Video - 5 Tips For The Best Roofing System

Protecting your home with flashing

After the roof deck has been cleared, reinforced where needed, and sealed to protect it from water, the crew will be hard at work installing your starter, field, and cap shingles. During and after the shingle installation process the roofing contractor should also be installing custom cut metal flashing. These two materials are work to secure your roof and protect your home for decades.

Why is Metal Flashing so Important?

When the crew was preparing to install ventilation in your new roof, they were essentially cutting a large hole in your roof deck. Custom cut metal flashing helps bridge the gap between the roof deck and the object creating the hole, whether it is an exhaust vent, pipe, or skylight.

Where else can flashing help?

Sealing penetrations in the deck isn't the only instance where flashing is useful. There are various areas in your roofing system where flashing can help reinforce already existing components.

Strengthen Valleys

The metal can be used along with water and ice shield in the valleys of the roof. As we have mentioned, roof valleys can experience a ton of water flow. Especially in the spring with melting snow and rain storms. Metal flashing here will go a long way to guard against future leaks.

Drip Edges

Another place where flashing can help with ice and water shield is anywhere the edge meets a gutter. This will also impact the starter shingles used in these areas. Drip edges extend past the edge of the roof, directing any water runoff directly into the gutters. Drip edges keep water away from the foundation and your home's walls.

Chimney Saddles

Metal flashing can also be used to fortify where a chimney meets the roof. The piece of metal will look almost like the base of your chimney has a little roof of its own. This piece of flashing makes sure no water or obstructions collect at the base of your chimney which can create issues down the road.

Finish your roofing project right!

Ask your roofing contractor about their metal flashing options and give serious thought to including custom cut metal flashing to your roofing system.

Start strong, finish strong with cap and starter shingles

Your roofing contractor has ripped off your old roof, secured your deck after inspecting for any damage or needed repairs, and cut in your ventilation ports. Then the contractor sealed it all up with quality underlayment. Now, it is time for the roofers' crew to begin installing your new shingles! Depending on the size of your roof and the size of the crew this part of the project could take a couple of days.

It is easy to assume that all you need to worry about with this part of the process is the color and style of your shingles, but there is a little matter of cap and starter shingles.

What Are Cap and Starter Shingles?

Cap and starter shingles are specially designed to help your roofing contractor expertly start and finish your install. They differ from standard 'field' shingles in a few basic ways that make them crucial to any kind of reliable roofing system.

Starter Shingles

Starter shingles are used on the edges of your roof to create a watertight seal between the eave and the roof deck. Without this material, there is a chance for a leak to develop where your eave and deck meet. They are rougher and more durable than field shingles and create a strong barrier of protection at your roof's edge.

Cap Shingles

Cap Shingles are used to seal off the ridges and peaks of your roof. They are thicker and more durable than field shingles and also don't come in strips. They are individually nailed down and have an adhesive backing that enables them to withstand strong winds that can batter roof ridges.

Get a Professional Finish

When you choose a roofing system that has cap and starter shingles, you know you are getting a roof that is ready to withstand the most severe weather home's in Livonia experiences. Make sure you ask any roofing contractor you interview what your options are.

Sealing your roof deck with underlayments

We have found a roofing contractor that will do a tear-off, and your old roof has been removed. The deck has been inspected for any water damage or rot, and all needed repairs have been completed. You also have all your ventilation holes cut and ready for venting! Now is the time in the project where the roofing company will begin installing underlayments, such as ice & water shield and synthetic underlayment.

What About Felt?

Some roofers still offer felt underlayments on their roofing system. This may seem like a great way to save money on materials, but it puts your roof at risk of developing leaks down the line. Synthetic underlayment, as well as ice & water shield, seal up your deck, making a watertight protective barrier.

Why synthetic underlayment is superior

As you may know, shingles are nailed into your roofs deck, approximately 4-6 nails per shingle. That is a lot of holes you are creating in your roofs deck! Synthetic underlayment was designed to address these holes! As a nail passes through the underlayment, the adhesive backing on the material seals the hole around the nail.

