Also known as drywall and wallboard, gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster between thick sheets of paper and used on interior walls and ceilings. It has been widely used in houses since the 1940s and for good reasons like roof insulation in Kansas roofing. Unlike other panel-type products such as plywood, fiberboard and hardboard, gypsum board has a non-combustible core.

Using gypsum board in Kansas roofing presents many concrete advantages. We listed some of these:

1. Fire Resistant

An outstanding quality of gypsum board is its excellent resistance to fire. It is in fact the most commonly-used interior material in areas with required fire resistance classifications. Exposed to high temperature, its core – made up of 21% chemically combined water – is gradually discharged as steam. This quality slows the transfer of heat and spread of fire. Even after the water has been released from the core, the board continues to act as an insulator.

2. Sound Retardant

A key consideration in the construction of buildings is managing sound transfer between rooms. Unwanted sound must be controlled and prevented from going into adjoining areas especially in buildings with multiple occupants doing diverse activities. Using gypsum board on ceilings and walls effectively retards the transmission of sound to adjacent areas.

3. Cost-Effective

Compared to other products, gypsum boards can be installed at much-lower labor costs. They are also ordinarily available at local supply stores and can easily be applied during construction. Their availability and fire-resistant quality make gypsum boards very cost-effective to use.

4. Easy to Install

Gypsum boards are very lightweight and can easily be handled by two workers to cover a large area in a short time. The application techniques can be learned in a few hours by installers. Assemblies require only a few tools for their construction. The board can be cut using knives or saws, and attached with different fasteners including nails, screws and staples. You can also use adhesives to attach the board to substrates.

5. Versatile

A great feature of gypsum boards is their ability to satisfy most architectural design requirements. Taking into consideration the other qualities of the product such as availability, performance, ease of use and repair, fire resistance, adaptability to different finishes and decorations, we can say that gypsum boards is a versatile product unmatched by most alternate systems.

6. Durable

Gypsum boards are widely used to construct strong walls and high-quality ceilings. They offer superior durability and stability compared to other products. Decorating and refinishing gypsum boards can be made with ease.

Atlanta roofing collapse is not a pleasant experience. It is, in fact, a nightmare to have your roof collapse unexpectedly. A collapse can occur any time and may lead to serious consequences such as injuries to occupants and damage to properties inside the house.

A collapse may result from accumulation of large volume of snow on the roof. One cubic foot of dry snow weighs from 6 to 8 pounds. Packed snow weighs even more. Roofs can generally support up to 20 pounds of snow/ice per square foot.

Houses with flat or low-pitched roofs face more risk of collapsing from snow/ice accumulation because of their lower angle that prevents snow/ice from sliding off to the ground.

Owners and building managers should always conduct a roof condition evaluation to look for signs of impending roof collapse such as leaking, cracking and other indications of structural irregularities. An evacuation by home occupants or closure of the entire building may be warranted once warning signs of roof collapse are evident.

Common Warning Signs

A structure normally manifests overt signs of roof issues before its roof collapses. Steps should immediately be taken to remedy the problem or minimize the consequences of roof collapse.

We listed below some of the symptoms that are noted to occur prior to an actual roof collapse. Look for these signs in your home and promptly contact a roofing professional if you notice them:

• Bending of roof supports
• Severe roof leaks
• Cracked wood
• Sounds such as creaking, popping or cracking coming from the ceiling
• Sagging sections of exterior shingles
• Persistent water ponding
• Sagging ceiling
• Cracks on exterior and interior walls
• Doors and windows are hard to open or close
• Doors suddenly popping open on their own
• Bending of electrical conduits or utility pipes on the ceiling
• Physically-deformed and sagging roof steel
• Cracks in steel welds
• Cut screws on steel frames
• Sprinkler heads hanging much lower on the ceiling tiles

The list above is not all-inclusive as there may be other non-obvious signs that eventually point to an impending roof collapse. Being aware of these signs could prevent the occurrence of a potentially-dangerous incident that exposes life and property to danger.

Moreover, a roof project is a major undertaking that always involves a huge budget and careful time management. Having an unexpected roof collapse could find a homeowner or building manager unprepared for the financial consequences of a roof repair or replacement. Proper roof maintenance and hands-on management are keys to a healthy and long lasting roof life.

Collapse of Chicago roofing is a serious structural failure that can affect other parts of a house. Since roof frames connect to the walls, there is a good reason to believe that the walls would also be affected if the frames are compromised.

The danger involved in a roof collapse makes it imperative that homeowners fully understand the way roofs work, particularly their load-bearing capacity.

Load Capacity. A residential roof can normally support up to 20 pounds per square foot of snow unless the roof structure is damaged or weakened. In mountainous and snow-prone areas in the United States the load capacity of roofs is much higher to enable them to withstand greater snow weight. You can check with your local building official to know if your house had higher loads at the time it was constructed.

