywall. The wall will have air spaces in between the studs. The drywall is very rigidly connected to the studs.

Sound waves will hit that wall, and attempt to vibrate through to the room next door (or floor below, etc). The sound can vibrate into the next room through one of two paths:

Through the rigid drywall-stud-drywall connection path
Through the open drywall?airspace?drywall path

The insulation will only be able to affect the vibration traveling through the airspace between the studs. The rigid drywall?stud?drywall connection is not reduced with insulation, obviously, and will conduct vibration just as effectively whether insulated or uninsulated.

This has been an extensively laboratory tested scenario, fortunately. The detail of such lab tests are conclusive, and one finds that the low frequencies are not stopped by the addition of insulation. Further, the high frequencies are not reduced significantly. Mid frequencies are reduced somewhat, however, allowing the overall rating of an insulated wall to be 2-3 STC (measurement of sound isolation) points higher than an un-insulated wall. This seems like a good thing. At least the insulation reduces the middle frequencies.

The problem, however, is that most sound isolation problems are in the low frequencies that insulation does not affect. This means that for many of us, insulation alone won?t stop the sounds that bother us the most.

Does this mean insulation is useless for soundproofing? Not at all. It simply points to the fact that insulation shouldn?t be relied on as the sole solution for soundproofing. If you are building a home or an addition or remodeling, you just can?t rely on insulation alone to soundproof.

So where does insulation play a role in sound isolation? Insulation is a great synergist with any of the following other sound isolation techniques:

De-couple the walls with staggered stud or double stud construction (very effective)

Increase the mass of the wall (moderately effective) by adding drywall.

Damp the wall with a field applied damping compound (very effective)

By deploying a combined technique approach, you will have much greater success in your soundproofing efforts.

Corrugated Roofing Materials used for Roofing any Structure

The roof is a very essential element of the house, building or any structure. They provide the shelter and the protection from natures elements and factors such as rain, snow, sleet, as well as sunlight. But basically, the roof is like a wall of the house, a panel if you will; only it is placed and located on top of the house or building. Roofs are basically characterized in two ways, the flat and the sliding. Some combine both. Roofs may be made from different materials, all throughout the history of mankind, different materials have been used as roofing materials and one of the more successful is the corrugated roofing.

Corrugated roofing started out as sheetmetal. They form some sort of waves on the roofing for design as well as for purpose. Nowadays corrugated roofing is made from different materials, such as Stainless Steel, Fiberglass, Aluminum, Coated or Painted Steel. Usually they are treated with special finishes to prevent corrosion. Corrugated roofing materials are easy to use and install. They are relatively affordable than other roofing materials and are a long lasting solutions. Corrugated roofing materials are usually used for the sliding type of roof.

Steel corrugated roofing materials can be quite long lasting. They can be painted with different colors and treated with different solutions to make them even more long-lasting. They are also pretty lightweight and easy to handle. Installation can be done with a minimum number of persons. Whats more they are very affordable. Corrugated roofing materials that uses fiberglass are very translucent which can provide natural lighting to the house or building. They are watertight like other corrugated roofing materials and are very lightweight and durable. Corrugated roofing materials are also more rigid than a flat sheet of a similar type and thickness, this results to a substantial reduction in cost and weight.

The disadvantages in using corrugated roofing materials are that they are very lightweight and can be hard to work with if the weather is extreme. Fiberglass corrugated roofing materials cannot withstand high heat, fiberglass also easily chips while metal and aluminum corrugated roofing materials dent easily and is hard to restore. The temperature plays a major facto with corrugated roofing materials and if they are not installed properly they may detach. Because corrugated roofing materials are usually very thin, they can be very noisy when it rains, snows or other extreme weather conditions. The corrugated roofing materials sheets can also be very heated during hot sunny days and the heat can radiate to the rest of the structure making it very uncomfortable. To eradicate this problem, a false ceiling must be placed, the gap in between should be well ventilated so that the hot air will be dispensed through that manner. Utilizing light colored corrugated roofing materials or painting it with light colored paints if possible will also decrease this problem.

When installing corrugated roofing materials, there is some basic building materials needed such as, Filler strips, these are wood shaped to fit the contours of the panels, special nails for corrugated roofing materials, plastic washers, you will also need a drill and drill bits, a saw might also be needed for some cutting. Corrugated roofing materials are sold in panels with different sizes, before purchasing, it is best to determine which size and how many panels will be needed so that cutting will not be necessitated thus avoiding waste and additional costs. With corrugated roofing materials you get high=quality roofing materials that is very affordable, easy to handle and install and can be designed to compliment any house and design.

Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free payroll tips everyday. To learn more about her free roofing tips, and to sign up for her FREE Roofing articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit www.RoofingUp.com.

Discovering Fiberglass Roofing Panels for your Roofing Needs

Roofs are an integral part of the house. The design of a roof tells a lot about the structure. They can be stylish, grand, historical, modern, versatile and so much more. When designing a house, building or any structure, the roof cant be taken for granted, they must be complimenting the whole design and yet, will be very durable and resistant to natures elements. That is why; designers take into consideration a lot of things like the weather, the winds, the location of the structure and much more, all of them makes an influence on the design of the roof and what kind of roofing materials to use. There are many forms wherein roofs are designed and constructed. They could either be flat, pitched, vaulted, domed or combinations of those types. As stated, these designs are influenced by considerations regarding technical, regional and aesthetic factors.

