We are currently participating in the repair of a building that has an older flat roof, the roof was repaired several times improperly and the result is tragic.
Because the repairs to the flat roof was completed by someone that didn't know what they were doing the repair was nothing more then a band-aid. The band-aid worked for a short little while and then failed and started leaking again.
The results from improper repairs were the entire roof became water damaged, water damage to the framing material, the roof deck, the insulation, the drywall and the contents inside the building.The damage was so extensive that our part of the repair was to completely remove the flat roof sub framing, the existing membrane, drywall and roof decking.
Basically we were re-framing the entire roof and then a new flat roof membrane was being installed.
The cost of this "repair" ends up costing several times more then what the original cost would have been to just replace the old flat roof membrane when it originally required it.
How does this happen? The original repair might have been considered too expensive and the building owner probably retained someone that would do a cheaper repair instead of a replacement of the flat roof membrane. Now the company that was to expensive has been hired to install a proper flat roof membrane but only after the damage from the repair has been done.
The moral of the story? When you are dealing with a roof the cheaper option is usually exactly what you don't want. And when you are dealing with a flat roof it is vital that you hire a professional that knows what they are doing and can supply you with a proper warranty.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
Showing posts with label flat roofs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flat roofs. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Roofing trends in 2014 for custom homes
Roofing trends in custom homes 2014
Here are some of the trends that have come about this year of 2014 on the roof of custom homes.
Some of the trends have been consistent over the last couple of years and they are considered long running trends. There are other trends that have come about to be more popular in the last calendar year or less and are considered to be newer trends.
Roofing applications in today’s Custom Homes
Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;
• Large peaked roofs that are now prevalent in most architects plans have brought about the need for torch down roof membranes on the top of houses because of height restrictions that leave the home with a flat top.
• Asphalt shingles are still the most common and prevalent material installed on all new homes. The ease of installation and the price point make them the simple choice for homeowners even though they have the worst durability.
• On houses with steep roofs steel roofs are a normal trend because of their durability and their ability to shed snow.
• Grace Ice and Water Shield is installed on the first 2 feet of all roofs starting at the eves and up the valleys.
• Dark asphalt shingles have and are still the most common shingle installed.
• Black valleys are still the most common because they go with any kind of dark roofing material.
• Enviro-shake has all but eliminated the need or wants for homeowners to have cedar-shake roofs installed, with the composite material looking so close to real cedar plus giving a lifetime product, something cedar cannot accomplish.
• Strip ridge venting is on almost all new asphalt shingled roofs, giving the clean look and helping maximize air flow through the roof cavity.
• Standing seam steel roofs has by far become the most wanted and installed look when talking about steel roof choices. The standing seam gives a richer look to the roof, making it look less like a barn steel roof and more like a luxury material on a custom home.
Here is a list of the trends that have started this year and are growing in popularity;
• Asphalt shingles that have fibreglass backing to help with their durability in high winds are growing in popularity as homeowners try to find a way to get longer life out of their shingled roofs.
• Heavier duty and multiple ply asphalt shingles are growing in popularity for their longer life spans and warranties.
• Using multiple materials on custom homes is slowly gaining in popularity as people attempt to find a way to maximize parts of their roofs that receive the most wear and tear but saving money on the parts of their roofs that do not. Installing asphalt shingles on a high steep roof and then installing steel roofs below on porch or lower sloped roofs helps the longevity of the lower roofs and can also be very appealing to the eye. Or a section of the roof done in steel to help move heavy snow loads off the roofs.
• Composite roofing materials are gaining popularity as homeowners look for alternatives to asphalt shingles but the higher price point is slowing the popularity of it and keeping it to a slow growing trend.
• The colour silver is fast becoming one of the most popular choices for steel roofs as people look to make their roofs stand out instead of disappearing.
• Custom homes are being designed with multiple pitched roofs with flat roof sections that are built lower down to give the roof lines are more dramatic look. These flat roof sections are being waterproofed with a commercial grade roofing membrane that gives a home lifetime of waterproof protection.
One of the biggest debates that people have with their contractors is how much to spend on their roofs. That debate sets the table for the material that you can pick from, the better the roof and the longer it is slated to last the more it will cost. The fancier the look of the material the higher the overall cost of the roof will end up costing.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
Here are some of the trends that have come about this year of 2014 on the roof of custom homes.
Some of the trends have been consistent over the last couple of years and they are considered long running trends. There are other trends that have come about to be more popular in the last calendar year or less and are considered to be newer trends.
Roofing applications in today’s Custom Homes
Here is a list of the trends that have stayed the same over the last several years;
• Large peaked roofs that are now prevalent in most architects plans have brought about the need for torch down roof membranes on the top of houses because of height restrictions that leave the home with a flat top.
