Rhode Island Slate Roofing’s Ice Dam Removal Service

February 13, 2017winter tipsRIslate15

Rhode Island’s relatively mild winter ended with the blizzards of the past few weeks. As such, one important service that Rhode Island Slate Roofing can provide to your home is ice dam removal. In freezing conditions with heavy snow like those we are currently experiencing in Rhode Island, your home may be vulnerable to ice dams. What is an ice dam and why should you care? Well, an ice dam is exactly what it sounds like — a frozen bit of ice that blocks water from properly draining through your gutter system, and it is something you should be aware of because it can cause thousands of dollars in water damage and even health risks from mold and mildew growth, when all the snow that had piled up on your roof melts and leaks through your roof and into your home instead of draining through your gutter system.

Ice dams are caused by the warm air inside your home melting the snow that piles up on the roof of your home. The melted snow flows until it reaches the edge of your roof and the gutter system, where it has become far enough from the warm air in your home to refreeze and form blocks of ice that interfere with proper drainage. If left unattended, hydrostatic pressure from the combination of the weight of the remaining unmelted snow above, and the ice blockage below forces water through the shingles of your roof, causing leaks and massive inconvenience to you, the homeowner.

The process of removing ice dams is fairly straightforward — simply get rid of the ice and get rid of the snow — but without specialized tools and roofing experience you could put yourself at risk of a serious injury if you were to fall from an inadequate ladder or using inferior tools to melt the ice. So consider Rhode Island Slate Roofing for our ice dam removal service. We can rid you of any potential ice dam issues with our quick and efficient service, and can save you potentially thousands of dollars in damage and saved headaches in the long run.

Flat Roof Pros & Cons

October 24, 2016UncategorizedRIslate15

Whether you are just curious about flat roofs, interested in designing a new building or thinking about adding a completely new roof to your home or business, flat roofs have their positives and negatives. Traditionally, especially in the New England area, we see flat roofs used on commercial buildings. Here are some various pros & cons of installation a flat roof.

Flat Roof Pros

Costs: The installment of a flat roof is far less expensive then a sloped roof. It is much easier because you don’t have to worry about any dangerous pitch which makes it difficult for the installer to navigate. There are also many more extra parts and pieces that go into the installation process of a pitched roof.

Usable Space: Often times, pitched roofs leave extra space that doesn’t get used. With a flat roof, you can maximize the space in your building and you can often utilize the space on top of your building. A nice rooftop deck or patio is very popular for apartment buildings.

Flat Roof Cons

Maintenance: Both pitched and flat roofs require maintenance during their lifetime but flat roofs may require more. Especially living in New England, flat roofs require that snow gets shoveled off of them. In the event of a couple harsh storms, a flat roof could gain too much weight and could collapse.

Lifespan: The average lifespan of a flat roof is much shorter then other pitched roofing options. The abuse that flat roofs take, without any natural drainage leads to a shorter lifespan.

For more information on flat roofs, flat roof installation, or maintenance work please feel free to reach out. Rhode Island Slate Roofing can be contacted over the phone at 401-255-2003 or through our online contact form.

Important Fall Home Maintenance Tips

September 26, 2016UncategorizedRIslate15

Getting prepared for a harsh winter means that there are things around the house that you need to keep up with. Follow these general fall maintenance to-dos to ensure your home is in peak condition during the winter months.

Clean Gutters: After the leaves have fallen, it’s important that you clean out your gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters during winter is one of the main reasons that people endure ice dams.

Roof Inspection: You should check to make sure that your roof is in good shape. Contact a local roofing contractor to do a thorough inspection. Winter provides the harshest weather on roofs so it’s more important then ever to make sure your roof is in tip-top shape.

Air Conditioners: Take out any window air conditioner units and wrap up and cover any exterior air conditioner units.

Seal Your Driveway: Driveways can take a beating during the winter. Inspect your driveway for any cracks and fill them. If unattended, your driveway will only get much worse.

Store any yard equipment: Any tools or equipment that you use on the lawn should be properly stored away for the winter. Lawn mowers, leaf blowers and chain saws should all be put away. Also, be sure to organize your snow clearing equipment so you can be ready when the snow arrives.

Inspect Your Furnace: Getting your furnace inspected by a professional is a good idea to ensure everything is in working order. Some signs that you need an inspection performed sooner includes noisy belts, poor performance and erratic behavior.

Fore more information about roofing maintenance and inspections feel free to contact the specialists. We can be reached over the phone at 401-255-2003 or through our online contact form.

Top 4 Benefits of A Roof Replacement

September 12, 2016roof replacementRIslate15

The thought of a roof replacement can be scary for many home owners. The price investment upfront may seem much more severe then repairs, but there are reasons that a complete roof replacement is the right move for you. Whether it be a constant leak that never goes away or an unbelievable energy bill, the best solution sometimes is for a complete roof replacement.

