Summer is just around the corner. It’s that time of the year when we finally take out those miniskirts, sunglasses, skateboards, and tank tops. The time when we had to curl up in bed reading our favorite books or watching reruns of old videos is over.

Going outdoor and soaking in the sun’s light after all those cold winter months staying indoors feel wonderful. Feeling the heat of the sun on our skin is rejuvenating. However, the summer heat can be harsh not only on our body but also on our roofs. They need as much protection from the heat as we do.

We compiled some practical tips from roofers Denver that will help you keep your home cool this summer, which in turn keep you and your family comfortable during this hot period of the year.

Use the Right Shingles. Asphalt shingles work best in keeping the heat away from your home by their reflective coating. Manufacturers of asphalt shingles use special granules as coating on the shingles to better reflect sunlight. Other materials used to make shingles such as polymer, metal and wood may also be coated to give them better reflective quality.

Shingles work best in reflecting the sun’s heat for steeped roofs but are less effective on low-sloped roofs. Buying a cool shingle with white-coated granules costs just about the same as the standard shingles with dark asphalt granules.

Use Metal Roofs. If you have a choice, use metal for your roofing material. It is reflective even on its natural state without any paint. Since it may hold heat when exposed to the sun, metal roof is better suited for use in steeped roofs instead of flat or low-sloped roofs. You can further minimize the heat by using a cool roof or a metal roof coated with white color that reflects more of the sun’s heat than darker shades.

Plant Trees. Strategically-located trees provide shade to your home against the sun. Plant one near your home to give you that shade and extra cooling breeze during the hot summer months. Do not plant too near your house as to create problems for your gutters with its fallen leaves and dried-up branches.

Observe Proper Ventilation. Optimize the use of ventilation to keep your roof cool. Use insulation, soffit, fascia, ridge vent and barrier to maintain proper ventilation and keep your roof and house cool.

Paint Your Roof White. One of the easiest and most economical ways of keeping your roof cool. White roofs significantly prevent the absorption of heat by the roof and its penetration into the interior of the house.

Use a Mist Cooling System. Spray a small amount of water on a hot roof and watch the water evaporates along with the heat. A more sophisticated system utilizes sensors to monitor roof temperature and trigger the right amount of water.

Engaging the services of Denver roofing contractors for difficult roofing work is not a straightforward undertaking. While most contractors are honest in their dealings, some roofers simply cannot be trusted. Knowing how to spot these dishonest contractors makes a difference between spending the right amount for the work required and losing hard-earned savings to unscrupulous contractors.

Using Shortcuts

Contractors can shorten the completion time of a project by saving on labor time through the use of shortcuts. Houses that are greatly damaged by hurricanes have poorly-secured roofing and substandard framing. The most common cause of shingles getting blown by strong winds is the inadequate use of fasteners. Shingles tend to buckle and eventually lift or separate when subjected to strong winds, which raises the risk of rainwater leakage. By skimping on the basics, roofing contractors manage to complete a project in record time while saving substantial money from the reduced number of materials and labor needed to finish the roof. The result is a poor and substandard work that is prone to all kinds of damage and disaster.

Baiting and Replacing

Dishonest contractors under a package contract with homeowner will intentionally wait until the project is well under way before advising their client that a certain product is no longer available, and offering a more expensive substitute or upgrade for the discontinued product.

Another common dishonest practice for roofing contractors is substituting low-end materials for the high-grade ones that were agreed upon. For instance, they could use galvanized nails instead of stainless steel nails in fastening cedar shingles. Distinguishing the difference between nails just by looking at the nail tops on the roof surface is difficult. Other contractors use sheet metal drip edge in place of aluminum drip edge, which most homeowners cannot easily distinguish.

Overpricing of Materials

Knowing the prices of the different materials that your contractor will be using on your house is advisable. Directly inquire from the suppliers the wholesale and retail prices of each item. If your contractor intends to add a markup on the prices, set a cap or limit in your contract to avoid overpaying for materials that could have been purchased at much-lower prices.

Skipping Preparations

Contractors can increase their profits and save on labor costs by skipping preparations. Roofing, painting jobs and wall/door installations are the more common works where violations of this kind are committed by dishonest contractors. Painters may skip on primer or paint only the newer seams. Roofers could apply substandard tar that dries out in a short time and fails to provide protection against leaks.

A pneumatic nail gun is a popular tool used in roof repair Denver. It uses compressed air to drive nails into surfaces in less time than it takes to hammer them. Nail guns save roofers a lot of time since they drive nails faster and more efficiently.

We looked at one of the pneumatic coil nailers in the market today – the Ridgid Model R175RNE 15-Gauge Roofing Coil Nailer- and reviewed its features and customer feedback to help you decide if the product is a worthy addition to your roofing tools.

