Roofing Materials Desired

In Eastern Pennsylvania farmers used to get up to milk the cows and due their chores early in the morning.. My, have things changed since was a boy. Not only are there very few of us left, but we have had to cope with urban sprawl. Our farm is in Bucks County. This county and Montgomery County are some of the fastest going suburban areas on the East Coast. In the morning I go downtown and take my father to breakfast at 6am. Yes, I can start the day at anytime but this is the best hour. This trip is not so much for the meal which I don't really need, but to check out route each day that the trash trucks will follow. I want to make sure I do my shopping early!!! This way I can check out the early morning trash routes for the free bargains that are set out during the night. I have come home many a time with a full load in my pickup truck. I even got a Frozen Purdue Chicken last month, boy was it tasty!!!

Yes, I am an urban farmer. Our farm is in the heart of Bucks County, just 25 miles north of Philadelphia. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/Palocations.html The last dairy cows have been sold in our area, so you can imagine, fields and fields of houses surround our farm. But, our good neighbors do provide us with their discarded items. We have found this as our new resource. Thus we have come up with new ways to capitalize on being a suburban farmer. If there was ever a place where one can take a bull by the horns, its on a farm. There are many ways to operate a farm. Farmers can buy or build there own equipment. Farmers can collect what is junk to most people, but is inventory to the farmer. An old car to a farmer can become a mobile tool box, some old cars become shelters for farm pigs, or old cars become sources of needed parts for repair of other machinery. At Highland Hill Farm, we value items that most people would put out to the trash. This article is about us, and our collecting of used items for use on our properties.

Our nurseries, farms, and ranches are always in need of all sorts of used items. We are always looking to trade for items that we are able to use in our operations. We use steel, such as angle iron and metal rods. Old bed frames make a cheap substitute for angle iron. Old curtain rods are a great substitute for metal rods. Old hangers, well, we use them in place of welding rods.

We believe that the best way for us to obtain needed supplies is to have a hardware store approach to inventory for our operations. We want to have all sorts of materials on hand and at many of our locations to supply a lower cost source of materials for the operations. This means we buy in bulk, and accept used or items that need repairs. We have the ability to fabricate some of our own equipment so that means we will collect salvaged iron, metal pipe, and construction materials. We build our own additions and do our own renovations to our properties so used constructions materials are wanted. I am color blind so colors don't matter. Roofing shingles need not match, only protect.

We are always looking for used power equipment and tools. It is easier to have tools on site than to carry needed tools to some of our remote operations. Thus we want all types of machinery. We can modify and repair items and thus condition of the item may not be suitable for your needs but great for ours.

Do you have rolls or partial rolls of barbed wire or woven wire? Fence supplies, electric chargers, fencing tools, gate, posts.... We can trade. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/TradesWanted.html

We are also interest in collecting rocks and boulders that we can sell at our nurseries. Wall stone and old building foundations are great sources of rock and stone. Why throw it out we may be able to recycle it? You may also have left over pavers and flagstone. We again are interested in them. In December of 2006 we began to sell hardscaping materials thru our web site http://www.digatree.com

We have a store in Milan Pa that sells used items from furniture to farm equipment. There is virtually no item that is reusable that we can't sell or recycle for you. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/MilanHirst.html

We are not a one way street. We have thousands of plants from seedlings and liners to 20' trees. We grow trees, plants, and shrubs in Fountainville and Milan Pa. See our web site for details on plants that we carry. http://www.seedlingsrus.com Do you like to hunt? We have lots of recreational sites on our farms and ranches. See http://www.seedlingsrus.com/recreationalops2.html for information on hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, arrowhead hunting, bird watching, bone hunting and meteorite hunting on our ranches and farms. Maybe you could just help us by transporting items from one farm and ranch to another. Highland Hill Farm farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) ( for our location near Doylestown see http://www.seedlingsrus.com/Palocations.html ) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2006 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a "tract" (a parcel, a piece) of land in "the New World," on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

When William Penn saw just the eastern edge of the 40,000 square miles he had gotten he was most pleased, understandably so, with a forest that seemed to never end. Dad's woods, he thought, deciding to name the place where he would start a democratic sort of Quaker colony, Pennsylvania, Penn, -sylv (a Latin word root meaning "woods"), -ania (Latin suffix for "land"). So that's why our home sounds like Count Dracula's (Tran -sylv -ania, tran for "between," as in, between the Carpathian Mountains and the old Principality of Wallachia in what is today's Romania, there's a land which is woods. Maybe Newfoundland should have been named Newfoundania? Naah.