Ideally, your entire roof's deck will be covered with the synthetic underlayment creating a single watertight seal across the deck. However, there are areas of your roof that will experience so much water exposure and extreme temperatures that you will want to reinforce it with ice and water shield.

What is ice and water shield?

Ice and water shield is a highly durable material that acts in the same way synthetic underlayment does. It has a strong adhesive backing which fills holes as they are created.

In the winter ice that forms along the eaves of your roof can trap water against the shingles, giving it time to soak into any unprotected areas of the deck. It is recommended that you use ice and water shield on the first six feet of the roof deck coming off your eaves. It is also recommended that your roofing system include ice and water shield in any valleys on your roof. roof valleys are notorious for experiencing heavy water flow.

Seal up Your Roof From Water

If you're getting a replacement roof, it is a good idea to do all you can to make it last. Making sure your roofing system includes plenty of synthetic underlayment and ice and water shield is a great way to ensure your new roof will have a long life.

How roofing ventilation helps the rest of your home

Picture this: it is winter. There is snow on the ground, the trees, and the houses. You pull up outside of your home, and you notice that the snow on your roof has melted from the center but remains at the edges. Icicles have begun to form on your eaves and now hang over your door! Maybe it is summer, and you are running the air conditioning at full blast, but your house is STILL HOT! All of these things are signs that you have poor ventilation in your roof and attic space.

What do roof vents have to do with icicles and A/C?

When most people hear vents, they think of kitchen or bathroom vents. There for the purpose of getting unwanted air out of a room! These are called exhaust vents. However, vents can also let air in; these are called intake vents.

Intake and exhaust vents work together on your roof to create a ventilation system that helps to keep the climate in your home more manageable and consistent. This is accomplished by creating a path of air flow that stops unwanted temperatures from building up below the deck of the roof and inside of your attic.

A properly balanced ventilation system will also help cut back on moisture accumulation, helping to avoid mold growth or rot from water damage.

How much ventilation will my roof need?

The amount of ventilation your roof will require depends on the size and design of your roof. Generally, for every 300 square feet of floor space in your attic, you want 1 square foot of ventilation.

Where does the ventilation go?

On some roofs, there may be a requirement for the addition of box vents, turbines or gables, but most homes in Livonia will find more than enough ventilation with a ridge and soffit ventilation system.

Let your attic breathe

When you are interviewing contractors for your roofing project, make sure to find out what their plans are for your ventilation system. It will not only help to keep you comfortable, but it will also extend the life of your roof.

Why you want to avoid an overlay

When you are shopping around for your replacement roof, one option contractors may offer, trying to keep the price down, is an overlay install. While doing an overlay vs. a tear-off may seem like a good idea on paper there are many reasons why you should think twice before deciding to go this route with your new roof.

What does a contractor mean when they say overlay?

An overlay install is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than remove all the old roof, and starting with a freshly prepped and sealed deck, the roofing crew will install your new roof on top of the old materials.

Are there any benefits to this style of roof installation?

When it comes to overlay roofs, there is really only one benefit, and that is cost savings. You save on hours, because the crew doesn't have to spend the time removing the old roof, and you save on dumpster and debris removal fees.

Saving money sounds nice, what is the downside?

One of the first steps in getting a new roof is the inspection and for a good reason. Inspections help spot all issues with the roof deck, whether it be severe water damage or rot. Even with a thorough inspection, you can miss some trouble areas due to the construction of the home.  If you never remove the old roofing materials, you may never find growing issues with your deck's integrity. This means there could be water damage and rot that go without repair, and could eventually compromise your brand new roof!

Okay, so an overlay is a bad idea, what should I look for?

If you have decided on roof replacement then should only accept estimates that are for a complete tear-off of your existing roof. This means the crew will remove all the old materials and strip your deck down to its base. They can then conduct a full on-site inspection and repair any issues that currently exist in your roof's deck.

Tear the roof off that suckah!

The health of your roof's deck is vital to extending the life of the entire roof. Going with a tear-off instead of an overlay for your roofing project means that you know your roofs deck has been inspected and is ready for another 25+ years of protecting your home from severe weather.