Roofing Faq: Basic Roof Problems

* What are some of the typical causes of roof problems?

There are different types of roof problems, and it is best to be aware of them so you can avoid shortening the life span of the roof. Some typical roof problems are:

Not enough maintenance done. Failing to fix minor roof problems can lead to a bigger problems later on. Structural damage caused by any physical contact can also lead to more problems later on.

Climate and Weather. Extreme weather (hail, ice, snow, scorching heat) can expedite the deterioration of a roof. Strong winds can, of course, damage the roof as well.

Industrially polluted or salty air (as near the sea) and other atmospheric contaminants are also contributing factors.

Wrong design. A faulty design can lead to early problems. A weak or improperly attached roof can also collapse from weight.

Flashing problems. Flashings are used to make the roof watertight. Improper installation and weak flashing can make the roof leak and by the time it is discovered, water damage maybe extensive.

* How do I know if I need a new roof if I don't see any leaks?

Leaks are not the only reason for replacing a roof. Furthermore, if you wait until you begin seeing leaks, you may end up with more damage and a bigger problem than you had hoped. So, check your roof regularly for the following:

- Age of roof - Depending on the kind of roofing, a roof can last up to 20 years. If your roof is 15 years old, you should be watching for signs of needing repair.

- Missing or torn shingles - Damaged shingles expose the roof to water damage and rot. They also make it so that other shingles may be blown away in the wind. Old shingles may curl, split and lose their waterproofing effectiveness. These weakened shingles are more likely to be blown away by wind gusts.

- Rusted or missing flashing - Flashing is the metal that surrounds chimneys, skylights and vent pipes. It is also often found in the valleys of the roof where the roof sections meet. If it is rusted, damaged or missing, it could cause leaks.

- Gutters - Check gutters, downspouts and splash pans for damage or decay. Look for broken pieces of paint and scraps of roofing. This may be a sign that your roof needs some attention.

- Inside Walls - Watch for discolored plasterboard or cracked paint and peeling wallpaper indoors. This could be a sign of a leaky roof.

* What kind of preventive maintenance should I do for my roof?

Since roofs are constantly exposed to the elements, most roof damage results from weather and pollutants in the atmosphere. To save yourself big repair costs or even having to replace your roof before its time, you should perform a general inspection on your roof at least twice a year, checking for mildew, mold, rust, trapped water, and possible damage, and make minor repairs if necessary. That is the best preventive maintenance you can do.

Also, be sure to keep your roof clean. Remove any debris that may accumulate on it and clean out the roof gutters regularly. Also, repair any weather damage as soon as it occurs.

Rae Fakner is editor of Roofing FAQ, the online guide to Roofing. He also writes Roofing FAQ's for PrettyGreatAnswers.com

Soundproofing your Wall

When soundproofing a wall, a lot depends on what sort of noise your were trying to block or absorb. For example, if you were trying to stop a neighbor's loud television noise from coming through the wall into your unit then you would use a barrier material to block the TV noise. Now if you were concerned about your loud music bothering a next-door neighbor, then both a barrier and a damping material would be in order. There are many different methods for soundproofing a wall from neighbors or just from common out-door sound such as aircraft or traffic noise.

If you are working with newly constructed walls that are only framed out and not yet dry walled, you would want to install a layer of sound batt insulation between the stud cavities. This insulation would be a mineral wool, a rock wool or cotton batt insulation and not common fiberglass batts. Once you have filled the cavities with the sound batt insulation you have a choice of products that will be the soundproofing horsepower, so to speak, for the wall. One of the best barrier materials on the market today is a product called American mass loaded vinylÔ. American mass loaded vinylÔ is a loaded vinyl mat that is impregnated with barium salts and silica to give it mass and allow it to emulate lead sheeting. The Mass loaded vinyl; MLV for short would be stapled or nailed directly to the studs. You'll caulk all of the seams as well as the entire perimeter with acoustical caulk. Acoustical caulk remains pliant throughout the life of the caulk and it also maintains the STC (sound transmission class) of the MLV at all of the seams as well as around the perimeter of the MLV. Once you have caulked the seams and the perimeter, you will then tape over the caulked seams with a seam sealer tape. This will insure a tight seal of the MLV membrane on the wall.