• Asphalt shingles are still the most common and prevalent material installed on all new homes. The ease of installation and the price point make them the simple choice for homeowners even though they have the worst durability.
• On houses with steep roofs steel roofs are a normal trend because of their durability and their ability to shed snow.
• Grace Ice and Water Shield is installed on the first 2 feet of all roofs starting at the eves and up the valleys.
• Dark asphalt shingles have and are still the most common shingle installed.
• Black valleys are still the most common because they go with any kind of dark roofing material.
• Enviro-shake has all but eliminated the need or wants for homeowners to have cedar-shake roofs installed, with the composite material looking so close to real cedar plus giving a lifetime product, something cedar cannot accomplish.
• Strip ridge venting is on almost all new asphalt shingled roofs, giving the clean look and helping maximize air flow through the roof cavity.
• Standing seam steel roofs has by far become the most wanted and installed look when talking about steel roof choices. The standing seam gives a richer look to the roof, making it look less like a barn steel roof and more like a luxury material on a custom home.
Here is a list of the trends that have started this year and are growing in popularity;
• Asphalt shingles that have fibreglass backing to help with their durability in high winds are growing in popularity as homeowners try to find a way to get longer life out of their shingled roofs.
• Heavier duty and multiple ply asphalt shingles are growing in popularity for their longer life spans and warranties.
• Using multiple materials on custom homes is slowly gaining in popularity as people attempt to find a way to maximize parts of their roofs that receive the most wear and tear but saving money on the parts of their roofs that do not. Installing asphalt shingles on a high steep roof and then installing steel roofs below on porch or lower sloped roofs helps the longevity of the lower roofs and can also be very appealing to the eye. Or a section of the roof done in steel to help move heavy snow loads off the roofs.
• Composite roofing materials are gaining popularity as homeowners look for alternatives to asphalt shingles but the higher price point is slowing the popularity of it and keeping it to a slow growing trend.
• The colour silver is fast becoming one of the most popular choices for steel roofs as people look to make their roofs stand out instead of disappearing.
One of the biggest debates that people have with their contractors is how much to spend on their roofs. That debate sets the table for the material that you can pick from, the better the roof and the longer it is slated to last the more it will cost. The fancier the look of the material the higher the overall cost of the roof will end up costing.
Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.
Friday, May 16, 2014
I have noticed on a lot of custom homes that there seems to be a flat top on the roof, why is this?
Q:
I have noticed on a lot of custom homes that there seems to be a flat top on the roof, why is this?
A:
You are right that a growing number of custom homes being built today have a flat spot on the very top of the roof, the size and shape of it depends totally on the roof design.
.The reason that it exists is more to do with the rules and regulations of building in most area’s these days then architects wanting it there for aesthetic reasons.
The major trend in roof design is to have grander type roofs, to achieve a grander roof you need to build a larger roof; the only way to build a larger roof is to build it higher. To build a higher roof you simply increase the pitch of the roof (steepness). The problem with increasing the pitch of the roof is that the roof then rises up higher to meet at a peak in the middle of the building. If you have a two story house that has 9 foot ceilings (common for most custom homes today) then your roof would be starting at 18 feet off the first floor.
The top of the first floor is the starting point where municipalities measure the height of a home. Every building department will have different height restrictions for residential dwellings. If the height restrictions are 38 feet in your municipality and your roof is starting at 18 feet then that leaves you with only 20 feet of height to build your roof.
20 feet of height might sound like a lot but when you have a steep pitch on your roof it’s not as much as you think.
A common steep roof on custom homes is what is called a 16/12 pitch; this means that for every 16 inches the roof travels vertically it takes 12 inches of room horizontally. In this scenario if you had a 16/12 pitch and you wanted your home to come to a peak at the 38 foot height limit then the roof would have to be 30 feet wide. With a 30 foot wide roof the walls would be stepped in from the overhangs about 1.5 feet or 18 inches on each side. That means the building below would only be 27 feet wide.
The average custom home these days is at a minimum 3500 sqft spread out over two floors, that is 1750 sqft per floor. You would have to have a house that is about 65 feet long, and then add on another 25 feet for the attached garage. What you end up with is a bowling alley, in-town lots are getting hard to find for a house that wide.
To achieve the same square footage with a custom home that isn’t long and narrow you increase the width of the home from the 27 foot mark. As you increase this number (if the pitch of the roof stays unchanged) the roof gets higher and starts to exceed the height limits.
This is where placing a flat spot on the very top of the roof comes in to play. The flat spot makes it simpler for designers and architects to change the depth of the building without changing the general look and grandness of a steep roof.
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.