William Penn established just three counties at first, all in the southeastern corner of his wooded land, all with names from mother England. Philadelphia County surrounded the original village there, Chester County was to the south, and Bucks County to the north.

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks county. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

When you come to visit us at Highland Hill Farm in Fountainville, an interesting place to visit is Haycock Mountain. It is a cooled 130-million year old "almost a volcano" that didn't get to come out of the ground. It stayed below, but made the ground bulge upward, and the hot, liquid magma cooled to form coarse-grained "diabase" rock. Ayres' Rock in Australia and Wyoming's Devil's Tower are world-famous examples of what is called a "laccolith." Milk is "lacco" in Latin and "lith" means stone. Haycock Mountain is a laccolith, Buck's County's highest point at 959 feet above sea level.

Haycock Township surrounds the mountain. Haycock Elementary School is having their annual band concert at the nearby high school in the town of McLean on Tuesday, December 20, this year. You don't think that Bucks County has a town named McLean? You're absolutely right! Although there's the Haycock Elementary School we know on Old Bethlehem Road (Route 212), there's another one at the intersection of Haycock Road (Route 703) and Westmoreland Street, in McLean, Virginia just a few miles across the Potomac River west of Washington, D.C. Then, there's Haycock Mountain, in the southwestern part of the state of Utah, not to be confused with Haystack Mountain, Utah. Haycock Mountain, Alaska deserves mention, as well as Haycock Mound in Kansas. "What's in a name?," Shakespeare observed over 400 years ago.

So you get the point; haycock is a common word, but just what is a "haycock?" Before the days of baling machines, cut grasses for "haying" were spread out in the sun to dry ("gotta make hay while the sun shines") and then collected to be taken to where it would be stored. That dome-shaped mound, that pile, that heap, that stack of hay, will have a rounded top exactly like our Haycock Mountain in Bucks County.

If there's no barn with a "mow" (pronounce it like Chairman Mao) to store the hay out of the rain and snow, an extra large haycock can be piled up and this "hayrick" will have a protective outer layer of hay that will be used for bedding the farm animals, or for composting, etc. If a roof set on poles can be created to cover the hayrick, much less of the hay will have to get wet and subsequently rot... So there's a Hayrick Mountain in Texas and another Hayrick Mountain in Oregon. What's in a name? Try, Highland Hill Farm? And guess what we Raise? Highland Cattle and Nursery stock. Our most popular tree is the Green Giant arborvitae.( see http://www.seedlingsrus.com/GreenGiant.html ) Here is why:

The hardiness zone the Green Giant Arborvita tolerates is from zone 5 to zone 8. That's where extreme cold temperatures get down to a temperate level of about 15 or 20 degrees in the winter (Zone 8), but also as low as a frigid level of 15 or 20 degrees BELOW zero (zone 5). Green giants are evergreens, being cedars. Their rapid growth rates can in ideal conditions reach 3 feet per year. Site requirements for the Green Giant Arborvita are sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil preferred (but still does well in clay), and protection from wind, at lest when young.

The Green Giant is a beautiful tree. It has an aesthetically fine form. It's conical, being narrow to broadly pyramidal, reaching from 50 feet to 80 feet in height in southeastern Pennsylvania. The width at the base of the cone is usually about 15 feet to 20 feet. The leaves are rich green making graceful foliage.