After the MLV is completely sealed, you will then drywall over top of the vinyl membrane with a layer of 5/8" drywall. This system is very effective at soundproofing a common wall between condo or apartment units.

There is another method for soundproofing a common between two units where the drywall is already installed and the owner does not want to remove the existing drywall. This method would require the use of a damping product called "Green GlueÔ" Green GlueÔ I a visco elastic damping compound that is applied between 2 layers of drywall or gypsum. You would apply the Green GlueÔ using a large quart size caulk gun. The minimum recommended amount is 2 of the 29 oz tubes per 4' X 8' sheet of drywall. You would lay out the drywall onto sawhorses and then apply the Green GlueÔ to the back side of the new drywall. Once the glue is applied, you would then screw the new drywall right over top of the existing wallboard whatever it may be. Two tubes per sheet of drywall is the minimum, but 3 tubes per sheet is much better. I suggest using 3 tubes of Green GlueÔ per sheet of drywall for all wall and ceiling applications.

These soundproofing techniques will work for home and commercial studios as well as home theaters and music practice areas. I truly hope this has helped you to understand the science behind soundproofing a wall in a apartment or condo setting.

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

To order Mass Loaded Vinyl see our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/mass-loaded-vinyl.asp

You can read more articles on soundproofing on our blog http://massloadedvinyl.blogspot.com/

Soundproofing a home theater

In today's hurried world, most people don't have the time or money to waste taking the entire family to the movies (up to $50 to $60 per shot) so why not build out a Home Theater in your garage, basement, or spare bedroom? The construction and soundproofing of a Home Theater is much the same as building a soundproof music studio in your home. The only major difference is that with a Home Theater, you are less concerned with sound coming into the Theater than you would be if you were doing recording or voice-overs.

The most effective method for building your Home Theater is to actually construct a room within a room. Basically this means framing out new walls within the existing room. This is a lot simpler than it sounds. If you possess tool skills and are better with them than "Tim Taylor" on "Tool Time", then you most likely are qualified to undertake this project. You will want to frame out new walls within the existing room, this is pretty easy in a basement situation, where at least 2 of the walls are most likely poured concrete or concrete block, and are generally Earthen backed. They need no soundproofing whatsoever.

By framing out the room within a room, you are taking all of the negatives in the room that were working against your soundproofing endeavor, and now making them more friendly in the form of "dead air space". Dead air space (if it is sealed) is good soundproofer in itself, but you will still need a little more soundproofing horsepower if you plan to watch Star Wars or The Matrix (cranked up) in your new Home Theater. Once the new walls are framed out, it is time to soundproof. We have found that good batt insulation such as Roxul AFB or Roxul Safe which are very effective when placed in the stud or joist cavities. If you are unable to find the Roxul products, then use a good quality rock wool or mineral wool to fill the cavities. The next step would be to adhere a layer of American Mass Loaded Vinyl directly to the stud structure. Attaching the MLV directly to the studs or joists allows the vinyl to resonate or move with the sound.

If the MLV is able to resonate, it will work to it's full potential and will give you the sound blocking required for a well-soundproofed theater. The MLV will be stapled (industrial air drive stapler) or nailed (using roofing nails with the large plastic heads) to the studs or joists. If you are able to over lap the seams that would be better, however, if that is not possible, you will want to butt the seams together tightly and caulk both the butted seams as well as the entire perimeter of the newly installed MLV. You want the MLV to act as a soundproof membrane on your walls and ceilings. Caulking and taping the seams is essential for to seal the MLV membrane. The caulked seams will also need to be taped with a quality MLV sealer tape before installing the new drywall. I recommend installing 2 layers of ?" drywall for all of the walls as well as the ceiling. Now if this becomes too costly then a single layer of 5/8" fire code drywall will be sufficient. This should complete the soundproofing portion of your home theater.