I have noticed on a lot of custom homes that there seems to be a flat top on the roof, why is this?
A:
You are right that a growing number of custom homes being built today have a flat spot on the very top of the roof, the size and shape of it depends totally on the roof design.
.The reason that it exists is more to do with the rules and regulations of building in most area’s these days then architects wanting it there for aesthetic reasons.
The major trend in roof design is to have grander type roofs, to achieve a grander roof you need to build a larger roof; the only way to build a larger roof is to build it higher. To build a higher roof you simply increase the pitch of the roof (steepness). The problem with increasing the pitch of the roof is that the roof then rises up higher to meet at a peak in the middle of the building. If you have a two story house that has 9 foot ceilings (common for most custom homes today) then your roof would be starting at 18 feet off the first floor.
The top of the first floor is the starting point where municipalities measure the height of a home. Every building department will have different height restrictions for residential dwellings. If the height restrictions are 38 feet in your municipality and your roof is starting at 18 feet then that leaves you with only 20 feet of height to build your roof.
20 feet of height might sound like a lot but when you have a steep pitch on your roof it’s not as much as you think.
A common steep roof on custom homes is what is called a 16/12 pitch; this means that for every 16 inches the roof travels vertically it takes 12 inches of room horizontally. In this scenario if you had a 16/12 pitch and you wanted your home to come to a peak at the 38 foot height limit then the roof would have to be 30 feet wide. With a 30 foot wide roof the walls would be stepped in from the overhangs about 1.5 feet or 18 inches on each side. That means the building below would only be 27 feet wide.
The average custom home these days is at a minimum 3500 sqft spread out over two floors, that is 1750 sqft per floor. You would have to have a house that is about 65 feet long, and then add on another 25 feet for the attached garage. What you end up with is a bowling alley, in-town lots are getting hard to find for a house that wide.
To achieve the same square footage with a custom home that isn’t long and narrow you increase the width of the home from the 27 foot mark. As you increase this number (if the pitch of the roof stays unchanged) the roof gets higher and starts to exceed the height limits.
This is where placing a flat spot on the very top of the roof comes in to play. The flat spot makes it simpler for designers and architects to change the depth of the building without changing the general look and grandness of a steep roof.
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
What is a cold roof?
Q:
What is a cold roof?
A:
A cold roof is an insulated roof system that does not ventilate. This system is widely used for flat roofs. The insulation is commonly laid on top of the roof deck and the roofing membrane is adhered over top.
Sometimes when ventilation is a problem in sloping roofs, the insulator will foam insulate the roof cavity from underneath to achieve an insulated cold roof system. It is important that this type of roof system stops any interior vapour from penetrating the insulation.
You can have parts of a roof system be a cold roof and other parts that are conventional. In most custom homes there are area’s in the roof because of design or the way that it was constructed that there isn’t a way for the roof to ventilate, these area’s must be spray foamed to achieve a proper cold roof. This will then insure that there isn’t a ventilation problem in that area down the road.
Ventilation problems can lead to condensation problems. You can have a condensation problem from a non venting roof that is so severe that you will swear the roof is leaking.
When insulating a home special attention should be paid to any area that is deemed unventible or even has the ability to have poor venting. Your contractor and your insulator need to work together to achieve a proper balance between proper venting and a proper insulation seal.
When insulating a home there has to be a wide picture view taken of the whole home and how the building envelope will be insulated. This is the best way to achieve a near perfect insulating job where there is a high R-value with little to no ventilation problems down the road.
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.
What is a cold roof?
A:
A cold roof is an insulated roof system that does not ventilate. This system is widely used for flat roofs. The insulation is commonly laid on top of the roof deck and the roofing membrane is adhered over top.
Sometimes when ventilation is a problem in sloping roofs, the insulator will foam insulate the roof cavity from underneath to achieve an insulated cold roof system. It is important that this type of roof system stops any interior vapour from penetrating the insulation.
You can have parts of a roof system be a cold roof and other parts that are conventional. In most custom homes there are area’s in the roof because of design or the way that it was constructed that there isn’t a way for the roof to ventilate, these area’s must be spray foamed to achieve a proper cold roof. This will then insure that there isn’t a ventilation problem in that area down the road.
Ventilation problems can lead to condensation problems. You can have a condensation problem from a non venting roof that is so severe that you will swear the roof is leaking.
When insulating a home special attention should be paid to any area that is deemed unventible or even has the ability to have poor venting. Your contractor and your insulator need to work together to achieve a proper balance between proper venting and a proper insulation seal.
When insulating a home there has to be a wide picture view taken of the whole home and how the building envelope will be insulated. This is the best way to achieve a near perfect insulating job where there is a high R-value with little to no ventilation problems down the road.
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.
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