Tired Of Picking The Shingles Off Your Lawn?

In the last big wind storm that roared through Southern Ontario a lot of people were picking up shingles from their lawns, some of the shingles were theirs and others were their neighbours.

When these extreme weather events happen it is a glaring reminder that asphalt shingles are the cheapest form of roofing for a reason, they don't survive very well in them.

There are different levels of asphalt shingles, shingles that are guaranteed to last longer then others, but no asphalt shingle is guaranteed to survive the wind storm that just happened. The scary thing is that these extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

When you look at your roof now and you see the plywood because your shingles are lying at your feet on your lawn then you need to ask yourself several questions;

1. Since I have to spend money repairing the shingles on my roof do I want to put the money back into asphalt shingles or do I spend the money on something more robust? Depending on the level of damage to your roof your insurance company might pay for an entire new shingled roof. That means that if you wanted to change the roofing product then you would have part of the cost covered already.
2. If I can't afford anything but asphalt shingles then maybe I should take some steps to protect the interior of my house for when this happens again; If you can't afford to put anything but asphalt shingles back on your roof or you are unwilling to spend the money needed to put something else on the roof then you should at least spend a little extra money to protect the interior of your house from water damage that will happen when high winds take off your new shingles and the rain pours on top of your roof deck. Having your roofers install a waterproof membrane over the entire roof deck before the shingles are installed will ensure that you only have to replace or repair the shingles and not the drywall or other finishes in your home. A waterproofing membrane self adheres to the roof deck and will not rip off in high winds, in fact the the roof deck itself would have to be ripped off for the membrane to be removed from the roof.
3. If I'm going to spend the money and move away from asphalt shingles what are my options? There are many options to asphalt shingles, options that are guaranteed to survive a wind storm better then what is there now.

Steel: There are a lot of steel roofing products on the market, they also vary in price and how well they survive. Even the cheaper version of steel roofing products survive better then asphalt shingles because they resist the wind in curling and pealing off the roof deck. The more expensive steel roofing comes with a guarantee to survive hurricane force winds as long as its installed properly.

Enviroshake: These are a green product that has been made to look like cedar shingles but are made from a recycled material and made to be robust. Installed properly they will stand up to some of the strongest winds.

Slate: Though not that common in Ontario Slate roofs last a lifetime. They are heavy and they lay flat, their weight helps resist the wind from picking them off the roof.

Concrete roof tiles: These are becoming more popular these days as people are looking for an alternative, they are made out of concrete which gives them weight like slate and are attached to the roof in a way that doesn't allow for a lot of lift from high winds.

Some configurations of roofs lines depending on which way they are pointing will cause a cyclone affect as the wind passes over the roof, as it does this the wind gathers speed and pulls the asphalt shingles with it tearing them off, once a couple of shingles start to come up its like rolling up a carpet and more singles above them come off with them. This affect can actually happen more then once even with  new replaced shingles, I've actually seen this happen multiple times to homes until they were forced to replace the shingles with something more robust, they installed a steel roof and its never happened again.

If your thinking about a new roof think about something other then asphalt.

Rob

Village Builders Inc. 

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.

Roofing trends for 2013 in custom homes

Roofing trends 2013

Here are some trends in roofing materials being installed in custom homes for 2013. Some of the trends have started this year (2013), a lot of trends where started in the 2012 construction year and continued into this calendar year. There are trends that have been sustained year over year as well; they are considered the long running 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;

• Asphalt shingles are still the most common and prevalent material installed on all homes. The ease of installation and the price point make them the simple choice for homeowners.

• Grace Ice and Water Shield is installed on the first 2 feet of the roof and up the valleys.

• Dark coloured 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.

• Steel roofs are gradually growing more common with the ever changing severe weather.

• Enviro-shake has all but eliminated the need or want 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.

Here is a list of the trends that have started this year and are growing in popularity;

• Large peaked roofs that are now prevalent in most architects plans have brought about growing trend of torch down roof membranes on the top of houses because of height restrictions.

• Roofs being covered completely in waterproofing from eave to peak to protect against future leaks has become a fast growing trend.

• Strip ridge venting is on more and more roofs that have asphalt shingles, giving the clean look and helping to maximize air flow.

• Composite roofing materials are gaining popularity as homeowners look for alternatives to asphalt shingles and are not worried about the higher price.

