Example of Roof Repair in Rhode Island

roof repair

At Rhode Island Slate Roofing in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, we don’t just install beautifully crafted roofs. We are also in the business of roof repair and maintenance. A properly maintained roof will extend the life of your roof. Repairing damaged roofs in a timely manner will also help in the long run in keeping your roof for decades to come. A common part of a roof that needs to be repaired is the Roof Valley.

What is a Roof Valley?

A roof valley is usually made of copper or another type of metal. It is a piece of material used to seal and open spots where to different angles meet on a house. This is a critical piece of the structure of any roof. As rain and snow will be directed to the valleys.  Here is an example of what a roof valley looks like:

Properly Done Copper Roof Valley

Roof Valley Repair

Rhode Island Slate Roofing recently completed a roof valley repair for a client in Rhode Island.  Here you can see the heavily  damaged roof valley from years of weather damage and neglect:

Example of a Damaged Roof Valley

The damage caused by this roof valley looks like this:

Damage Caused By a Bad Roof Valley                                   

Finally, here is the finished product after Rhode Island Slate Roofing fixed the damaged roof and added in a new valley:

 

If you are looking to have your roof valleys inspected or repaired in Rhode Island or Southeastern Massachusetts, Contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing today!

How To Tell Your Roof is Damaged After an Ice Storm?

winter tips

Every few winters in New England it seems there is a wild ice storm. Most notably in recent memory he had the ice storm of 2008. The damage was in the 2 to 2.5 billions of dollars range in New England and homes lost power for days to weeks in certain areas. A lot of the damage was to personal property. Homeowners themselves experienced devastation, especially around their roofs. We know ice storms and ice build up causes ice dams and other damage. But how should you inspect your roof after an ice storm specially? Lets look at a few steps to see if you need to call an experienced roofing contractor.

Be Careful

First and foremost, if you are going to be inspecting your roof without the help of a roofing contractor, be extremely careful. Obviously, ice is slippery. The ground surface could also be trick as well depending on how much snow and ice is built up. Try to clear the area where your ladder is going to be as much as possible. Have a spotter to hold your ladder as well.

 

Inspect The Metal

The metal on your roof is known as the flashing, vents, or exhaust caps. Depending on the size of the ice in the storm, the flashing could be severely damaged. You want your flashing to be “flush” with the roof to prevent leaking. If your flashing is banged up a bunch, leaving an uneven surface, this is warning sign number 1 your roof needs some repair work. Additionally, while you are up there, look at any HVAC components that may be attached to your roof.  You may need to call 2 contractors depending on the severity of damage.

Shingle Inspections & Bruises

Shingle bruises are a sign of ice damage. These bruises can create cracks that will allow water to seep in your roof and attic.  Any easy way to spot this is displaced shingles. If the storm wasn’t as severe, take a close look at many shingles. See cracks in them? Sign number 2 your need a roof repair.

Windows

Lastly, if you have any sky windows in your house, you’ll need to carefully inspect these too. Check for broken panes, vinyl trim, or window glazing. If you see any cracks or warping, you’ll want to get this taken care of ASAP. This is an especially vulnerable area that could lead to a puddle in your living room!

Remember, Rhode Island Slate Roofing are the experts at everything roofing. Serving Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts.

 

More About Historic Roof Repair

historic roofing

In Rhode Island and New England we are blessed to live in an area filled with history. Part of that history is historic homes. And part of historic homes, are historic roofs. Rhode Island Slate Roofing is one of the few roofing contractors in the state that has the knowledge and know-how to safely repair historic roofs.

About Historic Roofs

Historic Roofs can be made out of a few different materials. Materials such as shingles, slate, metal, or even clay tile. In New England, the most common place to see historic roofs are on old churches, barns, and farmhouses. Historic roofs give any building a distinguished  look. The most common form of historic roofing is slate, especially in this geographic region, because of the abundance of slate in the North East.

Historic Slate Roof Repair

If you own or are in charge of an building that has a historic slate roof, its important to make sure you are dealing with a roofing contractor who is experienced in this particular area of roof repair. When making the decision to repair or replace a historic roof, the experience of the contractor will be a great asset to any homeowner. For example, if your roof has major flashing issues, it will require the remove of large amounts of slate. Depending on other factors it may make sense to do a complete replacement. Your roofing contractor can help you with this decision making process.

If you have a troublesome historic roof in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing today with any questions.

Questions To Ask a Roofing Contractor

roof replacement

Are you thinking this winter may be the last for your roof? Maybe you’ve been considering getting a roof for a few years now and you are ready to make the decision come Spring time. Before you take the next step of looking up roofing contractors, make sure your prepared with these questions when you call them:

Experience: This is an important one. Now days, with the right paper work anybody can appear to be a real roofing contractor. You’ll want to confirm with the company how long they have been in business and how many projects they’ve completed.  You don’t want to invest money into a company that has only completed a few roofing jobs.