Finally, if you are installing 2 layers of drywall to your home theater walls, it is highly recommended that you apply at least 2 tubes of the Green Glue damping compound to the second layer of drywall. Simply lay out the second layer of drywall on saw horses and apply 2 tubes of the Green Glue to the back of the drywall and then simply screw in your new layer of drywall to the existing drywall with the Green Glue sandwiched in between. The Green Glue will dampen both layers of drywall and will also stop the sound of the home theater from flanking onto the walls. Once this is complete, you with then need to acoustically treat the room to give it the look and the acoustical properties of a real theater. We will discuss this in our next article.

To learn more about Soundproofing and soundproofing materials visit our site http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/

To order Mass Loaded Vinyl see our site.

You can read more http://www.soundproofingamerica.com/mass-loaded-vinyl.asp

Selecting the Right Asphalt Roofing Shingles for Your Home

The Difference between Fiberglass and Organic Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt Shingles are one of the most common choices for roofing materials. As a matter of fact, at least 75% of the homes in the United States use asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles come in various styles and costs and have warranty packages from 20-40 years.

There are two types of asphalt shingle construction: Fiberglass mat based shingles and Organic mat based shingles.

Fiberglass based shingles are thinner and lighter, as their backing is made out of a fiberglass mat. Note: A bundle of asphalt shingles can weigh between 70 and 140 lbs and there are typically 3 bundles of shingles per square (100 sqft per square of shingles). Consequently fiberglass mat based shingles are easier to lift making a roofer's job easier when carrying shingles up a ladder. Fiberglass mat shingles are also more fire retardant and typically have slightly longer warranties than organic based shingles.

Organic based shingles are heavier and considered more rugged as their mat backing is made out of felt paper and asphalt. They are heavier due to the fact that there is literally more asphalt used in them than a Fiberglass mat shingle. Organic mat based shingles are also considered more flexible than fiberglass shingles, however they are known to be more water absorbent and can warp over time. As a result of these differences Fiberglass mat shingles are used much more prevalently in the southern and central part of the United States, and Organic mat based shingles are used more in the northern part.

Fiberglass Asphalt based shingles used on your home should be compliant with ASTM D-3462 standards, and Organic based shingles used on your home should be compliant with ASTM D-225. More and more municipalities are requiring shingles to meet these standards, so you should check with your local building inspector and read the label on the shingles prior to purchasing them. Fiberglass and Organic mat based shingles are comparably priced. They can range anywhere from $25 to $80 per square.

3-Tab shingles have been around for a long time and are still the most common shingle installed, however more and more homeowners are moving towards architectural shingles. Architectural shingles are a little more expensive but are actually easier to install, as less care is needed in ensuring straight lines. Architectural Shingles typically also have longer warranty periods.

3-Tab shingles typically require greater skill and longer installation times as the roofing contractor needs to ensure that wavy shingle lines are not created when installing the shingles. Architectural shingles, on the other hand, are a little easier to install as the lines and shadows are designed to be more complex. As a result, imperfections in the installation process of architectural shingles can be more difficult to see.

Architectural shingles typically cost most than 3-Tab shingles, however their cost may be somewhat mitigated by a lower installation cost.

Whatever shingles you decide to use, make sure you read the shingle packaging labels and check with your local building inspector first. Your home's roof is one of the most import aspects of your home. An improperly installed shingle job or the installation of the wrong shingles can lead to expensive water damage and high repair costs.

For more help on Shingling Your Home's Roof, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet. The Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet will help to ensure that your roof won't end up with a blue tarp over it and a dumpster sitting in your yard for weeks as you wait for the roofing contractor to come back and finish roofing your home.

Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes and is a licensed real estate agent. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

One Year Later, Roofing Supplies Still Reflect the Effects of Katrina

One year after Katrina made landfall in late August of 2005, the effects are still rippling through the construction industry, especially the roofing industry. All manner of roofing material and supply prices are up 10 to 20% over the last year. Many are in short supply nation wide.

It took only days for the markets to react to the perceived needed increase in building materials in the storm ravaged southern costal areas of the United States. It took only a matter of weeks for the storm to have a major effect on the supply and price of available materials on hand nation wide. Some things like plywood and other forms of sheeting were in high demand just prier to the disaster, being used as damage control measures, and now even in higher demand after Katrina's passing.