Risk Evaluation. Snow tends to run off a roof that has a steeped slope, especially those with slopes greater than 3 inches per 12 inches of horizontal distance. In the northern areas, houses are generally built with steeper slopes or roof pitch. Snow accumulates more on low-sloped or flat roofs. Porches generally have low-pitched roofs. Furthermore, expect snow build up on sections of the home that are adjacent to higher parts of the house since snow blown by strong winds from taller places would fall there.

Estimating Snow Weight. Four feet of fresh snow on the roof weighs around 20 pounds. Two feet of packed snow weighs around 20 pounds. For ice, 1 inch of it is equivalent to around 1 foot of fresh snow.

Removing Snow. When the amount of snow that falls on your roof exceeds 20-25 pounds per square foot of roof space, consider the situation as serious or in the danger zone. You should consider removing the snow from the roof. For a safe removal of snow, you can use an extendible snow rake that is widely available at your local supply store to remove snow without going up the roof or leaving the safety of the ground. You can engage the services of a professional contractor to remove the snow too.

Preventing Snow. Aside from using a snow rake, other alternatives for preventing or removing snow and ice on the roof are available such as heat cables installed on the roof and calcium chloride placed inside nylon stockings and positioned strategically on the problem areas on the roof. Roof tablets may be used as well, which are simply thrown into the roof.

Rainwater is free. Every time it rains you are looking at free water that you could use for a variety of purposes including gardening and cleaning your porch.

Creating a rainwater harvesting and collection system in Miami roofing is easy and cheap. Here’s how you do it:

Collection Area

Your Miami roofing acts as your collection area since that is the place where rain falls without getting absorbed by the ground. Knowing exactly how much rainwater your roof collects requires a complex calculation and is unnecessary for our purpose. Just keep in mind that the average roof of 25 foot by 40 foot collects around 600 gallons of water for an hour of one-inch rainfall.

Transportation System

The transportation system consists of the gutters and downspouts on the edges of the roof. The type of material the gutters and downspouts are made of is not material; what matters is the size. Both parts have to be large enough to hold and transport the water from the roof. In most houses today, gutters come in either 5 or 6 inch-wide size with attached downspouts having a diameter of 3 to 4 inches. The larger the roof, the bigger the gutters and downspouts should be.

Do not forget to install covers at the top of downspouts to keep falling leaves and debris out, which could block the flow of water down to the receptacles below. Put fine mesh screen on the barrels to keep away mosquitos and other insects.

Storage Facility

This is the last part of our harvesting and collection system. Barrels work great in storing the water collected from the roof. You can find specially-designed barrels at local stores or online or you can customize an ordinary barrel yourself.

Place and connect the barrels to the downspouts nearest to the place of your garden where you will be using the water most often. Clear away rocks and dirt from the area that is large enough to accommodate the barrels. Dig a 4 to 5-inch deep rectangle and fill it with around one-half to one-fourth inch of pea gravel. This creates a drainage around the area to keep water away from the foundation of the house.

Place concrete blocks on top of the pea gravel to create a raised platform on which to place the barrels. The higher the barrels are placed, the stronger the water pressure will be. Connect the barrels using hoses attached to each other at the sides. The more barrels you install, the more water you can store.

Coating with metal roof paint is one of the best methods in prolonging your roofing’s lifespan. However, applying paint on an elevated surface is not as straightforward as some people think. It requires proper method to properly do the job.

Metal roofs are becoming popular among homeowners because of their durability and fire-resistant quality. They also demand less maintenance than other types of roof materials. The biggest enemy of metal roofs is corrosion.

If you installed corrugated iron sheets on your roof, you will have to conduct regular repainting work to preserve the condition of the roof and extend its life. New metal roofs also require a paint job to protect them from the elements.

Primer and Degreaser

You have to wash a new roof with degreaser before applying a fresh coat of paint. Unpainted metal roofs that are a year or at least several months old may be painted on without the need to degrease them. New corrugated metal roofs contain oil on the surface from their fabrication, which could prevent paint from adhering to the surface. The oil is washed off from exposure to the weather.

You have to apply a primer first before painting any unpainted iron roof. New sheets placed after repairs must also be primed before coating is applied.

You can choose practically any paint color for your roof depending on your taste and overall design of the house. White is preferred by homeowners in hot places because it does not absorb heat from the sun. The general rule is you have to apply two coats of paint.

Airless Spry Gun

Using an airless spray gun is the fastest and most convenient way to paint a corrugated iron roof. Start from a predetermined area and spray about a meter wide portion and work your way down the sheet. You can use the joints on the sheets as your guide. After working down the sheet, go back up to the top of the roof and repeat the same for the next sheet.