Insurance: Don’t just take their word for it. Verify that they hold the insurance they have and make sure they have personal and property insurance.

Testimonials/ Recent Projects:  Any reputable company should have a working website you can visit and inspect their work. Make sure to Google their company name and see what people have to say about their work. Check sites like Home Adviser, Google Business, and Yelp!

Scope of Work: This one may seem obvious, but its important to go over. You should make sure that the roofing contractor you are considering includes clean up after construction is complete. The last thing you want to deal with after a new roofing project is debris flying all over your shrubbery and yard.

Warranty Information: Any roofing contractor that is worth it should have some type of warranty offered on their work. Shop around a few contractors to see what type of warranties are typical in your area.

Locality: Now days there are many contractor companies floating around.  We recommend going with a local contractor who knows the climate in your area and can best advise you on your project. Make sure the company you are dealing with is truly local, and they aren’t sending your project to a subcontractor.

If you are looking for a reputable roofing contractor in the Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts are, look no further than Rhode Island Slate Roofing. A fully ensured roofing contractor who works with both traditional roof shingling as well as slate roofing.

Another Example of a Poor Roofing Job

news

The above video was taken by a roofing company in California. It highlights why it is crucial to hire a professional, vouched for roofing company. One that uses its own employees and follows through will the full scope of the job duties. This couple spent $20,000 on a brand new roof (with great GAF Grand Sequio Shingles).

The couple hired a reputable roofing company to provide a roofing inspection on their roof. You can see in the video they improperly did almost the whole job. The didn’t install flashing correctly. They left holes in the roof. They left many parts of the roof vulnerable to leakage. Even more this roofing company completely left parts of the roof undone, with materials laying around the roof.

As we further watch the video we can see that the ridge caps were not properly installed. Many parts of the roof are hardly even hanging on, they will probably fly off during the first big wind storm. Trash was left on the roof, parts of the old shingles and roofing were even left

As a homeowner, unless you are getting on a latter and inspecting your roof and a roofing company comes, you would never get to see how poorly of a job was done. This job is essentially $20,000 wasted. This couple will have to go to court to recoup their losses and will have to re-do the entire roof.

If you are looking for a reputable roofing contractor in Rhode Island, get in touch with us today.

How To Winterize Your House

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If you are a first time home owner approaching your first winter, you probably have a lot of things running through your mind. How much will heating cost? How do I stop drafts? Will we get a plow service or should we deal with snow removal yourself? The questions are many. But what about your roof? At Rhode Island Slate Roofing, we know what to do before going into winter as a home-owner for the first time. Follow these steps if you have an older roof this winter.

Property Maintenance

If you live in a heavily wooded area, you’ll want to follow this one closely. Ideally if the fall you will assess your tree line in your property. Its crucial that you take note of any trees that may be to close to your property that are older, damaged, or have tree limbs sagging near your house. The last thing anyone wants to deal with is severe roof damage during a New England Winter Storm. Get these problem trees taken care of before high wind and ice storms combine for an awful situation.

Roof and Gutter Cleaning

This step is close to our previous one. If you live near large amounts of trees, chances are during the fall your gutters & roof get bombarded with leaves and twigs. If you don’t clean your gutters the debris, combined with water, will create large amounts of weight and stress on your roof. This weight can cause damage that eventually can build up to ice dams and roof leaks.

Make Repairs

A great way to extend the life of your roof is to go through periodic maintenance of your roof. This could be something as simple as replacing damaged shingles to replacing roof flashing.

If you think your roof may need a professionally trained eye before this winter, contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing today!

How To Inspect Your Roof After A Storm

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With snow and ice storms expected to hit the Northeast over the next few months, Rhode Island Slate Roofing had decided to share some tips on how to inspect your roof for any damage.  Older roofs are more likely to see damage caused by these types of storms, but new roofs can also have damage to them. In Rhode Island and Massachusetts we also see older tress cause damage to roofs. As we covered in a previous post, make sure to get those taken care of during the Fall.

After a snow, ice, or wind storm pasts your property take these steps to inspect your roof:

Start Inside:

Start with your attic. If you see any sunlight showing through the interior, this could be an indication of holes that need serious repair.  Use a flashlight to inspect the inside of your roof. Be on the look out for dark stains or streaks that could be caused by moisture. If you see no issues, move on to the next step.

