This is my half finished report on roofs

What’s the carbon footprint of our roofs

How to choose your roof

What’s the purpose of a roof? To keep your home dry and protected from the weather! So how hard could it be to choose the roof that’s right for you and your house or home. To make a truly informed      decision there are some very interesting factors you might want to consider.

But first here are some interesting facts about roofs and the roofing industry.

·         Some are said to last 200 years

·         Some 1 month (they’re called tarps)

·         Some can support wildlife

·         Some hold carbon

·         Roofing is one of the most dangerous occupations around

 How do homeowners decide what kind of roof to put on their home? Which roof is right for you and your home? In this book I will try to show you as many options as possible. After you read this book you will have a completely different outlook on roofing. You will be armed with all the information you need to make a truly informed decision.  As with all things there are some essentials.

Here are some good questions to start with.

 

·         Is your home going to be a family heirloom?

·         Do you want the best value? More expensive, longer lasting etc.

·         Or just keep it from leaking and protect the contents of my home.

·         Are you concerned with environmental impact?

There are 7 essential elements of creating an optimal roofing experience. Obviously an optimal roof is one that doesn’t leak; ever. The elements are as follows.

1.       The system. As in, how materials are integrated into one dynamic.

2.       The material itself. Whether its shingles, metal panels, or rubber membrane.

3.       Flashing. Making sure water doesn’t get in through chimneys, valleys, and other roof penetrations.

4.       The installer himself. Will he install all the materials and such in a manner that gives the roof maximum potential to last as long as it should. Does he have the necessary skills?

5.       Warranty. If the roofer is confident in his work and himself he will back it with a warranty. You should not get charged for repairs for the first 15 years of your roofs life.

6.       Environmental impact.

7.       The homeowner. Yes, the customer himself. You will be as big a part of the whole process as any of the above. I will go into more detail later in this letter.

All of these will affect your decision.  For some people different criteria will decide their choice of roof. For some the hard dollar cost will be most important. For others maybe it will be the per year cost. And others still it will be a combination of these plus environmental impact. As you will see there are some interesting variables in some of these roofs. Often people just simply want a certain look for their house.

I will go in depth with each of these elements. I will try to show you what to look for in each of them.

The 7 essential elements of a successful roofing experience. And just to be clear successful is defined as a roof that doesn’t EVER leak, thereby preserving the structure and contents of the house. I see quite a few beautiful old houses that have deteriorated over the years. Some is neglect by homeowners and some botched assignments by roofers. The bottom line is water has leaked into the house for too long.

Ok, for the 7 elements;

Systems;

In my mind a good system includes no caulking. I feel if you have to use caulk you’re using a bad system. Part of a good system includes the overall house design. One example is routing dryer vents to the soffit instead of through the roof. Another is putting a chimney in the middle of a valley, and depending on sophisticated flashing designs to waterproof it. Generally, though systems are simply how everything is combined in the roof.

Slate, for example must be installed using copper or stainless steel nails and copper flashing. I have seen slate roofs where slate was in decent shape, but the steel nails were rusted through. On the flip side then I think it to be overkill to use copper flashing or stainless steel nails on an asphalt roof. The copper and stainless steel will easily out live the shingles.

Systems also have to do with the area you live in. I live in Pennsylvania so the systems I describe are used in this area. Most of them are used pretty much anywhere though. Snow loads and monsoon rains are factors to consider.

Materials;

Materials are somewhat synonymous with systems. This is dealt with in a later chapter of this book.

Flashings;

The materials used in the flashing is important, but less so than the system. An example of systems in flashing is the pre-formed factory made flashings for skylights. This dramatically improved the skylight flashing system. In this case the system was lacking. As the flashing is now formed in this system it’s much easier to make the flashing in the factory or metal shop than it is to form it on the job.

The warranty;

I have a 15 year warranty on all work that we do. There is a story behind it too. A roof that my company installed failed after 10 years. It turned out that all the plywood should have been replaced when the roof was originally done. So after 10 years the homeowner calls me and says the roof is leaking. I sort of brush it off thinking its not my problem. Well the homeowner bugged me and used all the guilt provoking accusations and threats of lawsuits that I ended up doing the whole freaking roof again, changing all the plywood for absolutely no charge to the owner. So after that I figured if I do that I may as well advertise the warranty as such.

