Flat Roof Coatings: Is Your Roof a Candidate or a Costly Mistake?

Which Flat Roof Membranes are Best for Coating? Not every flat roof is a candidate for a liquid-applied membrane. To determine if a coating will actually save you money, you first have to identify which system you’re currently standing on. 1. EPDM (Rubber Roofing) Appearance: Typically black, looks like a giant inner tube. The Challenge: As EPDM ages, […]

Why Cheap Roofing jobs often become the most expensive

You’ve seen the ads: “New Roof – Lowest Price in Town!” It sounds tempting—until your “budget-friendly” roof starts leaking during the first storm and suddenly you’re paying twice for the same job. In roofing, cutting corners costs far more than you save. Here’s why the cheapest bid often becomes the priciest mistake. Inferior Materials …are […]

Ice Dams 101: Understanding and Prevention

In order to prevent ice dams, you have to understand what causes them and why you should care. What may seem like a benign stain on the paint can be much more than you were thinking. It can be like tip of an iceberg and if you don’t address it, you could face costly repairs. But before you start throwing money at a problem, it’s important to understand what an ice dam is and what causes one to form. Ice dams are caused by freeze and thaw cycles.  As the snow and ice begins to…

Venting a Garage Roof

Whether you vent a garage roof or not is choice but generally speaking, it’s a good thing to add a vent to a garage.  Most garages are not heated but a vent is made to vent out moisture in the winter and heat in the summer. Most municipal codes do not require vents and if you have an attached garage (attached to your house), sometimes there is an aesthetic reason to skip the vent. However, the pros outweigh the cons. Here’s why you should consider having a vent: Heat build up…

Planning can save you in the end

Proper planning give you a better end-product than any cookie cutter buying process you can come up with. Build yourself a plan that will accomplish your goals. Sometimes that plan simply starts by writing down what your goals are and for some it may break down to how a project is engineered and assembled. Here’s a few core considerations when choosing a new roof.  This list can be adapted to nearly any project. Needs analysis:  What do you want this project to do for you? Ha…

Will a Black Roof help in the Winter?

Black roofs are like any other colored roof in a Wisconsin winter — white. Any roof that does not have snow on it most days is likely poorly ventilated. Our average snowfall here is 1 to 4 inches. If your roof, is well ventilated, it will be snow covered in the winter. If you have poor ventilation, your roofs lifespan will be decreased. Moisture builds up and can result in mold if you have poor ventilation. Black roofs magnify heat buildup and, like a greenhouse, cook the ro…

What to Consider When Hiring a Roofing Contractor

Your roof may need repairs, general maintenance, or an inspection. It may also be time for a replacement, and summer is the perfect time to do so. Before you have work done on your roof, you must find a qualified professional. Here are things to consider when hiring a roofing contractor. Expenses According to Forbes, expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $7,000 for major roof repairs. The final costs depend on the expertise of the roofer, your location, and the materials used…

4 Things to Look For in a Roofing Company

Looking up at your worn, weathered roof? It may be time to replace it with the help of a professional roofer. According to IBISWorld, there are currently 79,356 roofing contractor businesses in the U.S. Although there is a wealth of choices, you’ll want to make sure you’re choosing the best one for your home. Read on to learn what you should look for in a roofing company. 1. They Have the Right Equipment Installing or replacing a roof requires special tools and equipment to g…

The Truth About Roofing Warranties

Roofing warranties make big claims to exploit your fear of the worst but the truth is that most of these warranties are worth little more than the paper they’re written on.  Understanding roofing warranties can help homeowners make logical choices to safeguard their home. Understanding motivations will save you Money Homeowners, manufacturers and contractors all have different motivations for offering promises that may or may not ever come to fruition, but ask yourself if you…