Top Benefits of A Roof Replacement

1.) Stop Frequent Roof Repairs: If you are constantly calling your local Rhode Island roofing contracting for repairs, this is a big waste or your time and money. These minor repairs here and there actually add up to a staggering price. Instead of wasting your time, money and well-being talk with your contractor to schedule a complete roof replacement.

2.) Health & Safety: Older damaged roofs over time increase the risk of health hazards. The decreased structural integrity of you roof increase water leaks, potential roof collapse, mold colonies and much more. If the damage is wide spread it can but you in a direct heath risk. Give your family or business the proper peace of mind and replace your roof if it seems needed.

3.) Improved Efficiency: Poor roofs truly just don’t do a good job of conserving energy. As elements of your roof break down, the cold will sneak in during the winter and the heat will make its way in during the summer. If your energy bills are growing from a poor roof, a new roof replacement will do you wonders.

4.) Curb Appeal: Another great reasons to get a roof replacement is that you’ll greatly improve the look of your home. It can create a beautiful curbside appeal and also boost your homes overall value.

For more information about roof replacement, please feel free to give us a call at 401-255-2003 or fill out an online contact form.

When Should I Replace My Gutters?

August 8, 2016slate roofingRIslate15

Homeowners spend so much time and effort protecting their home from the natural elements. From the entire roof down to your gutters, keeping everything up to par is crucial to keep the structure of your house strong. It may not seem like a ton but your gutters provide a huge role to the entire roofing system. If they become damaged they can result in water damage, roof damage, ice dams, and rotting interior walls.

The lifespan of your gutters will vary depending on specific conditions and previous maintenance. All homeowners should clean out their gutters two times a year to ensure your gutter system is working properly.

Top 10 Sings You May Need To Replace Gutters:

Gutters have dented, bent, holes and cracked
Gutters started to pull away or sag from the house
Mold is appearing in basement
Water leaking into basement
Home foundation cracks
Paint in home starts to peel & corrode behind gutter
Gutters are rusting
Puddles of water start to form around your home
Large amounts of standing water in your gutters
Gaps appear between gutters and where they attach on your home

The summer and beginning fall season is the best time of the year to make sure your roof is in tip-top shape. For more information on roofing services, or gutter information please feel free to give Rhode Island Slate Roofing a call at 401-255-2003 or fill out an online contact form.

Common Roofing Problems

July 25, 2016UncategorizedRIslate15

A strong, healthy, properly installed and well maintained roof is imperative in order to see the best possible results both short term and long term. For a variety of reasons, roofs have problems though and the number one frequent issue is leakage. Leakage is often the most notable and one that people immediately call for help about. We wanted to dive into the main reasons that home roofs see leaks.

Clogged Gutters & Downspouts: When debris combines with water, you get a gross sludge that can reduce the life of your gutters by weighing them down. Tearing down and moving around your gutters can then directly result in water getting into your home.

Deteriorating Shingles: Depending on where you live and your areas specific location, a roof can be expected to last as long as the warranty period, plus or minus a few years. This is important because knowing when your singles have been installed can give you an indication of how long they will last, and when they need to be replaced.

Fascia Rotting: The fascia on a roof is the lower part of a roof located just above the gutters. Clogged and built up debris in gutters can direct lead to a rotten fascia. This then can open up space for water, and animals to get into your home.

Deteriorating Pipe Boots: A vent pipe boot is a type of flashing that fits over a plastic vent pipe. The base of the boot lies over against the roof with its top portion covered by the shingles to defer water. The most common problem with this type of flashing is when the boot cracks or peels away from the pipe. From there water can easily flow into the roof.

After acknowledging you have a leakage problem, what’s next? If you can, get a pair of binoculars and try looking at the potential leakage issues. If you can find a problem first hand, then call a professional.

For more information about Rhode Island Slate Roofing and handling a leakage issue, please feel free to give us a call at 401-255-2003 or fill out an online contact form.

How To Find A Reliable Contractor

July 11, 2016newsRIslate15

Getting roof work done on your home is very important and choosing the right contractor can sometimes be stressful and difficult. Making sure you are working with a reliable contractor is the first step in ensuring the work done on your house is a job well done. You are about to make a good size investment on your house whether it be a repair or a total roof replacement, so making sure your contractor is trustworthy is imperative.

Contracting and roofing scams have been around for a long time, so make sure your choosing one of the good guys and not a poor contractor or scam artist. Follow these tips to make sure your roofer is reliable.