Due to the vast amount of damage, and the material needed to rebuild those damaged areas, supplier seeing that shortages in production were inevitable, immediately raised prices to reflect the coming shortages. But the extent of damage was far greater then anyone had anticipated. Reports of damage took weeks and in some cases months to filter into the big picture. All the while suppliers pushed production plants into high gear to try to meet the staggering new demands on materials.

The problems of production quickly became apparent with major shortages in raw material as a result of the damage to southern sea ports where much of the raw materials used in production are received from suppliers around the world. Many of the damaged ports utilized special handling equipment and procedures that would be difficult to duplicate quickly in other sea ports around the country. These post Katrina developments all served to put a server strangle hold on production of Roofing material as well as many other building materials.

Roofing material suppliers diverted in transit shipments to staging areas close to heavily damaged areas. In many cases, larger warehoused stocks of tiles, shingles, metal roofing and related materials were snapped up from large to moderate distributors and transported to Katrina affected areas, leaving many areas of the country with little or no available roofing materials.

Some mistakes were made in the redistribution of roofing materials. Costal areas that are subject to hurricanes have special codes in place that set specific standards for roofing materials, meaning that roofing materials that are approved for use in Nebraska are not necessarily certified for use in hurricane prone regions of the country. Yet virtually all roofing materials were subjected to large quantity redistributions it would seem. One speculation is that companies were hoping for some new guidelines to be put in place that would allow them to use the currently unapproved materials by utilizing upgraded and modified installation methods that in theory would satisfy the roof testing standards. But this is only speculation.

Never the less it quickly became apparent to contractors and home owners nation wide that going to the local lumber yard or Lowes' or other building supply store and obtaining roofing materials will be a much more expensive and challenging experience, possibly for some time to come. It is not uncommon for local distributors to have to wait weeks or even months for roofing materials to become available. Even those materials that are not costal approved. The reason for this type of shortage is caused by the shift in manufacturing to produce more coastally approved materials, which is where the largest demand in usage is in the current market.

The shortage in conventional roofing materials has brought with it a renewed interest in less conventional roofing ideas in many areas of the country. Metal roofing which some years ago, was commonly thought to be reserved for commercial buildings, is now growing in popularity with home owners. New concepts in metal roofing systems as well as new designs have made it an appealing alternative to such things as asphalt shingles and clay or concrete tiles. Metal roofing in its infancy was less then esthetically pleasing to the eye. New designs have emerged in recent years that can mimic almost any kind of roofing material, making it one of the more versatile roofing materials available.

Due to the large amount of new and repair construction taking place in storm damaged areas, metal roofing too has come to be in short supply along with all other roofing materials, and may remain so for some time to come. Only about halfway through this year's hurricane season, no major storms causing any significant damage have hit landfall in the United States. But should that change, and a storm would happen to cause even moderate damage along any of the nations cost line, the results could be even more devastating to the roofing and general construction industry, the effects of which will be felt by consumers for years to come.

The shortage in roofing materials, such as clay and concrete tiles has spawned a new industry so to speak; roofing salvage. With material increasingly hard to acquire, there are companies that specialize in sorting through discarded roofing materials searching for undamaged, usable materials that people are willing to pay for in order to complete restorations or repairs.

The total affect of Katrina will ultimately have on the roofing materials industry is hard to speculate on. Will prices continue to rise at the rate we have seen this last year? No one can say for sure, the determining factors are too great. Basic laws of economics apply, low supply plus high demand always drives prices up. Where will it stabilize? Again there is no way to accurately forecast the supply and demand issue long term.

What is clear is that raw material supply lines are opening up again, which is easing the manufacturing bottle neck slightly. It still may be quite some time before the local supplies have stocks affording customers reasonable onsite selections again. It will be a fact of life, that consumers ultimately will pay higher prices

New Roof Site offers news, articles, links and general information about all manner of roofing material, designs and construction ideas. Providing information for those in need of alternate roofing ideas as well as links to suppliers and roofing contractors in all areas of the country. New Roof Sit is there to help when needed. More articles about new roofing ideas and materials can be found at New Roof Site Articles

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.