• Heavier duty and multiple ply asphalt shingles are growing in popularity for their longer life spans and warranties.

• Using multiple materials on custom homes have started to become a more common practice. 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 be very appealing to the eye.

• Standing seam steel roofs have by far become the most wanted and installed look in steel. 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.

Overall people are starting to understand that they need to spend more money on their roofing materials since the weather and the climate has become more unpredictable. A higher quality of roofing material is showing that it will survive the more severe storms and save you money from replacing your roof in the future.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Roofing materials for your country home

Series: Tips on designing a country home.

In this multi-part series I will help give you tips on how to go about having a custom home built in the country, where it should sit, what it should look like, how it should function and what type of home performs the best and fits in with the surrounding country side.

Roofing

What you put on your roof in the country should not only be nice to look at but should also help protect your home from the extreme elements. There are different types of roofs depending on what you require and what your budget requirement are, here is a brief list of the most popular;

• Asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles are by far the most cost efficient roofing material that you can install on your custom home. But what you save by putting them on when the home is built will be spend every 10 to 15 years when you have to re-shingle it. Asphalt shingles only have a life expectancy of 10 to 15 years regardless of if they are called 20 or 30 year shingles. They are susceptible to high winds, ice damming from poorly venting roofs or poorly insulated roofs, damage from flying debris, damage from overhanging tree limbs, animals can damage them and UV rays from the sun degrade the asphalt shingle prematurely.  There are some advantages to asphalt shingles, you can get them in a wide variety of colours, they are very easy to install and can be installed on most roofs. An asphalt shingled roof has more grip and is easier to walk on if you have to do anything on the roof. Also damage to a small part of a roof is easily fixable and patchable.

• Cedarshake. Cedarshake was a very popular roofing material especially on custom homes some years ago, but today because of several factors in the market they are not used very often. The poor quality of cedar being used, the way UV rays are causing the cedar to age and rot faster, the expense of buying the shakes, labour intensive to install and probability of moss growing on them causing rot when you have large dormers or valleys are other reasons that people are shying away from putting it on their roofs. There are some good things about cedarshake roofs, they add value to a custom home for resale, there very appealing to look at and they help a house fit into a natural woodsy environment.

• Enviroshake. Enviroshake is a product that was invented solely because of all the problems that I listed above in Cedarshakes. Enviroshake is a composite material that is created from recycled plastic, recycled rubber and ethanol plant waste. It is then stamped with a natural grain to give it the cedarshake look, it installs black and within 6 months fades to a silver colour just like cedar. It is installed the same way that cedarshakes are installed. It comes with a 50 year warranty, it is extremely durable to high winds, extreme weather, flying debris and branches scraping on its surface. It sheds snow almost like a steel roof does and UV rays do not seem to damage the product like it does to cedar. There are some downsides to it, it is expensive to purchase and install and it is a very slippery surface that can make walking on it dangerous. The finished look ends up looking like cedarshake but with a much longer warranty and better durability.

• Steel. Steel is by far the most popular of roofing products in today’s country custom homes. Steel comes in a wide variety of profiles, colours and quality. Steel has always been very popular in the country, not just on homes but also on barns and out buildings. Today’s steel is a lot different from the simple steel that was installed on top of the barns. Today’s steel roofs are one piece from the eave to the peak, there is no joint in the middle, they also have locking ribs that stop the wind from penetrating between them. Steel does a lot of things well; it stands up to UV rays, high winds, flying debris, most steel is strong enough to walk on, branches scrapping along the steel don’t do any damage to the steel and usually don’t even scratch the paint. Steel roofs have paint warranties that usually run 40 or more years which is a big change from the old steel where you had to hire someone to paint the barn roof every ten years. There are a few downsides to having steel roofs; low slopes are not ideal for steel, eavetrough do not do well with steel roofs because of sliding snow, the snow slides off them well and has to be managed with snow guards (especially over entrances to the home). Steel is also a pricey option then shingles but the longevity of it pays off in the long run.

There are other roofing materials and types of roofs but most of them do not function well in rural settings and can look out of place. Stick to the ones I have listed and you should be happy with the results.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

The changing of roofing materials in today's modern custom homes

Modern Day Construction for custom homes Part 6

In today’s modern world of construction things are changing year to year faster than they did decade to decade in any other previous time period. In this multi part series I will traverse through an entire house starting with the foundation and working my way up to the roof and then to the finishing’s. I will explain what has changed in the last twenty years in custom home building.