Green Giants make a superb privacy screen and living fences. They keep their foliage color year 'round, great for brightening bleak gray winter days with snow on the ground. The cinnamon bright red bark when young turn rich russet brown with time crating a strong contrast with the needle leaves.

Green Giants' flowers, their fruit are pretty little light brown half-inch female cones. (Just so you know, Green giants are females, so its okay to call the cones pretty.) The Green Giant is also a wonderful shade tree, casting a dark, dense shade. The wood is strong too, once the tree is beyond its youth.

This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don't plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there's a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the "Achilles Heel" for Green Giant Arborvitae is hypersensitivity to salt. If you plants this Arborvitas just keep away from the splash of road salt and it will make a great living fence.

So when are you coming to visit us in Bucks County?

See our many web sites at:
http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com http://www..HuntingRelics.com Delete Reply Forward Spam Move... Previous | Next | Back to Messages

Bill Hirst has been growing plants on his 200 acre farm in Bucks County for 30 years. His web sites are http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.digatree.com You can see Bill's fossil hunting web site at http://www.huntingrelics.com Sign up for Bill's newsletter at http://www.seedlingsrus.com/123456signup.html

Waterproofing While Camping

The leather kind of shoes is much more comfortable and flexible, especially at lower altitudes. There are commercial waterproofing confounds. There should be at least two layers of protection between the boots and your feet. You may consider use a synthetic sock for carrying moisture away from my feet and a synthetic/wool mixture for the outer sock for warmth and cushioning. You may want to add another sock the outer layer for additional warmth. It is recommended some form of waterproofing but I don't think plastic boots are necessary at 6000 meters.

People have been walking in leather shoes on the snow. The only safety and health considerations would be if the boots are waterproofed (waxes or oils will keep your feet from getting wet and exacerbating hypothermia), or the tred is sufficient to prevent slips and falls (the number-one cause of death and injury in the outdoors - bar none).

There is an old recipe for waterproofing using bees wax and petroleum jelly melted together in equal parts and rubbed vigorously into a warmed shoe or boot (it softens the hands at the same time). You will need to dry and heat shoes and boots on the open door of an oven, heated to about 200 degrees. When the boots were dry and hot, they would brush Neat's-foot Oil into the pores of the leather. It is called the weekly shoe-bake.

There are a lot of good commercial waterproofs for boots that work as well. Snow Seal is one that was produced out west in the U.S. and works pretty well waterproofing they advise. It's be either silicone, a polymer, or some sort of organic oil or wax. Clean the boots, let them dry, and apply the waterproofing according to instructions provided with the product.

There are important advices on products & methods of waterproofing a tent. The best suggestion is to go to a camping store and buy commercial seam sealer and waterproofing supplies. A lot can depend on the type of fabric and where it is leaking.

If your tent is leaking around the seams, this is because there are tiny pin holes in and around the seam created by the sowing process. If this is the case, seam sealer alone will probably do the trick. Seam sealer can come in two types, seam tape or liquid seam sealer. A urethane-based seam sealer is better because it is more flexible in cold temperatures and creates a better bond with the tent fabric. A disadvantage is that it is messier to use than tape.

If the fabric itself is leaking you can get a silicone-based water repellent treatment for all kinds of tent and tarp fabrics. Most pretreated tents come from the factory with the coating on the inside. If you touch the inside of the tent with your fingers, the oils on your fingers can react with the treatment causing it to become less effective. Spraying it on the outside can help by preventing the material from absorbing water, causing it to be lighter when carrying a wet tent. Products with UV treatment can slow fading and reduce fabric degradation from harmful UV rays.

Just make sure that you get the right product for the fabric of your tent. If you wanted to make your own you just need a substance that doesn't mix with water. Some items that you could use includes...

Lanolin - boil some sheep's wool and scrape the oil of the top. Do you have any sheep? This is flammable.

Coal Tar - Heat powered coal over a fire in a metal container and collect the liquid evaporating from the heated coal with a pipe leading from the container into a series of bottles. This is creosote and is used to waterproof railroad ties. This is very flammable.