Environmental impact;

This I deal with later on in the section on materials.

The homeowner;

So what do I the roofer want in a customer? So aside from the obvious; someone with lots of money and willing to spend it. For me I guess it would be trust and friendship. Some people say friendship has no place in business. I totally disagree. If I do more than one job for someone I have no problem with him getting more than my quote every time. After all I need to be kept honest too. Even if we’re long time friends. My friend has the right to make sure my pricing is competitive.

Number 2 is an extension of the trust issue. Hopefully you will trust me enough that there will be no nitpicking. Nothing is worse than a customer who is always nagging. Wanting this and that fixed.

When a customer trusts you it gives you the freedom to make the right decisions and take a bit more time to do a good job.

On the other hand; see there always is the other hand. The few customers that test your patience do make you infinitely better. You hone your game more. The next time you do a job for someone who appreciates you, you pass their test with flying colors.

Then of course there is the guy who pays on time and without complaint. Man I love you guys. I might say money isn’t everything, I mean after all I didn’t put this number one. But seriously, if it wasn’t for the money I would not be in business. Roofing is hard work. There was a time when I didn’t like it as good as I do now. So making money for my family and my future retirement is exciting.

After having said all that, to homeowner who is constantly nitpicking, I say bring it on. You guys make us all better roofers and tradesmen. And give us good stories to boot.  My goal is to freak out everyone with our excellent service.

 

The materials and systems which are closely linked will be compared on the following,

1.       Per year cost. We take the manufacturer’s warranty and divide that by total roof cost.

2.       Expected life. This along with total cost will make up per year cost.

3.       Total cost.

4.       Insulation value. This has more to do with heating costs.

5.       Heat absorption. This is different than insulation and has more to do with the urban heat island effect. It also has to do with cooling costs.

6.       The skill level required for successful installation. To some extent this is factored into the total cost.

7.       Attractiveness. As in, does the roof look good?

8.       Environmental impact. This is the impact of the manufacturing process as well as where the material comes from. Is the material a sustainable resource?

9.       Maintenance requirements, either by the homeowner or a professional.

10.   Uses other than waterproofing. Such as growing food. Water retention.

 Roof systems

A roof system is the whole thing combined and made up of parts such as. Roof slope and materials used. There are basically 2 types of roof, flat and sloped. The system deals with the slope or lack thereof. But also it deals with the penetrations in the roof. Vent pipes, chimneys, valleys, etc. Each system represents a different approach to dealing with these problems as well as introducing different benefits.

 One example is for a slate roof you would prefer a steeper pitch because it helps minimize the chance water has of getting into the house. The faster water runs off your roof the less chance of leaks. On the other hand a benefit of the roof garden is water retention and or flood control. It’s a different system with different ways of dealing with the waterproofing issue. The issue isn’t whether a flat or steep slope roof is better than the other. Rather it’s about how you deal with those issues and what different types of benefits you want to introduce.

With slate you want the water running off as fast as possible. With the roof garden, part of the benefit of the system is water retention. Slowing down the runoff to take flood pressure off the waterways, creeks, and rivers.

The most common systems in the United States are.

For sloped roofs there are shingles and metal panels

Flat roofing, rubber, roof gardens, etc.

Shingles and systems
Sloped roofs

For sloped roofs there are 2 basic systems, which are shingles and panels. The shingle system is basically a series of squares installed overlapping each other. The top half of the shingle is usually covered by the shingle on top of it. The nails are driven through the top half so that the nails are not exposed to the weather and the water runs off. An important part of the system is the slope itself. The steeper the slope the less time the water is on the roof. It will quickly run off.

With the roof garden system it’s the opposite. The roof is flat with dirt on it. The dirt soaks up the water and delays the run-off, saving the city sewer.

The following are materials and systems within the sloped system.

Asphalt shingles.
 Asphalt shingles cover about 80% of the homes in the United States. One of the things I like about asphalt is they are flexible. When you go to do a repair, you can bend the shingle up, remove the nails, and slide another shingle in place and drive a new nail. So they cost little in maintenance. Often asphalt roofs are put on a walkable pitch so access usually isn’t a problem. With it being a 20 to 50 year roof the access is more important. A slate roof usually can have a steeper pitch because you’ll go longer between replacements.

