All roofing guides, screen 6
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Roof maintenance checklist
DIY Roof Repair: What Homeowners Can Safely Do and What to Leave to a ProHomeowners may be able to handle roof work done from the ground, from the attic, or from a properly set ladder at a one-story gutter line, once each task passes…
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Storm and hazard damage · Professional roof inspections · Roof maintenance checklist
How to Inspect Your Roof From the Ground and the AtticYou can check a pitched roof's main failure points without leaving the ground: binoculars show missing or damaged shingles and lifted flashing, the gutters show what the roof is shedding,…
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Attic airflow and moisture · Professional roof inspections · Roof maintenance checklist
Curling, Cupping, and Clawing Shingles: Causes and What They MeanCurling across an older roof, together with granule loss, is the wear HUD's inspection guide treats as a replacement signal. Curling on a newer roof, or on only one slope,…
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Roofing materials · Attic airflow and moisture · Roof replacement cost
Cool Roofs: How Reflective Roofing Reduces Heat GainA cool roof reflects more sunlight and absorbs less solar energy than a conventional roof, so less heat soaks through the deck into the attic and the rooms below. The…
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Replacing your roof step by step · Roof replacement cost · Choosing a roofing contractor
How to Compare Roofing Quotes Line by LineTwo roofing quotes are comparable only when they price the same roof: the same squares, the same number of layers torn off, the same underlayment and flashing, and a stated…
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Storm and hazard damage
Roofing Near the Coast: Salt Air, Corrosion, and Fastener ChoicesSalt air attacks a roof at its metal parts: fasteners, flashing, drip edge, vents and gutters, especially where two different metals touch. A coastal roof holds up when those parts…
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Roofing materials
Clay vs. Concrete Roof Tiles: Weight, Lifespan, and Climate FitClay tile is fired clay; concrete tile is molded from cement and sand. Both carry 100-plus-year life guidelines for the tile itself, so the choice between them turns on freeze-thaw…
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Parts of a roof
Chimney Leaks: Flashing, Counterflashing, Crowns, and CapsA chimney leak starts in one of two systems: the metal flashing where the chimney passes through the roof, or the masonry, crown and cap above it. The Chimney Safety…
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Parts of a roof
Chimney Crickets (Saddles): When a Roof Needs OneA chimney needs a cricket, a small peaked roof framed on the chimney's uphill side, when the chimney is wide enough that water, leaves and snow would pile up against…
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Choosing a roofing contractor
Manufacturer-Certified Roofing Contractors: What Certification Does and Doesn’t ProveA manufacturer certification mainly decides which warranties a roofer can sell you: only GAF-certified contractors can offer GAF's enhanced warranties, and Owens Corning reserves its extended warranties for its Platinum…
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Choosing a roofing contractor
Canceling a Roofing Contract: The Three-Day Rule and Other RightsSign a roofing contract at your home for $25 or more and the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule generally lets you cancel until midnight of the third business day, with Sundays and…
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Professional roof inspections
Buying a House? How to Evaluate the Roof Before You CloseUnder InterNACHI's standard of practice, a home inspector may judge the roof from the ground or the eaves without walking it, predicting its remaining life or confirming how it was…
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Roofing materials · Roof replacement cost
Best Roofing Materials by Climate: Heat, Cold, Coastal, Hail, and Wildfire ZonesThe best roof for your climate is the one rated for the failure your weather causes most: reflectance for strong sun, ice-dam protection for snow, uplift ratings for wind, impact…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Bathroom and Kitchen Fans Venting Into the Attic: Why It Damages RoofsA bathroom or kitchen fan that blows into the attic carries warm, wet air onto cold roof sheathing, where it condenses, and residential codes built on the model International Residential…
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Parts of a roof · Attic airflow and moisture
Attic Ventilation: How Intake and Exhaust Work TogetherAttic ventilation works when outside air comes in low, through soffit or eave vents, and leaves high, through ridge or other upper vents, carrying out moisture that has reached the…
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Attic airflow and moisture
How Much Attic Ventilation Do You Need? The 1/150 and 1/300 RulesDivide your attic floor area by 150 to get the minimum net free vent area in square feet, then multiply by 144 to convert it to square inches. The 2021…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Mold in the Attic: Roof and Ventilation Causes and Cleanup DecisionsMold on attic sheathing means moisture is reaching cold wood, whether from house air leaking into the attic, an exhaust fan that ends there, or a roof leak, so the…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Attic Insulation and Your Roof: R-Values, Air Sealing, and Ice DamsENERGY STAR's recommended targets for an uninsulated attic run from R30 in climate zone 1 to R49 in zones 2 and 3 and R60 in zones 4 through 8, with…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Powered and Solar Attic Fans: Do They Help or Hurt?A powered or solar attic fan helps only when the air it pulls out is replaced through the soffit vents. When the ceiling has leaks or the intake is short,…
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Attic airflow and moisture
Attic Condensation and Frost: Causes, Signs, and FixesFrost on nail tips and damp roof sheathing in winter usually mean warm, moist house air is leaking into the attic and condensing on the coldest surface it reaches. Snow…
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Roofing materials
Asphalt Shingles: 3-Tab vs. Architectural vs. Designer, and How to ChooseAll three asphalt shingle types are made to the same product specification, ASTM D3462: glass felt coated with asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules. They differ in how they are…
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Replacing your roof step by step
Asbestos in Roofing: How to Recognize It and What the Rules RequireEPA lists roofing and siding shingles among the building materials that may contain asbestos, yet not all roofing does, so a lab test is the only way to know what…
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Roof maintenance checklist
Animal Damage to Roofs: Squirrels, Raccoons, Birds, and WoodpeckersAn animal in the roof leaves a specific opening: a chewed vent, a gap where the fascia meets the roof, shingles pulled up near the eave, or holes in wood…
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Homeowners insurance and roof damage
Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost for Roofs: How Depreciation Changes Your PayoutWith replacement cost coverage, the depreciation withheld from your first roof claim check can be recovered after the roof is replaced; with actual cash value coverage, it is deducted for…