Roof

Since roofing shingles are brittle in winter, they may break if you handle or walk on them. This makes spring a good time to do an inspection. Look for loose or curling shingles.

Ice that may have formed over the winter in gutters can cause the gutter to pull away from the house as well as break seals in gutter joints and downspout connections. Loose or clogged gutters can allow rain to run over your fascia board, into your eaves, and ultimately into your house. Loose gutters can also allow rain to collect near your foundation causing your basement to leak. Gutter cleaning, inspections and repairs generally require using an extension ladder which can present a potentially dangerous situation. It is recommended that this task be performed by your local licensed handyman or gutter service.

Here’s a tip on how to increase the life of old wooden gutters. The first step is to lay a new rubber liner along the inside the gutter. Adding copper flashing along the edge seals the liner, adds extra durability, and allows water to run off easily. Finally, add a second strip of rubber on top of the flashing for extra protection.

Loose or sagging plastic gutters will not drain properly, and this may cause their contents to overflow. As a temporary measure, hammer in a wooden wedge between each bracket and the gutter to hold each section in place until you can replace it.

Removing old, cracked, and brittle shingles for replacement is easy. Here’s how: assemble an assortment of flatbars and shingle removers. To remove a number of shingles at once, start at the bottom and work your way up. Pry shingles from the side to avoid flying splinters and nails. In a short time, the exposed sheathing is ready for re-shingling with new material.

When inspecting or repairing gutters, take the opportunity to attach narrow gauge chicken wire along the length of the gutters to prevent them from becoming blocked with debris.

When hiring a roofing contractor, the lowest-bidder is not always the best for the job. Roofers with good insurance, good safety equipment, and well-trained, skilled employees charge more than fly-by-night outfits, and rightly so. Quite often, that roofer will have a standing relationship with a reliable manufacturer who puts out a good product and backs it up. Check the insurance, license, professional certifications, and references of any roofer you interview. The right shingle and the right roofer will make for a lasting job.

A myth of metal roofing is that it is noisy. Metal roofs with solid sheathing and insulation control noise from rain, hail and bad weather just as well as any other roofing material.

The number one cause of problems with roofing products is faulty installation and the leading installation problem is incorrect nailing of roof shingles.

If you are replacing your old, worn out roof covering with new asphalt shingles, make sure they have a Class 4 rating under Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) 2218 standard. A Class 4 rating tells you a sample of the product did not crack when hit twice in the same area by a two-inch steel ball.