Since time immemorial, man have found and used different materials to use as materials for the roofs of their houses. Some of the early roofing materials used where leaves, rocks, wood, stones then as time and man progresses more and more have been discovered. Roofing materials made out of asphalt, cement, wood, and synthetic materials like fiberglass and other innovative materials. These new roofing materials have proven to be durable, reliable and lightweight. They can be manufactured in any shape and in any color making them a good alternative if not the outright choice.

Fiberglass has gained quite a following in the past few decades, because of their malleability they can be formed into anything with relative ease. They can also be very tough and durable yet be lightweight and easy to handle. With those characteristics, fiberglass is a good material to be used for roofing. Fiberglass first was introduced in 1938, as the name implies, fiberglass is made from very fine fibers of glass. This revolutionary product then has long been developed and provided with fresh innovations to form other types of roofing panels, which caters to different needs. The flexibility and versatility of fiberglass roofing panel materials makes it a very popular choice.

Fiberglass roofing panels can be shaped as corrugated roofing panels, shingles roofing panels, tapered roofing panels and so much more. Being synthetically produced somewhat, they are easy to manipulate to form shapes, used as composite material, provided different colors and other designs and textures that the manufacturers or public desire. It doesnt matter what type or form the design of your roof is, a fiberglass roofing panel will provide your roof with a tough and durable membrane, as well as provide it with great looking cover and protection.

Fiberglass roofing panels provide great waterproof sealing for the roof, especially when installed properly. Many fiberglass roofing panels producers provide longer warranties when their authorized roof installers do the project. Aside from their easy to install, durable and lightweight factors, Most fiberglass roofing panels are affordable than the alternative roofing panels, fiberglass roofing panels are about 65 to 70 percent cheaper than the others but gives the same great look and durability with an average of 25 to 30 years.

There are a plethora of choices when it comes to fiberglass roofing panels, each providing their pros and cons, but like any other building project, it is best to discuss this with your architect or contractor. Try to learn more and discuss this with people knowledgeable with all the factors that may influence the look and the lifespan of your roof. More and more new and innovative types, shapes and forms of fiberglass roofing panel are coming out so its best to keep yourself updated.

Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free payroll tips everyday. To learn more about her free roofing tips, and to sign up for her FREE Roofing articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit www.RoofingUp.com.

Corrugated Roofing Materials Used for Roofing Any Structure

The roof is a very essential element of the house, building or any structure. They provide the shelter and the protection from nature’s elements and factors such as rain, snow, sleet, as well as sunlight. But basically, the roof is like a wall of the house, a panel if you will; only it is placed and located on top of the house or building. Roofs are basically characterized in two ways, the flat and the sliding. Some combine both. Roofs may be made from different materials, all throughout the history of mankind, different materials have been used as roofing materials and one of the more successful is the corrugated roofing.

Corrugated roofing started out as sheetmetal. They form some sort of waves on the roofing for design as well as for purpose. Nowadays corrugated roofing is made from different materials, such as Stainless Steel, Fiberglass, Aluminum, Coated or Painted Steel. Usually they are treated with special finishes to prevent corrosion. Corrugated roofing materials are easy to use and install. They are relatively affordable than other roofing materials and are a long lasting solutions. Corrugated roofing materials are usually used for the sliding type of roof.

Steel corrugated roofing materials can be quite long lasting. They can be painted with different colors and treated with different solutions to make them even more long-lasting. They are also pretty lightweight and easy to handle. Installation can be done with a minimum number of persons. What’s more they are very affordable. Corrugated roofing materials that uses fiberglass are very translucent which can provide natural lighting to the house or building. They are watertight like other corrugated roofing materials and are very lightweight and durable. Corrugated roofing materials are also more rigid than a flat sheet of a similar type and thickness, this results to a substantial reduction in cost and weight.

The disadvantages in using corrugated roofing materials are that they are very lightweight and can be hard to work with if the weather is extreme. Fiberglass corrugated roofing materials cannot withstand high heat, fiberglass also easily chips while metal and aluminum corrugated roofing materials dent easily and is hard to restore. The temperature plays a major facto with corrugated roofing materials and if they are not installed properly they may detach. Because corrugated roofing materials are usually very thin, they can be very noisy when it rains, snows or other extreme weather conditions. The corrugated roofing materials sheets can also be very heated during hot sunny days and the heat can radiate to the rest of the structure making it very uncomfortable. To eradicate this problem, a false ceiling must be placed, the gap in between should be well ventilated so that the hot air will be dispensed through that manner. Utilizing light colored corrugated roofing materials or painting it with light colored paints if possible will also decrease this problem.

When installing corrugated roofing materials, there is some basic building materials needed such as, Filler strips, these are wood shaped to fit the contours of the panels, special nails for corrugated roofing materials, plastic washers, you will also need a drill and drill bits, a saw might also be needed for some cutting. Corrugated roofing materials are sold in panels with different sizes, before purchasing, it is best to determine which size and how many panels will be needed so that cutting will not be necessitated thus avoiding waste and additional costs. With corrugated roofing materials you get high=quality roofing materials that is very affordable, easy to handle and install and can be designed to compliment any house and design.

Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free payroll tips everyday. To learn more about her free roofing tips, and to sign up for her FREE Roofing articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit http://www.RoofingUp.com