Special Features

The product boats of several special features to make its use easier and more convenient, one of which is the transparent magazine cover. The clear view design gives the user a real-time update of the nail supply inside the chamber, thus eliminating guesswork on the number of nails left.

It has a replaceable nosepiece with carbide inserts that effectively extends the tool’s life and lightens maintenance work.

This model of the Ridgid Coil Nailer is built with a selectable trigger that gives the roofer an option to use either contact fire mode or sequential fire mode for precise placement of nails and increased productivity.

Other Features

Other features found on the Ridgid Coil Nailer include:

• Full Strike and Fasten Edge Technology that creates maximum air power in a compact size.
• Dry-fire lockout design to prevent misfires and lengthens the life of the motor.
• A magnetic holder that prevents dropout of the last nail in the magazine and promotes easy loading of nails.
• A removable shingle-guide adjustment for precise placement of shingles.
• EZ load design for quick reloading.
• Plate guards to prevent accidental sliding of the tool on roofs and protect against abrasive surfaces.

User Feedback

As good as the tool is, negative comments by people who bought the product can still be found. One user’s complaint is directed not against the product itself, which the user found to be excellent, but on its poor warranty registration.

Despite what the manufacture says about its lockout design to prevent misfiring, a user experienced misfiring after using the tool for an hour. Tweaks and adjustments made by the user did not correct the flaw.

Complaints were also made against the durability of the product. The plastic pieces of the tool broke into pieces after it was dropped. Since accidental dropping of tools is an expected and inevitable occurrence on any roofing job, the seemingly-fragile condition of the product is definitely a minus factor.

Based however on another customer feedback, particularly people who have used the product for years, durability and functionality are not an issue. They expressed full satisfaction over their purchase and use of the product. Overall, we give this product a positive rating that would deliver value for its price.

The concept of a cool roof in Denver may be new to some people, although it has been around for decades. With talks about global warming and climate change dominating the headlines today, cool roof systems received renewed interest from owners and contractors.

Cool roofing Denver offer several distinct advantages that conventional roofs do not have. These are lower building temperatures, reduced energy needs for cooling, lesser electric bills and extended roof life.

Before deciding on the type of cool roofing to install on your roof, consider these important factors we listed below to assist you in your selection of the best cool roof system for your needs.

1. Integrated System

Ideally, the major components of the cool roofing system must be supplied by a single supplier to minimize if not completely eliminate incompatibility. The highest performance and lowest chance of incompatibility of the system are attained if only a single supplier is involved in the project.

2. Prefabrication

The construction industry today is experiencing skilled labor shortage. To promote efficiency through the reduction of installation errors and use of manpower, the system must be installed correctly. The capacity of the supplier to customize and pre-manufacture roofing materials and accessories will go a long way towards achieving this end. The more roofing materials and accessories that your supplier can prefabricate, the more you will attain efficiency.

3. Flashings

Find out the method and materials used for waterproofing the roof. The workmanship of the flashings is important because this is one area where most roofing failures exist due to movement, contraction and expansion of roofing materials. Flashings that are prefabricated in the factory with its controlled setting are preferred over those fabricated on worksites where more errors could occur. Flashings closely integrated with the system are better than those that are not. Ensure that flashings are included in the warranty.

4. Membrane Materials

The raw material components of the membrane and how they are manufactured are important factors to consider. Various materials result to different durability, benefits, carbon footprint and weight impact on the roofing.

5. Warranty Coverage

According to homeowners, this is one aspect of the construction that is often unmet by manufacturers. This is, in fact, one of the most controversial issues hounding construction projects. Examine the fine print closely as it indicates the weakness of the system. Look also for the exclusions in the warranty and provisions on extra costs. Pay particular attention to the maintenance guidelines of the manufacturers, which could void any warranties if you fail to strictly observe them.

Working on the roof is not an easy task. The job requires balance, skill, concentration and absence of fear of heights. Accidents can happen at any time to anybody, which may result to serious injuries or loss of life. Below are some of the common roof repair Denver accidents that could occur at work.

1. Falls

Fall from high places is a common cause of accident for roofers. These invariably result to injuries and sometimes deaths. Working on a steep slope roofing accounts for more injuries from falls than those working on a low slope roofing.

A major contributor to falling accidents among roofers is the failure to observe a proper fall protection system. Accidents and fatigue also play important roles in falls from roofing work.

The nature of injuries sustained from falls vary depending upon the circumstances such as the height of elevation, the ground surface and parts of the body that hit the ground. The most common injuries sustained by roofers from falls are:

• Broken Bones

  Broken bones are the direct result of fall from a high place. As most professional roofers manage to land on their feet after accidentally falling, broken legs and ankles are very common.

• Back Injuries

  A fall can cause back injuries, particularly when the roofers fall and land on their backs. However, it is not the only cause of back injuries. Carrying heavy objects such as tool boxes, paint containers and ladders may also be the causes.