Go Outside:

From the ground level you should be able to get a pretty full look. Be on the look out for missing shingles that could be flown over your property. See if there are any cracked or curled shingles caused by ice or high winds. Inspect your flashing, the metal strips that seal parts of the roof, if any is detached or curling, that will cause future issues.

If you do find any of these issues, take note of them and call Rhode Island Slate Roofing. By repairing damage caused by winter storms, you’ll save yourself considerable money in repair bills later on down the line.

 

How Does Your Roof Affect Your Energy Bill?

slate roofing

Growing up, you were probably told by your parents how important it was to wear a hat during  winter. You may of heard some stat like, “75% of your heat escapes your body from your head!”. It makes sense, heat rises right? We cant confirm or deny these old wives tales, but when it comes to your roof (the head of your house) it is true that heat will escape it. That’s right, your roof does play a role in the cost of your utility bill.

With that being said, lets take a look at how different types of roof affect your energy bill.

Tiled Roofing

Tiled roofing is more effective at reducing energy costs than more traditional methods like shingle roofs. These materials are usually made to be resistant to thermal heat, making them great for  homes that are in direct sunlight for most of the year.

Metal Roofing

Metal roofs can be expensive, but they are extremely durable and have low maintenance costs associated with them.  Because metal has a reflective nature, the sun’s heat naturally bounces off the metal rather than be absorbed into your home.

Slate Roofing

Slate roofing is considered a green roofing product. Slate roofing will reduce your energy use and your utility bill. Slate roofing has a natural insulating quality to it. Studies show that slate roofing can provide 10% on energy savings.

One of the biggest factors for energy use for your roof is how well it is insulated. When we speak about insulation, your attic also comes into play. Remember,  the old wive’s tale about heat escaping from your head? Keep that in mind when picking out a new roof, or looking at new homes.

For more information on Slate Roofing and its benefits, contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing.

Problems The Winter Can Cause To Your Roof

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This morning, across New England, residents were greeted with frost on their lawns, and in some instances slightly frozen windshields. As we enter into the Winter of 2017-2018 your roof will be open to the weather that follows.  As homeowners, you should be aware of the issues that can be caused during the winter season in New England. The following are coming issues we see in Rhode Island & Massachusetts

Flashing Leaks

  • On your roof, Flashing is the strip of metal that are placed along the front edge, ridges, and corners of your roof. When installed correctly, they protect your roof from leaks. If they aren’t installed properly, they can start to peel away and expose your roof to risks. Check your flashing every few months to make sure they are still creating tight seals.

Tree Limbs

  • High winds + old trees near your house = potential disaster.  During Nor’easter winds can approach speeds north of 50 miles per hour. If you have trees near your house, you should evaluate if they could put your roof, or home at risk during a storm. Limbs or whole trees breaking in half can completely destroy your roof.

Icicles

  • Icicles form during the winter on days when the temperature goes above freezing. And while they may look pretty, they pose a serious threat to the structural integrity of your home, and are a danger to people and pets. Ice dams and their heavy weight can cause gutter and roofing damage.  Make sure you remove icicles before they cause a problem.

If you notice any damage to your home during the winter, contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing to perform maintenance and stop and potential roofing disaster.

Rhode Island Winter Roofing Services

winter tips

Even though it seems like summer is lingering around this Fall, with temperatures in the mid 80’s recently, we in New England know that Winter temperatures are right around the corner. With winter temperatures, come winter conditions, and snow storms will be here before we know it. In recent memory, the winters of 2014 and 2009 proved to be some of the worst in the last few decades in New England. From a two week ice storm, to historic levels of snow, New England homes felt the consequences. Hundreds of roofing issues were reported in these winters. From collapsed roofs to leaks the damage cost homeowners thousands.

Rhode Island Ice Dam Removal

Ice dams are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent melting snow from draining off the roof. Ice dams can create havoc on a home. The ice will slowly melt, eventually leading to leakage in the roof. If the leaking is not taken care of right away,  the potential of a roof collapse increases. Damage can also be had on your walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas of the homes structure. Rhode Island Slate Roofing provides Rhode Island and Massachusetts residents and business owners with Ice Dam Removal services to make sure you can avoid a devastating situation.

Roof Snow Shoveling

Just like ice dams, snow build up on your home can lead to some serious repair or replacement bills for homeowners. Depending on the slope and style of your roof, there is only so much weight-age it can hold safely. Additionally, the build of snow can lead to ice dams as well. Don’t end up like the multiple people every year who injure themselves trying to remove snow from their homes their selves.  Contact the insured professionals at Rhode Island Slate Roofing.

Enjoy the last few weeks of warm weather New England. And as Winter comes, contact us for all your snow and ice dam removal projects.