Roofing and Remodeling Your Home

Roofing and remodeling your home will add value and curb appeal to your home should you decide to sell it but it will also grant you immediate satisfaction and help make your home more esthetically appealing for you and your family. A home is the biggest investment most Americans will make in their lifetime and it is also the largest asset many families own. It is a smart idea to take care of it and do everything possible to increase its value and protect it from the elements. With the technology and advanced materials available today, a well-executed roofing job will not only accentuate the appearance of your home but also last longer adding value and protection for years to come.

Most homeowners repair a roof when a problem surfaces. When there is a problem you have to fix it but what most people don’t know is that with proper upkeep and maintenance most roofing problems can be prevented or caught before they cause more serious and expensive damage.

Insulation

Installing new or changing old insulation can help substantially lower your energy bill. Insulation helps keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Increasing the energy efficiency of your home creates a more comfortable living space for your family and helps protect the planet. The materials you choose for your insulation play a vital role in both energy efficiency and durability. Insulation also provides a noise barrier that will help keep the clamor of the world outside where it belongs and help keep your home quiet and pleasant for you and your family.

R-Value

The R-value is the rating used to determine the effectiveness of insulation in resisting heat and cold flow. A higher R-value means the insulation material has better insulating properties therefore has slower heat and cold flows through it. Depending on the climate where you live, your home may require a higher R-value. To be as energy efficient as possible the R-value of your insulation should be higher if you live in a colder climate. The recommended R-value is also different for different parts of a home and can be dictated by space restrictions, material used, main home heating source, and what section of the home it is used for. For example, the recommended R-value for attics is between R-30 to R-49 and for cathedral ceilings it should be between R-22 and R-60. These are much higher than the recommended R-values for walls which should be between R-11 and R-28, depending on the thickness of the walls. Floors and crawls spaces should be between R-11 and R-25 and for basements an R-value of between R-11 and R-19 for the interior and R-4 to R-15 for the exterior. These recommendations are posted by the U.S. Department of Energy and they recommend that if you live in colder places such as the very northeast or the northern plane states you should use the higher end values as opposed to the other extreme which includes most of Florida, southern Texas, and most of California.

Some of the more popular types of roofing materials include:

- Slate

- Metal

- Asphalt

- Clay Tiles

- Fiber Cement

- Wood Shakes and Shingle

The Not-So Basic Basics of a Residential Roof

While it is recommended that homeowners take care of their roofs through regular maintained and upkeep, it is not recommended that homeowners try to carry out these actions or fix major roof problems on their own. A professional roofer is more adept at recognizing the problem, assessing the damage, and deterring the best course of action to fix the damage. An unskilled individual has the potential to make the situation worse and possibly cause more damage in the attempt to remedy the problem. Not to mention the possibility of injury or death if the person is inexperienced or untrained.

Steps To Follow If You Have Roof Damage

If your roof needs to be replaced or repaired you should follow a couple of basic steps to ensure that the work is done correctly and that that you have considered all your options.

Inspection

You should have your roof inspected as soon as possible to be sure of what the problem is and the extent of the damage. You may be able to fix the problem if it isolated and the damage is contained. If the damage is more widespread, the entire roof may need to be replaced. But only an expert assessment of the damage will make that clear. It is important to act fast to fix any problems, any delay in correcting the problem can lead to more damage and increased cost of repair as well as the possibility of damage to the structure itself.

Replacing a Roof

If your roof is badly damaged or if the problem is widespread, you may have to replace the entire roof. In this case, you have two basic options to remedy the problem.

- You can replace the entire roof.

- You can lay a new roof atop the existing roof.

To replace the entire roof you will have to completely remove the existing roof and have a new one installed. To lay a new roof over an existing roof you will have to lay a new membrane and a new surface over the existing structure. For this option the roof must be inspected to verify that the structure can support another roof if not the only alternative is to replace the entire roof.

Leaks

A leak in the roof does not necessarily mean that the existing roof needs to be replaced. A leak can happen after minor damage in a localized section of the roof and usually can be repaired fairly quickly and with minimal disruption.

Life of a Roof

Regardless of the materials used in the construction of your roof, your roof will have a useful life span. The span is determined by the environment where you live, the type of roof on the home, and the maintenance and care it receives. Having said this there is a basic life span for every type of roof. The most durable and in turn the most costly is slate with an average life span of anywhere from 30 to 100 years. The second sturdiest roofing material is concrete or clay tiles with an average life span of 20 to 30 years. Metal roofing has become more popular in residential homes in recent years; the life span for a metal roof is between 15 and 50 years. Asphalt shingles will typically last anywhere from 15 to 20 years. Wood shingles and shakes will last between 10 and 40 years.