Roofing Techniques - Roofing and Roofing Materials

Roofing Techniques

There are specific roofing techniques you need to use to ensure that your roofing project meets code and quality standards. These techniques definitely apply to re-roofing, new roofs, or roof repair. Depending on the job you are doing there are specific tools, techniques and materials needed to accomplish your task.
First you will have to follow local or municipal guidelines and laws. You cannot just roof any way you want ... roofing has to meet building codes.

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Other guidelines include your own personal preferences plus the type of home or building you have. To determine the best implementation process and to protect the life and functionality of your new roof, work with either a contractor or a lumber company with roofing expertise.

Steps to Laying down a new Roof

Roofing techniques follow a fairly standard process. The first layer of your roof is the sheathing. These are plywood sheets you can see attached to the rafters in your attic. Plywood sheets provide the foundation where the rest of the roofing system is built.

The second layer is the underlayment. Different types of materials can be used for this step and the most common is builders’ felt. This second layer is required in most building codes and provides added protection from the weather. Third the valleys, eaves, protrusions and rakes get an application known as flashing. Flashing directs water away from vulnerable sections.

The last step in roofing is installing the outer covering. This includes many different varieties of materials and styles like asphalt shingles, wood, metal, slate or ceramic. Know what you want and choose a contractor who is an expert roofer and knows how to use different roofing materials. By going with an expert you are guaranteed that the proper techniques for installation and roofing are carried out.

When re-roofing an asphalt surface, check the sloping edge to find out how many layers are currently on the roof. There are building rules that specify the number of outer layers a house can have on the roof. After determining how many layers you have on your roof and if you are repairing the roof, research how to fix that particular problem. Do not let any roofing problem continue or you will experience more serious damage and the costs of repair will escalate. Once you have located the problem in your roof, check for wood rot, repair, and proceed with re-roofing.

Building a new roof will require determining the type of finish roofing material you want. If you are doing asphalt shingles, determine the number of bundles you will need, enlist the help of friends and neighbors and go to work hammering the shingles to the builders’ felt and plywood sheeting. If you are using other types of roofing materials like slates, metals, woods, or ceramics unless you are a professional roofer, you will need expert advice and help. When estimating the cost of you new or repaired roof, do make sure you include labor and tax.

Roofing Materials - Terminology

Roofers generally don’t talk in terms of square feet, but rather in squares. The square is a rudimentary unit of measurement. One square is 100 square feet in range or equals 10 feet by 10 feet in dimension.  The roof of a typical house is usually 1,500 square feet or fifteen squares. 

Flashing is a part of repairing and putting on a new roof. Flashing is put on in strips to areas where different materials join together. An example is the juncture of a masonry chimney and the shingles or wherever the siding comes up to the roof line. Flashing will keep your home watertight if used were leakage is like to occur.

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Shingles are the roof covering that consists of individual overlapping pieces. These pieces are usually flat rectangular shapes that are laid out in rows from the bottom edge of the roof to the peak. Each row overlaps the joins below. The roof point may have a cap comprising of copper or lead sheeting, but more than likely you will have a layer of shingles with a plastic layer underneath. Shingles are made from wood, asbestos-cement, ceramic or composite as well as slate and stone.

Roofing and Roofing Materials

Overview

When a new house is framed the final touch is the roof. Roofs are put on before the siding, windows or interior. Generally roofing is done within a few weeks of digging the whole, pouring the cement, and framing the walls.

Roofing materials can include asphalt, wood, plastic, clay, stone, clay tiles and wood. Roofing materials, generally known as shingles can come in rolls, strips or panels.  You can have any color or texture you want and pay almost whatever you can afford. A new roof can be constructed for as little as $.50 per square foot or as high as $25.00 per square foot.

Roofing and Roofing Materials – Different Options

There are so many different types of roofing materials to keep your home cool in summer and warm in winter. Heavier materials are suggested for warmer climates and high end building, but there are other roofing options that are equally as beautiful, durable, and cost effective.

What are different options for roofing?

Research has found that concentrations of asphalt roofs and parking lots in dense areas create an environment effect call the “heat island effect” which means heat soaking into the dark materials are use and these areas hold energy throughout the day and night. This causes high cooling costs and even higher repair costs when asphalt melts and roofs leak. To these ends different options for roofing materials are always being invented and explored. For example Italian architect Renzo Piano combines site planning with age old principles of making the land work with the environment. He uses solar and green roof in his buildings and adds recycled denim to insulation.

Living or green roofing materials are actual living plants that provide less toxic environments, water runoff to cool buildings and protection for base or under roofing. There are not many experts in growing living roofs, and the cost is high, but the theory is a great idea to help the environment and provide cooler living conditions.

Rubber membrane roofing is similar to wearing a raincoat; it keeps both moisture and heat out of the building. This type of roofing material is usually single-ply, white, rubber like roofing materials made from strong and weather resistant thermoplastic. You can also find rubber roofing made from ethylene propylene diene monomer. This type of roofing is common in commercial building and provides long wear, ease of installation, and can be applied quickly.

White flat tile roofing material is very well-suited to warm climates. It is similar to concrete tiling that can be painted in many colors. This is a lighter-weight variety of concrete tiles and the most popular color is generally the intense white flat tile made from ceramics or mixtures of cement and fibers. These tiles are reflect heat and last for up to fifty years and flat white cement tiles reflect over 75 percent of the sun’s rays. Power-washing keep the surface of the tiles from becoming dingy and losing reflective properties.
White metal roofing is highly reflective and can reflect 66 percent of the sun’s rays away from a roof.

White metal roofing cools quickly at night and holds heat for very short periods of time. It does cost about 30 percent more than traditional roofing materials, but in energy savings, low maintenance and durability it is eventually a cost saver. To maximize the benefits of metal roofing, however, treatments and installation are complicated. Most metal roofs need to be treated for corrosion and meet minimum code standards for wind resistance and placement. One very big downside of white metal roofing; the sun’s reflection off your roof can “blind” neighbors and those driving down your street.