 A big new development with asphalt is that it is now recyclable in parts of this country. The shingles get ground up and put into an asphalt paving mix.

 In my opinion this type of shingles has been a very worthwhile invention. Asphalt is cheap and lasts a decent amount of time. You can have a roof over your head for not much money upfront. When compared to slate the per year cost isn’t as low but for the average homeowner it’s the way to go. Newer asphalt shingles also have grandules that deflect the heat of the sun and keep your house cooler.

Make sure your roofer guarantees the shingles for blow-offs. This has to be the most easily preventable problem with asphalt. Lots of roofers say they can’t help it when shingles blow off. The shingles haven’t had time to seal yet, is the most common heard excuse. I say its all bunk. I don’t remember ever repairing blown off shingles that were nailed properly. They all are nailed to high or too deep, such as driven right through the shingle.

Asphalt shingles are probably the easiest roof to install. Most of the directions are on the shingle wrapper. It is amazing though, how often simple things like proper nailing are overlooked in the name of speed.

Cedar

Cedar is actually the only roofing product that is made from a renewable resource. There is no gouging big holes in the earth to harvest it. Sustainable forest management is the key, though. There is some evidence that the forestry industry is becoming more responsible. Thinning, well-planned harvesting and replanting make for good forest management. The trees absorb carbon, cleaning the air through a process known as photosynthesis. When the trees get older they absorb less carbon, so harvesting the mature trees and planting young ones makes sense. The younger trees are growing faster and therefore absorb more carbon. Sustainable forestry also helps minimize forest fires by removing end of life cycle trees. And the cool thing is the roof lasts about 50 years, enough time to let the young trees mature.

A word about sustainable forestry

Sustainable forestry cannot be stressed enough. Logging requires building roads to get to the trees and hauling them out of the woods. In some places they use zip lines and such, but it still disturbs wildlife habitat. However when compared to some of the other materials and methods such as mining it’s not such a bad option. The Economist Magazine did a special report in September of 2010 on the forests of the earth. According to the report North America is gaining trees thanks to increased awareness of the value of our forests.

 Supposedly it is an insulator as well, but this we haven’t confirmed yet. We are in the process of testing this. It scores pretty high on the keeping your home cool in the summer. Cedar also is recyclable as mulch or garden products. It is biodegradable so it won’t sit in landfills for thousands of years.

The one major drawback for cedar is that it isn’t fire resistant. In some areas code calls for fire retardant shingles. To pass that code the cedar shingles have to be treated with a fire retardant. Most likely this is a chemical. This makes it a drawback for me, since most fire treated wood products will not last as long. Not to mention the use of a chemical. To date though, I haven’t researched this.

Fasteners;

Make sure your roofer uses stainless steel nails. They are more expensive but very worth it.

Slate

To quote Joseph Jenkins who wrote the book “the slate roof bible”, slate is the world’s finest roof. It’s waterproof, fireproof, natural, and can last centuries. Slate has a long track record.

 Once upon a time far in the days of roofing yore a roof was chosen with a eye toward value, a long lasting once in a lifetime project. Roofing was a big project and not taken lightly. The roofer himself was somebody who people took time to get to know. Get to know his kids, his other customers.

Slate was a very popular roof and roofing was something you didn’t do very often. For sheer longevity you simply can’t beat slate. It could possibly be the most labor intensive of all the roofing types out there. But the fact that it lasts so long makes it by far the cheapest on a per year basis. You also want to make sure you get a good contractor because it is so expensive and after all the time and money involved you don’t want to have to fix a bunch of boo-boos. Also the design of it makes it critical to install properly. You want a fairly steep pitch and you don’t want anyone walking on the slate as it can break.

Often slate roofs can be repaired rather than totally replaced. That can be a bit expensive too because a properly designed slate roof incorporates a good slope. Therefore you have access problems. The roofer spends much more time just setting up to get to the spot that needs repair. Sometimes we have to rent lifts.