Beeswax - You can buy this or raise bees. This is quite flammable.

Flax - Can be taken from the fleshy flax leaves, just underneath the tough skin. Not real flammable but will burn.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.CombatCloth.info/. CombatCloth.info carries the best selection of combat clothing, gear, and accessories on the market.

Roofing Room Additions With A Low Pitch Roof

A popular way to increase your living space is to add on a room. Most often these rooms have little or no pitch to allow water to run off of them. Special consideration therefore on the roofing materials used should be given.

The best way to insure no leaks is to apply a roof covering barrier that will not allow water that has accumulated on top to seep inside. Modified Bitumen is a great roof covering for low pitched roofs. Bitumen is modified by adding one or more polymers, and the sheets are typically reinforced with various types of mats or films. The sheets can be either smooth or have mineral granules on the surface, similar to the normal composition shingles you see. Modified Bitumen looks similar to 90lb roll roofing but it is very different. It is thicker and much, much stronger.

They will start with the bare roof sheathing (plywood decking) and first apply a layer of asphalt saturated felt usually 15lb, and then mop over this with hot tar. Then they will add a second layer of felt 30lb and mop again. Then they will apply the modified on top.

Modified comes in a 39?? wide role and it will be overlapped 4?? and sealed with a tar adhesive. At the junction point of the flat roof and the pitched roof it is attaching to, the roofers should remove the lower 3 rows of comp shingles and run the modified bitumen up to the lower edge of the fourth row. Then the 3 rows should be placed back into position over the bitumen.

It is never a good idea to have regular roofing shingles such as 3 tab or architectural shingles applied on a flat or low pitch less than 4/12. This is because water cannot run off as readily and the roof will stay wet longer or water will pool. This will allow water to seep under the shingle and begin to destroy the underlayment (felt ), and then the roof sheathing itself. Also high winds can cause the shingle tabs to blow up allowing water under the shingle with the same results of damage.

The proper roof covering will protect your investment and your wonderful new addition.

Cindy Jones is an Independent Catastrophe Claims Adjuster. She has been working in the construction field in one way or another for more than 18 years. She is also the author of manuals and courses for Independent Claims Adjusters. Find out more about her at http://www.adjustercindy.com

Roofing Contractors

A solid roof over your head brings comfort, safety and protection. When your roof isn?t secure, you don?t really feel secure yourself. Roofing repair, restoration and remodel can restore your sense of security in no time. Professional roofing contractors are at your service.

Residential roof repair for homeowners

Residential roofing gets families out of the cold. Whether you live in a newly built home or a charming vintage cottage, you could experience a leak in your roof. If you?re getting out buckets every time it rains, it is time for roofing repair. A qualified roofing contractor will asses and mend your roof with little or no hassle for you. With a new roof over your head, you?ll be happier and healthier.

Commercial roofing professionals

Good commercial roofing is essential. Keeping employees and customers comfortable is important when doing business. If you need commercial roof restoration, then a licensed roofing contractor is to your rescue. A contractor who specializes in roofing will be more qualified and skillful. Don?t leave it up to anyone but a trained and experienced professional.

Update the look of your home's exterior with a new roof

When you are thinking about a new roofing design, skilled roofing contractors should be the first you call. Perhaps you would like to update your home with elegant tile roofing. Or maybe you are interested in solar power and other energy saving roofing methods. Whatever your desire, a roofing contractor can help you get exactly what you want.

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Proper Roofing System

Everyone needs a place for their own, a space for their family and a roof under which they can spend their lives with their parents and with their children, and we all work to make that dream house the most beautiful and the most wonderful place to live. This dream gave birth to the thought of interiors that in-turn fueled the thought of defining roofs.

The craze of roofing natural slates that are available in the market in various colors, textures and designs. These bring an enhanced and elegant look to any property by improving its view. The natural slates are relatively light weight as compared to concrete or clay tiles. And being the most durable roofing material available in the market, if installed and maintained properly, it lasts for a number of years. These slates come in a wide range of colors and textures to choose from along with high-quality designs.

Considering the fact of looks, you must always keep in mind the topic of durability, so make sure which ever material you use it should match with general look of your house as well as your neighbor's house. The most durable material may tend to be more costly but as you know once you build your dream house you make it for your lifetime, so doesn't matter if the investment is a worth few more bucks than you imagined. Re-roofing can be expensive so before you hire the roofing contractor take estimates from different contractors and once the roofing is over go for a proper roof maintenance with the contractor.

Our aim is to provide our customers with a range of quality products and a top quality level of service supported by a very competitive pricing structure. Isdl is the most experienced, one of the best and respected company in roofing in Ireland.

Contact us :http://www.isdl.ie Independent Slate Distributors Ltd. Unit B3/B4 Baldonnell Business Park Naas Road Co Dublin Email: info@isdl.ie

5 Types of Commercial Roofing

Small and large businesses will often seek a company that can provide them with commercial roofing service that will not interfere with their regular business. Some roofing companies will provide special services just for commercial property. Leaving parking lots free of debris and keeping entry ways free of obstructions so your business can continue to operate smoothly.

There are several types of roofing to select for your commercial building. Selection of course may depend on cost, the slope of your roof, and the weather conditions in your area.

1. Asphalt Shingles

These are the most common type of shingles used on home and commercial buildings today. Reinforced with organic material, wood fibers or fiber glass, these shingles can last from 20 to 30 years. Laminated shingles are also made of asphalt but come in a variety of colors and textures that give this shingle the appearance of more expensive shake or slate tiles. These more popular shingles can last between 25 and 50 years.

2. Metal Roofing

Steel, Aluminum, Standing Seam, Metal Tie, and Copper are just a few of the metal roofing materials used today as commercial roofing. If installed correctly, metal roofing may last between 30 to 50 years, which is just as well as the more expensive asphalt shingles. Metal roofing is not as costly as slate or tile roofing. In the past colored aluminum roofing has been known to fade, oxidize and peel, but many manufacturers have found the solution to this problem. This type of roofing can withstand most extreme weather but has been known to dent when hit with hail. Now a new granulated coating is offered to prevent this outcome. Copper is another option, though more expensive than aluminum. With a copper roof you can expect it to last up to 100 years.

3. Wood Shakes

Most roof shakes are made of treated pine, spruce or more commonly, cedar. Hand split shakes off that rough and thick look many seek. Most wood shingles are actually cut using a machine. This gives it a smooth finish, making it easier to install. Cedar is the first choice in wood shakes, offering up to a 30 year life. When shakes are first installed, they appear brown or red in color but expect the weather to fade the real wood and leave it a soft gray. Installation for wood shingles can run as much as 50% higher than other types of roofing.

4. Slate Shingles

Slate shingles are heavy and harder to install. Though they are easily breakable, they can add beauty to any home. This roof can last from 45 to 70 years and some claim it will last over 100 years if installed properly. These colorful and rich shingles will add a high price to your structure, costing as much as 400% more than other materials.

5. Tile Roofing

Tile is often made from clay but can also be made of concrete or even rubber. There is a large variety of colors and styles of tile roofing available today. Clay is more expensive than concrete tiles but the basic performance, durability and look of the tiles is the same. Lasting more than 50 years, this type of tile is often very heavy and your roof may need extra support.

Whether you have a new structure to roof or are re-roofing your commercial building, be sure to select the roofing company that can do the best job for you. Selecting a company that has completed roofs for commercial structures before will be your best bet. Ask if you can view a job they have completed recently. Be sure to ask about your specific needs, such as a flat roof often found on commercial buildings, heating, air vents and other roof obstructions. Also ask to see their roof installation license.

Ronald has been in the roofing industry for over 15 years and has worked in residential and commercial environments. To get classic roofing tips and step to step instructions on picking and installing the perfect roof for your home, visit http://www.dtsarchitects.com, his roofs site.