2. Heat Injuries

Working outdoors on the roof leaves many roofers susceptible to heat-related injuries such as heat stroke, exhaustion and sunburn. These are serious risks and should never be taken lightly by anyone working on the roof exposed to direct sunlight.

3. Repetitive Motion Injuries

Persons doing the same motion at work are apt to suffer from repetitive motion injuries. These include constant hammering of nails and cutting through steel objects with saws. The best known injury under this category is the Carpal Tunnel, which affects even those typing on their computers for several hours.

4. Puncture Wounds

This type of injury is very common in the construction industry where nails, screws and other sharp tools and implements are normally used. Usual culprits for sustaining these injuries are unknowingly stepping on nails, falling to upturned nails and careless use of hammers.

5. Equipment-Caused Injuries

. Roofers use dangerous tools and equipment when repairing roofs such as lifts, cranes, saw, hammer and nail guns. Negligence or improper use of these tools can cause severe injuries to roofers.

Roofs absorb all the brunt from the cold winter weather. Therefore, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the harsh condition of winter with its ice and snow. In fact, cold weather demands special requirements for roof materials, design and maintenance. A strong and solid roof above give comfort to your family knowing that your home is safe.

While the incorporation of a durable roof is basic in roofing Denver home construction, homeowners still have to perform maintenance work to keep roofs in tiptop shape even during the harshest winters. Some of the problems you may encounter if you reside in the snowy areas of the US such as Denver, and their practical solutions are:

1. Ice Dams. One of the common problems associated with cold weather is ice dam formation on the eaves. Heat from the roof melts snow, which runs down the roof to the eaves. Ice dam forms on the eaves if the water cools before draining from the roof. Large ice dams could damage the roofing, flashings, gutters, downspouts, roof drainage system, building structure and interior.

Solution. Make sure there is sufficient insulation and ventilation on your attic. You can also install membrane underlayment below the roofing material to prevent water leaks to the house.

2. Obstructions on Downspouts. Dirt and debris could mix with ice and snow on your roof and eventually find their way down the gutter and downspout. These materials accumulate over time and could potentially block the downspout, preventing melting snow and ice from draining down to the ground.

Solution. Regularly check the areas around the downspouts and clear away dirt and other debris that could block the passage.

3. Snow. Snow and ice formation on roofs is a common occurrence during winter season. Depending on the weather, the volume of snow could exceed the load-bearing capacity of your roof, posing a serious risk of collapse.

Solution. A special tool called a roof rake, purposely created for this purpose, could be used to scrape off snow and ice accumulation on the roof.

4. Gutter Ice. Ice normally builds up in gutters during the cold winter months. If the buildup of ice becomes too heavy, your gutter could give in and totally rip away from your house.

Solution. The solution is fairly easy. Just use chisel or hammer to chip away the ice formation. Be careful not to damage the gutter to avoid costly repairs. You could also call your local roofing contractor to make sure the work is properly done.

Denver’s climate can be very erratic. It can get very hot in summer and too cold in winter. These contrasting extremes  can put roofing in Denver to its toll. Thus, it is important to plan carefully when choosing a roofing in the area. You should also ensure that the laborers you hired are really knowledgeable in roof installation.

There is a new trend going around in terms of this subject though, that is the use of green roofs. According to sources, this is sweeping Chicago and Portland like a storm.

Benefits of Green Roofing in Denver

What makes it very ideal for dwelling places is it serves as a filter, insulation, and protection to the roof. This is also a great alternative for health-conscious  homeowners and for those who truly care for the environment.

Here is a quick discussion of the key benefits of green roofing in Denver homes:

1. Insulation

A green roof is particularly handy during seasons where the heat can be unbearable. The vegetation in the roof will help absorb some of the hot temperature. It produces a heat island effect. This will, of course, trickle down to the structure below to the benefit of the members of the household.

2. Filtration and Protection

The green lush in your roof also function as a water trap. It effectively absorbs rain water, together with all its impurities. Then when the sun is scorching, it helps shelter the roof from immediate decay. Studies say that it will increase the life of a roof three times over.

3. Effects in Health

Aside from protection from harsh weather, a green roof shields the health of homeowners by filtering the contaminants present in the air. Research has shown that a green roof can effectively take in 95% of the heavy metals in the atmosphere.

4. Contributes to the Environment

A green roof helps promote a healthy ecosystem. It attracts birds, bees and butterflies. This could be a negative thing though because it can be a magnet for other insects and critters. However, this is something that a regular maintenance can address.

5. Adds to the Beauty of a Home

Lastly, a green roof contributes to the aesthetics of a home. This aids in increasing the overall appeal as well the value of a house.

Downsides of a Green Roof

Much like every good thing in this world, a green roof has some disadvantages to the homeowner. In addition to being an insect magnet, it does require regular maintenance, it is costly to install, and it presents difficulty in servicing the roof when needed.