1) Licensed & Insured: Make sure that your contractor is both licensed & insured. You could get yourself into a world of hurt if your contractor isn’t licensed & insured.

2) References: Look around online & ask for references. A quality roofing contractor will be more then happy to provide you with references from their past experiences. If they can’t find something good said about them then you may want to stay clear.

3) Contract Before Paying: Don’t start paying people until you have a written & signed contract. Be sure that you what is covered in the price and that you have it in writing.

4) Ask Questions, Take Time: A reliable contractor won’t pressure you with tactics in order to sign paperwork right away. Take your time and ask any additional questions you have before signing anything. They should have no problems answers any of your doubts or concerns.

You can never be too cautious when hiring someone to work on your home.

What Are “Soft Spots” On A Roof?

June 20, 2016UncategorizedRIslate15

Building off our 5 summer home maintenance tips and getting your roof inspected, another aspect of roof maintenance you should be aware of is soft spots.

Soft spots on your roof can form when a layer underneath the shingles gets wet due to a gap between some shingles. Most roofs have a layer of plywood underneath roofing tiles or shingles. From the natural elements that a roof endures all year long, plywood can weaken in these overexposed spots. One way that you can notice a soft spot is if there is a dip in your roof. If you see this, you should reach out to a professional ASAP.

Very often when you find or see a soft spot on your roof, there will be more that have gone unnoticed. The Rhode Island Slate Roofing team has years of experience with soft spots on roofs. We will inspect the quality of your whole roof to come up with the best repair process.

If caught early, it can be fixed quickly. If you ignore the soft spot on your roof, it can eventually turn into a huge leaking issue.

For more information about soft spots or if you roof could be in trouble, please feel free to give the experts at Rhode Island Slate Roofing a call at 401-225-2003 or fill out our online contact form.

Five Summer Home Maintenance Tips

June 3, 2016newsRIslate15

Are you ready for those summer time barbecues? Is your house and outdoor property in tip top shape for summer? If not, be sure to check some of our helpful maintenance to get your exterior in line for the summer fun.

1.) Air Conditioning Tune Up: For those people that need their AC during the summer time, it is imperative that you get a spring tune-up. A tune up with make sure that everything is working properly and it will help prevent you from having an excepted failure.

2.) Roof Check: It is best practice to have your roof checked annually to ensure that everything is working up to par. The spring and winter can put a lot of pressure and wear and tear onto your roof. This is a good time of the year to make sure everything is all good up there.

3.) Gutter Cleaning: Regular gutter cleaning is recommended to prevent against any clogging or leakage. It is best to do this two a year, once in the late fall/ early winter and then again in the late spring/ early summer.

4.) Check Kids Playing Areas: Swingsets and other kids playing areas can get some wear and tear during the winter. Make sure there are no loose bolts, sharp edges or splinters sticking up.

5.) Pool Maintenance: For those people who own a pool in New England, you should start thinking about cleaning it. It has probably been at least 8 months since someone swam in it. Start the cleaning process at least week before swimming season to be sure that everyone is safe from chemical harm.

For more information on roofing maintenance or repair work during the summer, please feel free to give Rhode Island Slate Roofing a call at 401-255-2003 or fill out our online contact form.

Why Should I Invest In Slate Roofing?

May 16, 2016slate roofingRIslate15

slate-roofing-square A slate roof is a smart choice for homeowners for a number of reasons as it is often referred to as a “lifetime roofing system”. Slate is a natural stone that comes from clay and silt that has been deposited on ancient sea beds. Have you been thinking about investing in a slate roof? Call Rhode Island Slate Roofing for a free estimate on your roof and check out these pro’s of slate roofs!

Low-maintenance – slate roofs don’t rot and show great resistance to mold and algae growth. They are also highly resistant to temperature fluctuations and inclement weather such as rain, snow, and wind, which makes them a great option in climates with four distinct seasons.

Eco-friendly – with the longevity of slate roofs, they help reduce the waste from roof replacement, and the carbon footprint that comes from roof tear-offs. Traditional roofing materials get replaced every 10-20 years which ends up being thrown in landfills, with slate roofs lasting around 100 years, your roof won’t be contributing to this problem!

Beautiful – slate roofs are very aesthetically pleasing and come in an array of colors, sizes, and thicknesses in order to suit any home’s style.

Durable – made of natural stone, slate roofs are very durable. They prevent water from entering your home, and can withstand severe weather conditions to give you the best protection for your home. They are also completely non-combustible and will protect your home in the event of a fire. Slate roofs last alot longer than traditional roofing materials, in which many manufacturers offer long warranties on their roofing systems.

Increased energy efficiency – slate roofs are an excellent insulator which can help save you money on your heating and cooling costs.

For more information, read some stats and facts about slate roofing.