As for environmental impact the slate has to be quarried. This means either making big holes in the ground or mining it. But for recycling it is a natural material. It is considered clean fill at the end of its life on your roof.

Fasteners;

Make sure your roofer uses copper or stainless steel nails. Regular steel or galvanized will not last nearly as long as the slate itself.

Metal shingles

Here the shingles are made of metal and as with all shingles you need a steep slope and proper installation. The benefits of the material will be explored later. However with steel shingles you need more skill to install. They’re also not so popular so you’ll have a harder time finding someone who can install it.

The second system for steep slopes is panels, most of which are made of metal.

Metal roofing

The metal panels come in 2 main styles. Standing seam and corrugated. Most standing seam has hidden fasteners which are done in a way that allows for the metal to expand and contract. It seems to me though the differences are mostly a matter of cost. The standing seam does look nicer too.

Metal roofing is definitely recyclable. It doesn’t come from a renewable resource though. It needs to be manufactured rather than just cut and split like slate or cedar. Also it requires mining. Refining is another part of the process to turn the ore into roofing material. Once it is in the metal form though it can be fairly easily recycled.

Overall it can last an awful long time. You can have the panels installed on lower slopes than shingles. As it ages you might have to paint it a few times. The standing seam roof looks good too. It can be painted different colors and with different pigments to deflect the sun.

 One drawback to me is the snow on a sloped metal roof slides right off. I have seen it pretty much chop up bushes. So it’s a good idea to include snow guards into your consideration. This will add to your cost as snow guards can cost $2 and up. They should be installed every 6 to 12 inches across your roof. On most steeper slope metal roofs there is also the issue of access for repairs.

Systems for flat or low slope roofs

The single ply roof is most common on flat roofs. Actually maybe it’s the roll roofing and tar that is most common. But the single ply is definitely the best bet.

EPDM rubber is most commonly used by my company. Black is the most common color, but white is becoming much more popular.  White obviously absorbs less heat in the summer thereby reducing cooling costs. Rubber usually lasts 30 or 40 years. It depends on the type of underlayment board you use. It is recyclable and to my knowledge isn’t made from a renewable resource.

Roof gardens, mostly for flat roofs

A relatively new development in the United States is roof gardens. These roofs are usually flat and have a roof such as rubber. On top of the rubber is 2 to sometimes even 10 inches of dirt. There are actually many, many benefits to this type of roofing system. Benefits that are still being discovered. Roof spaces have enormous potential in providing urban dwellers with the amenity and recreational space essential for healthy living. Usually there is restricted access from the street, so there is the benefit of safety and security. For city dwellers this can be a private little nature space.

Slowing water runoff is a huge part of the roof garden. Keeping water from entering the watershed helps reduce flash flooding. This is a big part of why I think this could quite possibly be the one roofing system with the most potential.

There is 2 types of roof gardens. One is called extensive which is 1 to 4 inches of dirt. With this system you have less maintenance and more of a brownfield look. The other system has more dirt and takes more maintenance such as irrigation, weeding, and such. But for avid gardeners and environmentalists this is where the fun is!

Food production is another possibility for the green roof. With the price of food going up this takes on an economic benefit. You could store all your rainwater and then use it to irrigate.  Environmental benefits include storm water retention and wildlife habitat. This reduces cooling costs in the summer and reduces heating costs in the winter.

This roof type definitely takes a high skill level and possibly maintenance from a roofer. But the benefits are there for anyone willing to put forth the effort.

Roofs and their history

Roofs obviously have a long, long history. I think it would be cool to do like an evolutionary history of them.

Educated decisions

This chart uses a 2500 square foot roof on a pitch of 7/12. Your roof will vary according to pitch, accessibility, and also depends on the amount of dormers, valleys, etc. other factors include going from one system to another such as cedar to asphalt where you would need to add plywood.

Roof type	Cost per year	Expected roof life	Made from renewable resource	Recyclable
Asphalt	$209.00	25		Yes
Asphalt 50 year	$140.00	50	No	Yes
Slate			No	Yes
Standing seam	1		No	Yes
Corrugated metal	1		No	Yes
Rubber	$475.00			Yes
Roof garden	2		Not completely
Cedar shingle	$400.00		Yes	Yes

Defining the terms in the chart

Per year cost

Cost per year is simply the expected roof life divided by total cost.

Total cost

The hard dollar cost. What you will have to pay when the job is completed.

Expected life

Insulation value

Supposedly the cedar has insulation value. But I don’t know of what benefit that is since its recommended to vent it.

Heat absorption

The worst for heat absorption has to be the flat black roof. During the day the sun beats on it and the temperature can reach 150 degrees. During the night the roof reradiates the heat back into the atmosphere.

Environmental impact

Environmental impact as used here means to guess as close as possible (not an exact science) the total impact to the environment. Obviously building houses itself has an impact on the environment. But we want to reduce that as much as humanly possible. We want to choose (or in my case I want to show you which has the least impact). Living in tents would probably have the least impact.

Attractiveness

I admit this one is a bit subjective. Maybe I should look at it as resale value. That would probably vary by neighborhood.

Maintenance requirements

The intensive garden roof would definitely require the most maintenance. The extensive garden roof which has less soil on it requires much less since it’s more like a brownfield. Just about any roof that lasts more than 30 or 40 years will require; or should require some maintenance. Most of these should be done by a roofing professional.

Uses other than water proofing

In this case the roof garden can be used as just that, a garden to grow food. The garden roof also supports some wildlife and helps reduce what is called the urban heat island effect. But this might be more of a feature or benefit rather than an actual use. These days you can get solar shingles, so that your roof will then generate electricity.

Renewable resource

This is a resource that regenerates after you harvest it. Cedar is actually the only roof that is made from a renewable resource. It is cut from mature trees and when the mature trees are cut the younger trees take over. Slate would be a natural resource and can be used as clean fill at the end of its life, but once it is quarried it will not regenerate. Metal is completely recyclable, but it to uses resources that will not regenerate.

Recyclable

These days almost all roofing material is recyclable. This simply means there is a use for it after its life on the roof is used up. And it also means it doesn’t have to end up sitting in a landfill.

And now about the roofer!

This is a subject that’s a little hard for me to talk about. I mean after all I am a roofer and I also like to make a living. With anything I tell you here you do have to keep in mind that I am a roofer. I would love if everybody chose me to do their roof. But I’m not going to get every roof so I’m ok with it.

I have had jobs go bad. I ended up losing money. On more than one occasion I ended up taking a loss and letting another roofer take over. Once I went back 10 years later and completely replaced a roof, plywood and all, because it should have been done in first place. It ended up buckling and causing leaks. So we went back and did all that totally free of charge. I try to remain friends with everyone, but I doubt everyone holds me in high regard. That doesn’t keep me from trying though.

More than anything else this is where I think the project is made or broken. Most times it’s the roofer you’re upset at. You can pick the best material and have the best system, but if your roofer doesn’t have the skill to install it properly it will not stand a chance.

He is in charge of the project. If he doesn’t care how your project turns out and only wants his money look out.

 You should check extensive references on your roofer. If he is on linkedin or facebook make darn sure you look him up. Call all the references he provides. Yes, he will give you his best references. But if you establish a relationship with his references you can call them after he screws you and tell them about it. If he’s still good friends with them he will hear about it from them.

After all this though, you have to keep in mind that you could get screwed. Above all you must trust the roofer. If you don’t trust him you will irritate him and he won’t have the confidence he needs to do a good job.  A good roofer should also be a good communicator.

I once gave a potential customer a list of references. I had a bit of a habit of not returning phone calls right away. Well this reference of mine ratted on me! This is a good thing! When I next spoke to the  potential customer he told me about it. Well I had to admit to it. And guess what it made me try to change the habit.

Skill level required for installation of your roof

This is huge. If a roofer is in over his head there is not much to be done if things go awry.

Clean up

A word about fasteners or nails

Another example is improper nailing of the shingles and plywood. For the plywood I have seen entire rows of nails missing. This will create buckling plywood and gives the roof a wavy look. Bumps and dips are usually created by not having gaps in the plywood. The plywood expands and pushes against the next sheet, creating the bubble.

 

So the deal is, after you have chose your material. You need to choose the contractor