Welcome to Family Roofing

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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

Upgrades To Consider When Replacing Your Roof

A new roof is a costly investment with practical and aesthetic implications.  The roof is your home’s most important protection against rain, snow, and nature’s elements.  The roof can also significantly impact the appeal of your home in the eyes of potential buyers.  When replacing your roof, there is more to consider than just its outward appearance.  Upgrades improve the overall functionality, performance and longevity of your roof.

Upgrade Your Flashing

Flashing is part of your home’s weather-resistant barrier system, preventing water infiltration.  It comprises thin strips of waterproofing material placed along the joints and seams of your roof.  Flashing comes in many materials, including galvanized steel, aluminum, and plastic.  Many homeowners choose to upgrade their flashing when they replace their roofs, and galvanized steel is among the most popular choices.  Some homeowners choose high-end flashing like copper to boost curb appeal and increase durability.  However, keep in mind, copper is an expensive addition.

Install eave flashing

If you’ve ever experienced damage from an ice dam, you might want to invest a little extra when re-roofing to install eave flashing.  These peel-and-stick bituminous membranes are applied prior to shingling to a depth that is 2 feet inside the exterior wall plane (three feet on low-pitched roofs).  The membranes self-seal around roofing fasteners, forming a watertight seal over the eaves, which are the portion of the roof most susceptible to ice dams.  Bituminous eave flashing may also be specified for other vulnerable roof areas, such as over valleys and around skylights and dormers.

Improve Your Roof Ventilation

While often overlooked, ventilation is the most important component of your roofing system.  Your roof’s vents are essential to its durability and allow your home to breathe, increasing its structural integrity.  During your roof replacement, you can choose to upgrade your roof vents or overhaul your entire ventilation system, depending on your budget.

Replace Your Passive Ventilation System

There are two types of attic ventilation systems – basic passive systems and high-end active systems.  While upgrading your roof, you can replace your home’s static box vents with ridge vents, converting your ventilation system from passive to active, and increasing energy efficiency.

Upgrade Your Ridge Vent

Ridge vents are more efficient than static box vents.  Many ridge vents are baffle vent types. One of the most common roof vent upgrades is to replace your baffle ridge vent with a turbine vent. Turbine vents are the most energy-efficient option on the market and also keep out moisture, debris, and pests.

Install an Energy Efficient Chimney Cap

Unlike masonry and metal chimney caps that are designed to keep rain and (if screened) birds and other critters out of your chimney, airtight caps are about saving energy.  When your fireplace is not in use, warm air from inside your home is literally gushing out the chimney when the weather is cold.  The damper in your firebox does little to stop it because it is not airtight.

Ask your roofer about installing an airtight chimney cap while the roof is being worked on.  These units are spring-activated.  To open the chimney cap, you just tug on a steel cable that’s attached to a bracket inside your fireplace.  Pull it shut after your fire is completely out. An airtight cap has the added benefit of keeping animals from nesting inside your chimney.

Chances are good that your chimney is costing you money.  Your fireplace allows warm air to escape and cold air to enter.  Normal chimney caps do a pretty good job of keeping out rain and critters.  However, upgrading your traditional chimney cap to an airtight chimney cap during your roof replacement will save you money on your energy bills. A professional roofer can install an airtight chimney cap while doing other roofing repairs or replacements.  They are often spring-activated using a cable to open and close from inside your fireplace.

Choose Cool Roofing Materials

Your roof replacement is a great time to look at the roofing products your contractor will use.  Consider upgrading the covering materials to a cool roof variety to save on energy costs.  As the name suggests, cool roofs are a collection of roofing materials that all share the same properties and keep your home cooler, stabilizing room air temperatures.

Roof options and cool-colored products include:

• Membranes: built-up roofing, single-ply membranes, PVC, TPO, EDPM

• Shingles: asphalt shingles

• Slate

• Composite: shingle, shake

• Metal: standing seam, stamped tile metal roofing, stone-coated steel

• Tile: clay, concrete

• Wood: cedar shingle

• Foam: foam core tile

• Reflective coatings: paint, asphalt shingle granules, silicone, acrylic, polyurethane, aluminum, SEBS, Urethane, Latex

• Green Roofs

Choose an energy-efficient shingle

The recommendation for a cooler roof used to be to select light-colored or white shingles.  This option, however, wasn’t always aesthetically appealing to homeowners.  Today’s new reflective shingles come in assorted colors, from popular slate to wood tones.  The granules not only reflect the sun’s radiation but also quickly reemit much of the heat that is absorbed. Depending on your climate and your home’s construction, a cool roof can save between 7 and 15 percent of your cooling costs.

Install Low-Maintenance Gutters

Your gutter system directs water away from your home. It is an essential component to the durability of your home’s foundation and outer walls. A traditional gutter system requires regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent clogs.  There are two upgrades you should consider when replacing your roof to increase the durability and functionality of your gutters and downspouts while reducing their maintenance needs.

Seamless Gutters

Seamless gutters, also known as continuous gutters, increase curb appeal and decrease maintenance. These high-end gutter systems cost more than conventional gutters. However, the custom-made pieces ensure they are leak-resistant and have a long lifespan of around 20 years.

Gutter Guards

Gutter systems are naturally open at the top to catch rain and direct it away from your home, but this allows dirt and debris to build up, increasing your chance of clogged gutters and overflow.  Consider installing gutter guards on top of your existing gutter system.

Gutter guards install over your gutters to keep debris out.  They reduce property damage, cleanup, ice dam formation, and pest infestations.  Common types include:

• Micro mesh

• Foam

• Brush

• Reverse curve

• Screen

Add a Skylight

Like dormers, skylights add natural light, and there is no better time to install one than when you are replacing your roof. Skylights provide many benefits, including reduced energy bills, more healthy sunlight, and increased aesthetics.

Add Insulation

Poor attic insulation leads to drafts and higher energy bills.  When we think of insulation, we normally think about trapping heat, but insulation works both ways.  It is not just necessary to prevent drafts and lock in heat, it also keeps it out in the summer.

At its most basic, attic insulation slows down the transfer of heat between the outdoors and your living space.  Properly installed quality insulation can reduce your overall energy by up to 11% when applied to your attic and roof deck. On average, insulation installation costs $2,500, including labor.

Signs You Need to Replace Your Roof

For 61% of homeowners, durability and long-lasting results and materials are the number one priority when replacing their roofs.  While roof replacement is not high on anyone’s list of favorite things, damage can sneak up on you, especially if you live in an area prone to severe weather.

Watch for these telltale signs it is time to replace your roof:

• Damaged, loose, curled, missing, or mossy shingles

• Damage or discoloration around vents, chimneys, or skylights

• Sagging areas

• Visible leaks or water damage

• Grit (flakes of asphalt shingles) in your gutters

• Your roof is over 20 years old

• Neighbors are having their roofs replaced

Roofing projects are far from glamorous.  However, 54% of homeowners experience an increased sense of enjoyment after replacing their roofs.