Roofs

As far as the envelope of a house is concerned, the roof is probably the most important part. Roofs are designed to shed the outside weather elements off the building, keeping the occupants, not to mention their belongings, safe and dry. 

Roof Styles

There are many different styles of roof framing, resulting in as many architectural appearances. As a general rule, the more complex the roof design, the more potential for leakage. This is not to say that a complex roof design will leak, simply that there is a higher risk when more features are designed in to a roof.

Below is a schematic of some of the the more common sloped roof framing designs:

You will note that most of these designs will move water to the outer part of the building. One, in particular, the butterfly roof, we find espacially problematic, as this design channels the weather elements towards the center. and by adding a simple chimney to a butterfly designed roof, you can imagine the risk you run of leakage at some point. In our opinion, this style should be avoided, especially in the northern climates where snow load can also create weight-related concerns.

Roof Covering options

As with the roof framing design, there are many different options with which to cover your roof. Most roofs that we inspect are covered with asphalt shingles, though rolled granulated roofing, rubber torch-down roofing, BUR (built-up roofs), wood shake and shingle roofs, asbestos shingle roofs, and slate roofs are all various types of materials which are commonly found "on top of the house". 

• Asphalt shingles-

  • Most common type of roofing material in our climate.
  • Typically provide around 15-20 years of service, though there are shigles warranted for longer periods
  • Must be installed with ice and water membrane along the edges and up the valleys. 
  • Not a good choice on roofs with less than a 4-in-12 pitch.
  • Nails must be driven through the specific "nailing strip" designated by the manufacturer, or the warranty will be voided.
  • Nails should be driven flush with the shingle and not under-driven or over-driven.
  • Permanent flashing must be used, to include:
    •  step flashing at all sidewall junctures
    • kick-out flashings at the base of sidewall junctures. (Not required, but should be in our opinion. See photo below)
    • step flashing and counter-flashing at chimneys
    • Boot-type flashings at any roof vent and flue penetrations (These should be replaced whenever the roof coveriung is replaced)
    • step flashing and counter-flashing at chimneys
    • Boot-type flashings at any roof vent and flue penetrations (should be replaced whenever the roof covering is replaced)
    • General note: Roofing cement is not a permanent flashing material. Its use should be avoided, and if it is present, needs regular touchup.

                       Example of a kick-out flashing

More on the whole roof shingle warranty issue:
Our opinion- as with all other warranties, roof shingle warranties are written to protect the manufacturer. We find them to be tightly written, by design, to eliminate the manufacturer from the trail of people who are responsible for the shingles. The most minor of installation infractions will void the warranty and give the manufacturer an easy way out. And why is it that a "20-year" shingle only provides around 15-20 years of service anyway?? Further, these warranties are pro-rated. And you know what that means...if the roof fails at 10 years, and you do have a case, you will end up with a very small percentage of the shingle cost as a result. And we all know that a couple hundred bucks is a little shy of a roof replacement job. In conclusion, we don't put much weight on the term "shingle warranty".

• Rolled Composition Roofing

  • Rolled roofing is just that...a roll of roofing material that is around 3 feet wide. This is easy to install and relatively cheap to purchase. 
  • This material is made to be installed on low-sloped roof surfaces.
  • Rolled roofing, in our opinion, is a rather marginal roof covering. While it performs adequately when installed properly, the expected service life is only around 7 years. This means you will be dealing with it several times over the life of a standard shingle roof. And if there is a mix of shingles on a steep-pitched surface and rolled roofing on low-pitched surfaces, this means 2 or more replacements over the shingle life. 

• Wood Shakes/Shingles

  • Wood shake information

• Clay Tiles

  • Clay tile information

• Slate

  • Slate roof information

• Rubber torch-down roofing

  • Rubber roofing information