Roofing is one of the most important aspects of any home. The roof is what protects you from the elements of nature. So a lot of caution and planning has to be taken when deciding the roofing for your home. Roofs have to be tough and durable to handle all kinds of weather. A roof has to be water proof and fire resistant to protect your home from rain, hail, snow, sleet and from the sun’s heat and light.
Is it any wonder why almost 80% of homes in North America use asphalt shingles as the roofing material of choice. The prevalence of asphalt shingles has created a vast assortment of fittings and fixtures designed to work with them. Items such as a multitude of flashing configurations, edge products, and almost every skylight manufactured has an appropriate base configuration for a weatherproof connection with asphalt shingles. All of the material that you need for a proper installation, such as the shingles, tarpaper, nails, vent boots and chimney flashing are available at any home improvement retailer.
Spending my early years as a roofer brought to my attention a lot of questions about new roofs, tear offs, leaks, products, etc… The question that presented itself over and over went a little like this: “Is it better to roof over my existing roof system, or should I tear it all off and start new?” Ask three different people and you will probably get three different answers, well maybe two different answers with three different explanations, anyway the math isn’t important. What is important is for you to know how to answer this question yourself.
Springtime storms can bring a lot of rain, which can reveal roof leaks. What should you do when an April shower finds its way into your living room?
First, control the interior damage as quickly as possible.
Move any items that have not yet become soaked. If furniture or other items cannot be moved, cover them with plastic sheets to protect them from the water. Collect dripping water in a leak proof container and make sure the container is on a solid surface.
What’s so important about the quality of a roof? Let’s take a bit closer look at what it is we really want a roof to do. First off we want it to be sturdy, we want to make sure that it doesn’t come crashing down on our heads. We want it to be long lasting; we don’t want to replace it on any type of regular basis. We want it to keep out the weather, and elements. Some roofs are inherently designed to let the sun in at certain times and keep it out others. Regardless of what a roof is designed to do, it maintains the purpose of protecting the rest of the entire structure, regardless whether it is a residential home, or a large commercial structure. So it goes almost without saying, the roof of a structure is key in any building design. A roof is a buildings most important structural aspect. Without a good roof, one that functions in a manner compliant to the over all building design and functionality, everything in that structure would be left at the mercy of the fury of nature. To have a grand and beautiful building will eventually lead to unwanted circumstances without a properly constructed and maintained roof.
Roofing is are made from materials that vary in cost, weight, durability, color, and architectural style. The market for materials is dominated by asphalt shingles, tiles, metal products, and wood shingles or shakes. Here are some of the most common types used today.
Asphalt Shingle
Traditional thatch roofing is arguably the most beautiful and natural looking roofing material available, you might well be surprised by the availability of alternative similar products that can be very innovatively used to create a specific look or be used at locations where this material might not be as readily available.
• MUKUTI LEAVES AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THATCH
Makuti is a perfectly natural & ecological product. It is consists of coco palm leaves , knitted on the stem of the plant, which tastefully combine with the natural environment, due to their earthly color and their discreet natural perfume.
Makuti leaves come from Africa and they are used in constructions with techniques that have been used for centuries in many countries for ordinary thatching.
A question that many homeowners often ask is; do I really need to have rain gutters and downspouts on my home? It’s a good question and the answer may surprise you. Let’s take a closer look.
The answer is that it really depends on several different factors.
No, you do not need rain gutters if:
