Category Archives: Roofing

A Brief History of the Roof Lantern

Posted by admin on November 7, 2011 Comments Off

Article by MattMorgan

Traditionally, a roof lantern is a glass and timber light weight roof component. It sits atop an otherwise flat roof in order to provide natural lighting into the room below.

Today’s roof lanterns derive from a 16th century structure called an orangery that was built in parts of France and Italy. These orangeries were usually composed of brick and glass, with long glass windows on the sides and a central glass area for added sunlight. Back then, there purpose was purely practical – to grow fruit and vegetables in otherwise unfavorable climates.

During the Gregory era, advances in architecture allowed for the creation of the first true roof lanterns. Placed atop the roof of period homes, roof lanterns allowed for greater lighting in a time when candle light was the only alternative to natural sunlight. Typically the structures were installed above stairwells and other areas where a large amount of light was crucial. During this time period, glass was still blown by hand and thus quite expensive. Thus, only the upper class could afford the luxury of these fine structures.

By the mid-1800s mechanized production of glass had started and the price began to decline rapidly. Falling glass prices, combined with increased affluence, lead to a boom in glass structures of all types. Shops, hotels, and government buildings started incorporating roof lanterns into their designs and the public wasn’t far behind.

Roof lanterns quickly became a standard feature in Victorian, and later Edwardian, era homes. Providing lighting in crucial areas such as kitchens and stairwells, and beauty everywhere, these structures grew rapidly in popularity. Early designs were prone to leaks and provided very little in the way of insulation. Thus it was common to see the structures boarded over during the cold winter months.

Fortunately, building technologies have advanced considerably since those days. Improved sealants keep leaks from occurring, while double glazed glass keeps the the warm air in during the winter cold. Motorized controls allow for the easy opening and closing of today’s roof lanterns. Thus allowing a nice summer breeze to flow in while being ready to close in a hurry if a pop-up storm develops.

Today’s structures maintain a traditional appearance while offering a structurally sound product. Use of high-quality, pressure treated lumber, and advanced paint provide a structure that is sure to last for many years with very little maintenance required.

Metal Roofing – Way To Protect Your Home

Posted by admin on November 5, 2011 Comments Off

Metal roofing has become the roofing choice for most people when constructing houses. This is attested to the fact that this type of roofing has awesome benefits. With the rate of house/building construction becoming quite high in the modern world, there is need to establish the benefits and advantages of this roofing.

It can prove daunting to determine these benefits; however metal roofing contractors will help in ensuring that you fully understand the reasons why you need to have this type of roofing on your building. Here are some of the advantages of this roofing technology.

Longevity and Strengths Advantages of Metal Roofing

Regarding various types of roofing materials in the modern world, metal roofs last longer. This is can be witnessed in a way that manufacturers of these roofs offer 50 year warranties on their products.

It has been proved that will little maintenance, these roofs can last for over 75 years. In addition, these roofs withstand all sorts of weather conditions such as heavy snow, hail, wind and so on.

These roofs also do not rot; hence the possibility of insects’ damage is averted. These roofs do not also absorb moisture or water, peel or crack. They also resist decay and mildew.

Cost Advantages of Metal Roofing

Houses with metal roofing are known to have high resale value. This means that if you intent to sale your house that has metal roofs, you are bound to get lots of money. It is worth noting that these roofs also cost more than other types of roofing with average costs estimated as; aluminum shingles; ,000-,000, Steel Shingles; ,000-,000, copper shingles ,000-,600 and so on.

Nevertheless, you need to know that there are some variables that determine the cost of new metal roofs like material, pitch, size, permits, and accessibility among others. Your contractors should be able to assist you with this knowledge.

Advantages Accruing from Safety and Environmental Aspects of Metal Roofing

There are arrays safety benefits of metal roofs, with the main benefit being that they are fire resistant. When you compare this roof to asphalt shingle or wood roofs, you will notice that they do not burn.

This is indeed an additional protection to homeowners. On the other hand, this roofing is eco-friendly in many ways. Most of them can be installed on an existing roof. This purges tear-off waste from roofs. To add, these roofs are made from recycled materials and they can be recycled.

Design and Installation Benefits of Metal Roofing

When it comes to design of these roofs, there are many color schemes that you can choose from. There are also the standing seam and corrugated metal roof design, hence you can select on your desired option. Metal roofing contractors will have an easy time installing these roofs. This is because they can be bent, shaped or operated to suit any structure of any design.

Roofing Material Choices For Your Home

Posted by admin on November 4, 2011 Comments Off

For many people roofing is a very worrying word, since whenever you need your roof fixed it is something that cannot wait. Anybody who has had roofing problems in the past is aware that it can be tricky to obtain a good contractor who can do the work for a reasonable cost and be dependable, and that is why it is crucial that individuals open themselves up to as many options as possible. There are many different styles that roofers will utilize, therefore make sure that you know what kind of roof you would like installed before setting up your appointment.

The 1st style of roofing that you can use is cedar shakes. It is an older style of roofing which has come back to prominence in recent years since it is really a vintage style. These roofs would generally need to get replaced every ten years, so you should make sure you keep a close watch on the roof during its life.

Rubber roofing material is also becoming somewhat popular since it is normally formed from recycled material. For those who have access to such a roof, you will definitely get your money’s worth as it is among the top supplies intended for roofing. Keeping in mind that not all roofers have practice with this material and it might not always be obtainable in all locations.

The final form of roofing material that is commonly used is the standard shingle. It is what the majority of the houses in your town probably have already and it’s a cost efficient technique to get your house roofed. All roofing is really a extremely skilled trade and it is advisable that you get in touch with a professional in your area, as opposed to trying it yourself. There’s plenty that can go wrong when roofing a house, therefore only certified pros should be trusted with such a significant responsibility.

The next time you have a roofing need, make sure that you understand a little regarding the process and ask the contractors concerning their past jobs. You’ll want to make sure that you get your money’s worth, so asking questions is definitely an excellent idea. This is your money that’s being used and consequently it’s up to you to make sure that you receive full value for any work that is done on your home.

The Specification for Annual Roofing Repairs

Posted by admin on November 3, 2011 Comments Off

Article by Rupert Smith

There are a number of different things for you to keep in mind whenever it comes to the specification for annual roofing repairs in your local area. Doing these regular checks is an excellent way for you to save money, but the reasons why you should do so actually run a lot deeper than the simple monetary measurements. For example, the cost of doing a small repair that maybe required during one of these annual inspections is typically a lot less than what you would spend if you had to do a major repair every several years. Here are some of the things to keep in mind whenever it comes to the specification for annual roofing repairs, many of which you will want to incorporate into your own regular maintenance routine.

Most of the time, these tasks that need to be taken care of are going to be done for commercial reasons, although it is never a bad idea for you to regularly inspect your residential roof as well. More than likely, you will have a maintenance crew that is able to take care of these jobs at a specified time at your business, while you will have to do a visual inspection on your own when it comes to your home roof. Regardless of whether you are talking about a larger commercial job or a smaller residential job, however, these regular checks are an excellent way of ensuring that larger problems do not occur.

The specification for annual roofing repairs is going to differ, depending on your own specific needs and the area of the world in which you happen to reside. You should have your own plan drawn up by your maintenance personnel and they should stick with this plan regularly, in order to avoid any type of problems that can build up over the course of time. For example, it might be possible that you have water laying in a specific area of the roof, usually in a low spot. It is more cost of effective for you to repair this problem immediately than to allow it to accumulate over the course of several years. Not only can it save money to do so, it also saves time in many instances.

There is information that is available on the Internet which can help you to draw up plans in order to stay on some kind of a regular schedule. That is one of the most important parts about making sure that any of these roof repairs that need to be done are done before they become too large of a problem.

There certainly are a number of different things that you should be doing regularly whenever you want to maintain your business properly. Having the specification for annual roofing repairs spelled out for the year, however, can help you to avoid any type of large expenses and costly shutdowns that would take place if a full roof replacement would need to be done. These regular checks are an excellent way to save money and the cost can generally be measured in much more than simply the amount of money you are saving.