One thing that you should be able to take away from this is how important it is to not just hire the right general contractor to build your custom home but how important it is to hire one that is up on today’s building methods.

Here are some changes that have come along in the last 20 years alone;

Roofing materials

Twenty years ago, roofing materials were mostly asphalt shingles. Other less popular materials were cedar shingles and steel roofs.
Today’s roofing material have gone through some changes, but not as many as you would think in 20 years. The staple of most houses built toady is still asphalt shingles. With ever changing weather conditions today’s shingles are lasting shorter and shorter amounts of time. Asphalt shingles (either from the weather or from poor manufacturing) are not lasting as long as they did 20 years ago. This is pushing more and more people to more expensive alternatives to get longer life for their roof. Here are some of the new products people are using and some of the materials that have been around for a long time but have been advanced;

• Enviroshake. This is a roofing material that has been manufactured from recycled materials and plant extract waste material from ethanol manufacturing plants. They are formed to look like cedar shakes, right down to the wood grain that is stamped in them. It is installed the same way that cedar shakes are installed but have a 50 year warranty. They go on black and fade in 6 months to a silver finish that makes them look like a cedar shake. Cedar shakes do not have the longevity that they used too. Enviroshakes are slowly becoming closer to the same price as what it costs to have a cedar shake roof, but they are still more expensive at this time.

• Steel roofs. Steel roofs do not look like a barn roof anymore. There are so many different looks to steel roofs now days that with a little research you should be able to find the style and colour that fits you and your new home. With standing seem steel roofs becoming ever more popular you can now have steel roofs without the look of industrial or agricultural roofs. Steel roofs now come in a wide variety of colours and the paint has a life time warranty. A steel roof should last your home a lifetime. Steel also has the ability to withstand high winds and impact from debris and low hanging tree branches. UV doesn’t seem to have a negative effect on the steel or the finished paint.

• More and more custom homes are covering the roof completely in Ice and Water shield. This is a peel and stick membrane that gives your roof a watertight seal even after the roofing material fails. Twenty years ago they did one row as the norm and it was installed at the eves. Ice and Water shield works by coating the nails or screws that penetrate it with a waterproof coating creating a perfect watertight seal.

• Houses are now having a vent strip installed across the peak, they are then shingled over. This replaces the standard 3 or 4 roof vents. It gives the roof a clean look and adds more square footage of venting to help the roof breath.

• Starter strip and valley flashings used to be painted steel or straight galvanized steel. Today they are aluminum. This allows an easier installation because the aluminum is lighter and doesn’t rust like steel. You can now get aluminum starter and valleys in a variety of colours to help match the roof colour.

• Typical asphalt shingles are slowly being replaced by shingles that are made with fibreglass backing. This is supposed to allow the shingle to stand up to higher winds. Because shingles are failing quicker in the harsher weather, shingle companies have come out with a premium option for asphalt shingles. These premium shingles are 2 or 3 times thicker than the typical shingle and they also cost a fair bit more. Theses shingles have longer warranties and seem to be able to stand up longer to harsh weather then the cheaper conventional single ply shingles.

Look for part 7 coming soon...

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

From asphalt to Enviroshake, here are the main options to choose from when looking for a new roof

If it’s raining while your reading this and you keep looking up at the ceiling expecting to start seeing water drip down on your face, that is usually a good sign that you need a new roof.

These days there are a lot more options for your roof then just asphalt shingles. Here is a list of some of the products available to you:

-          The traditional asphalt shingle has not changed much, sure they are using different materials in them like fibreglass backing, but the actually shingle has not changed much. It is still basically an oil based product. Asphalt shingles are becoming increasingly less reliable. It has gotten to the point were a lot of shingle companies will not even honour there warranty if and when the shingles fail. The average asphalt shingle will be lucky to last 15 to 20 years these days. Because of the changing weather, acid rain and heavy UV light, asphalt shingles curl and fall apart. It has gotten to the point that roofing companies are now installing waterproof products like “Grace ice and water shield” that are installed under the asphalt shingles directly on the plywood sheeting of the roof. This is so that when the asphalt shingles fail you have protection from water penetration into the inside of your house until you can get shingles repaired or replaced. High winds are also hard on asphalt shingle roofs, after a couple of years asphalt shingles stick together so in high winds not just one shingle comes off. The high winds lift and rip the whole large sections of shingles off the roof. Usually when this happens the whole roof needs to be re-shingled. The reason that asphalt shingles are the most widely used roofing product out there today is simply because they are the cheapest. In other words YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

