All roofing guides, screen 4
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Roof maintenance checklist
How Damaged or Missing Shingles Are ReplacedA damaged shingle is replaced by releasing the seals on the shingles above it, pulling its nails and the nails from the course above that pass through it, sliding in…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Radiant Barriers in the Attic: Where They Help and Where They Don’tA radiant barrier is a highly reflective sheet or coating that reflects the radiant heat a sun-baked roof throws into the attic instead of absorbing it, so it helps most…
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Homeowners insurance and roof damage
Public Adjusters for Roof Claims: When They Help and What They CostA public adjuster is a licensed claims professional you hire to prepare and negotiate your roof claim with your own insurer, and the fee is a share of what the…
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Replacing your roof step by step
How to Prepare Your Home for Roof Replacement DayBefore roof replacement day, protect three places: the attic, where dust and debris can fall through gaps in the deck during tear-off; the rooms and walls under the roof, where…
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Parts of a roof
Parts of a Roof: Every Component Named and ExplainedA pitched roof is built in layers: a frame and deck, water barriers, metal at the edges, shingles across the field and over the ridge, and flashing wherever the roof…
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Homeowners insurance and roof damage
Ordinance or Law Coverage: Who Pays for Code Upgrades on a Roof ClaimReplacing a storm-damaged roof can trigger code items the old roof never had, such as an ice barrier at the eaves, drip edge, or a full tear-off of extra layers,…
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Roof replacement cost
Does a New Roof Increase Home Value? What Buyers, Appraisers, and Insurers WeighA new roof can help a home sell, but no survey figure tells you how much it will add to your price; its payoff at sale depends less on national…
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Flat roof materials
Modified Bitumen and Built-Up Roofing: Multi-Ply Flat Roof SystemsModified bitumen is asphalt sheet toughened with a rubber-like (SBS) or plastic (APP) modifier and laid in plies; built-up roofing stacks layers of roofing felt and asphalt. On a house,…
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Flat roof materials
Mobile and Manufactured Home Roofs: Roof-Overs, Coatings, and Code LimitsStart any manufactured home roof decision at the data plate: federal HUD-code rules designed your roof to carry a live load of 40, 30 or 20 pounds per square foot…
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Roofing materials
Metal Roofing Types: Standing Seam, Exposed Fastener, and Metal ShinglesResidential metal roofs come in three systems that differ in how they attach: standing seam panels held down by clips or fastener flanges hidden under raised seams, exposed-fastener panels screwed…
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Roofing materials
Metal Roof vs. Asphalt Shingles: A Side-by-Side Decision GuideIndustry life estimates put metal roofing well ahead of asphalt shingles, but a higher metal quote pays off only if you will own the roof long enough to use those…
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Roofing materials
Metal Roof Noise, Lightning, Rust, and Dents: Facts vs. FearsMetal does not change where lightning strikes, according to the National Weather Service, so of the common fears about metal roofs, the worry that metal draws strikes is the one…
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Roof maintenance checklist
Metal Roof Maintenance: Fasteners, Sealant, Rust, and ScratchesMetal roof maintenance is a short list: the rubber washers on exposed screws, the sealant at laps and flashings, scratches that reach bare metal, and any spot where another metal…
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Choosing a roofing contractor
Mechanic’s Liens and Lien Waivers on Roofing JobsAn unpaid roofing supplier or subcontractor can file a mechanics lien on your home even after you have paid your roofer in full, California's Contractors State License Board warns, and…
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Roof maintenance checklist
Matching New Shingles to an Old Roof: Why Repairs Look DifferentNew shingles stand out on an old roof because the old ones have weathered: they have shed granules, collected dirt or algae, and changed color unevenly from slope to slope,…
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Replacing your roof step by step
Lead Paint and Roof Projects on Pre-1978 Homes: What the EPA RRP Rule CoversOn a home built before 1978, a roof job comes under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule when it disturbs painted surfaces such as fascia, soffits or trim. Shingles…
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Roof maintenance checklist · Replacing your roof step by step
Ladder Safety for Roof Access: Setup, Angle, and FootingSet the ladder's foot out from the roof edge by one-quarter of its working length, the distance along the rails from the foot to where the ladder rests on the…
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Parts of a roof
Kickout Flashing: Stopping Leaks Where a Roof Meets a WallA kickout is a small angled piece of flashing at the bottom of a roof-wall joint that turns runoff away from the wall and into the gutter, and DOE building…
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Roofing materials · Roof replacement cost
Is a New Roof Tax Deductible? Basis, Credits, and Rental Property RulesA new roof on the home you live in is not deductible in the year you pay for it, but the IRS lists "new roof" as an improvement that increases…
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Homeowners insurance and roof damage
Insurance and Mismatched Shingles: How Matching Rules WorkWhether an insurer pays to replace shingles beyond the damaged area depends on your policy and your state: Florida law requires reasonable repair or replacement of items in adjoining areas…
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Homeowners insurance and roof damage
How to Read an Insurance Roof Estimate: Line Items, Depreciation, and SupplementsAn insurance roof estimate is a scope of work before it is a price: check the measured roof area, the layers it removes and the code items it includes against…
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Roofing materials
Impact-Resistant (Class 4) Shingles: What the Rating Means and What It Doesn’tA Class 4 label means a sample of the shingle earned the top class of the UL 2218 test, in which steel balls up to 2 inches across are dropped…
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Attic airflow and moisture · Storm and hazard damage
Ice Dams: Why They Form and How to Prevent ThemAn ice dam forms when heat from the house warms the roof deck under the snow, the meltwater runs down to the cold eave, and it refreezes into a ridge…
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Storm and hazard damage · Roof maintenance checklist
How to Remove an Ice Dam SafelyThe safe way to deal with an ice dam is to pull snow off the lower edge of the roof from the ground with a non-metallic roof rake, and to…
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Parts of a roof
Ice and Water Shield: Where Codes Require It and Where It HelpsIce and water shield is a self-adhering membrane laid under the shingles at the eaves, and where the International Residential Code's ice barrier rule applies, the barrier must reach at…