-          Steel roofing materials have been around for a long time. They have been traditionally used on agricultural buildings and commercial buildings. But with new products and almost an unlimited number of colours to choose from steel roofing has become extremely popular on residential houses. Steel roofing usually comes with a life time warranty not just on the steel but also on the colour. So gone are the days when you have to call a roof painter every 10 to 15 years to repaint your steel roof. Steel roofs are ideal for places that have high winds and extreme weather conditions. Steel roofs when properly installed can be rated to withstand hurricane level wind and rain. With today’s installation methods and insulation you do not here the rain on a steel roof like you used too. If you have a lot of trees with low hanging branches steel roofs are great because it is strong enough to withstand large branches scrapping against and even falling on it. Dirt, leaves, pine needles, branches and anything else that collects on a house roof will not rust or corrode a steel roof. In heavy snow country steel roofs outperform most of its competitors. When snow builds up enough it slides off the roof onto the ground. This is a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because it doesn’t allow snow to gather, melt and allow water to backup and create a leak. The down side is that if you want to have rain gutters they might get ripped off the house when the snow slides. Also you have to be careful that you do not end up with large snow loads building up above your main entrance door. This can injure people if they slam the door and the snow comes down on their head. Not all roof pitches and configurations lend themselves to have steel installed on their roofs. Depending on the style of the house, steel might not look appropriate. Steel roofing is more expensive then asphalt shingles but it will be the last roof you ever install on your home.

-          A classic product that has been used for generations is cedar shake shingles. They are what they sound like; they are made of cedar and cut into a varying array of widths. Usually there are 3 or 4 different widths that are installed randomly in straight horizontal lines on the roof. After less than a year cedar shingles fade from there light brown colour to a silver colour. Cedar shingles are a wonderful classic look on a house and can give a house a real cosy cottage feel. Cedar shingles used to be the thing to install on your roof for long life. They used to last up to 50 years on house roofs. Not anymore, in today’s weather, UV and acid rain cedar shakes usually don’t make it to 30 years. Also all cedar shingles are cut from new growth tree’s not old growth trees. The belief is that this is a big contributor to why cedar does not last as long.  With dormers and fancy roof lines dirt and leaves can build up and rot the cedar shakes creating leaks. Cedar is prone to mold, mildew and insects. Cedar shake is labour intensive to install; it requires that you put a layer of felt paper between every row of shakes that you install. The product is also expensive to buy. Cedar shake shingles are more expensive then steel and asphalt shingles as a roof system.

• Enviroshake is a product that is new to the roofing world. It has only been around for about 20 years. Enviroshake is made from recycled materials, such as recycled tires, waste plastics and waste products associated with making ethanol from corn and wheat. Enviroshake is manufactured with a grain stamped into its face that looks like cedar shakes and comes in different sizes just cedar shakes. They are also installed like cedar shakes; the only difference is that you have to cut them with a power saw instead of hand knives or hatchets. Enviroshake has a lifetime warranty and is said to last 50 years when installed properly. Enviroshake comes black but fades to silver in 6 months and looks just like cedar shakes. Enviroshake will with stand winds up to 110 mph and water pressure infiltration resistance in wind velocity tests of 105 mph.  Enviroshake is actually rated to withstand a level 1 hurricane. Enviroshake is an extremely slippery product like steel, snow does not sit on it for very long. You have to take the same precautions that you do with steel roofs related to gutters and snow slides. With the world moving toward sustainable products that are easier on the environment and your conscience, Enviroshake is the roofing system that will be that one more and more people turn too. Enviroshake is more expensive then asphalt and steel roofs, it is even more expensive then cedar shakes.

There are many other different kinds of roofing available, but these are the most popular in Canada and the northern United States on residential houses.

So whatever roofing system that you choose, remember that there are a lot of different products out there to choose from, the best way to choose a roof system is with a qualified contractor that can give you proper quotes and install the roof with the appropriate warranty.

If you are looking for a new roof or you need help picking a new roof feel free to email us at robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott

Operations Manager

Village Builders Inc.