Rollers

Specially-shaped rollers may also be used to paint a corrugated iron roof but you have to run down the brush on the joints because the rollers may not get into parts of the sheets that are raised.

Using Brush

If you want to use a brush, we suggest starting work early in the morning. Just work in small areas, about half a sheet at a time. Do not work during the hottest hours of the day because the heat will quickly dry the paint.

A minor roof issue could become a major problem later if left unattended. The key to prolonging the lifespan of your Chicago roofing is regular maintenance. Catching roof problems early on and repairing them could save you thousands of dollars in roof repair or replacement.

These are the most common roof problems encountered in Chicago:

1. Ice and Snow

Harsh weather exacts a toll on the roof. Water could run under the shingles and flashing and subsequently refreeze, which could damage the shingles and flashings.

2. Flashing

A constant source of water damage, peeled or misaligned flashing allows water to seep into the house itself. Sealants around flashing could dry out with time or exposure to harsh weather, leaving gaps and cracks on the flashing through which rainwater could get in.

3. Gutters

Keeping the gutter clean and dirt-free is one of the required maintenance tasks you have to observe to keep your roof in tiptop shape. A clogged gutter allows water to flow down the eaves causing water damage. Always check for cracked seams and broken brackets to make sure gutters stay in place and do not leak.

4. Water ponding

This is a very common problem with flat roofs. Water ponding could eventually lead to leakage on the roof with the water penetrating and damaging the interior of the house.

5. Attic

Ventilation is important in keeping the roof strong and healthy. Poor ventilation in the attic, which lies just underneath the roof, causes the roof to deteriorate ahead of time.

6. Wind

It does not require a storm to damage your roof. Even strong winds on otherwise normal days can lift the shingles from a roof’s surface or blow them totally off the roof.

7. UV Light

Ultraviolet rays from the sun are one of the causes that roof materials deteriorate. Shingles could crack, dry, come loose or fall from the surface. Once the shingles are out, there is very little protection for the roof, which are now exposed to the elements.

8. Skylights

Leaking may result from snow or ice-covered skylights because of internal condensation when water is unable to evaporate. You may need professional help in working with skylights to avoid damaging them.

9. Trees

Abrasion on the surface of the roof may be caused by overhanging trees. Constant contact between the tree limbs and shingles could wear away the protective layer of the material. Falling branches may also damage the roof. Gutter clogging could occur from falling leaves that accumulated through time.

10. Wildlife

The roof attracts all kinds of critters. Birds peck on the eaves while looking for insects. Raccoons pull up shingles looking for passage to the attic. The holes left by birds and animals expose your roof to moisture and its unwanted consequences.

11. Insects

Termites, ants and other insects are serious problems when left unattended. They gnaw through woods and other soft parts of the roof such as the eaves and fascia boards. Insects also attract animals on the roof looking for them as food.

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.

Some people do not just install traditional roofs on houses and buildings in Seattle. They want roofs that not only protect them from the elements like standard roofs but also provide additional utilities or functions. For these reasons, non-traditional roofing systems such as cool, green and solar roofs have become popular choices nowadays.

Each type of Seattle roofing has its own benefits as well as shortcomings. How do these roofs fare in cold climates? A study in the Journal of Industrial Ecology gave us the answer.

The study analyzed the effects of the three types of roof found on buildings located in different places with a cold climate. It used as models office buildings with large roofs and assumed a 50-year lifespan for the structures.

Solar Roofs Came Out on Top

The result showed solar roofs as the definite winner followed by green roofs and white roofs at the rear.

A comprehensive approach was adopted for the study, examining not only the energy efficiency created by the different roofs but also their manufacture, transportation and installation at the sites. The study also considered any toxic chemicals used in the manufacture and the effects of the roof types on air, water and human health.

Benefits of White Roofs

White roofs are great for hot weather because they significantly reduce the cooling requirements of buildings aside from prolonging their lifespan. However, in colder climates they actually raise the heating requirements especially during the long stretches of the cold months.

Green Roofs’ Contributions

Green roofs fared admirably because they lowered both the heating and cooling needs of buildings, enhance the quality of air and decrease storm water runoff.

Ultimately, however, solar roofs came out the best option for roofing in cold climates, creating the most impact in the categories considered for the study.

Positive Traits of Solar Roofs

1. While unwanted emissions were created in the manufacture and transportation of solar roofs, these were more than offset by the positive effects of the on-site generation of power by solar roofs.
2. The long-term use of solar energy is a major positive factor because it reduces the need for coal-powered energy and other fossil fuels by the buildings.
3. By reflecting the sun’s heat, the solar panels reduced the temperatures of the buildings during the hotter months although they tend to slightly raise the heating needs during the colder months because of the reflectivity of the solar roofs.

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.

Simply stated, rain chains are alternatives to downspouts in draining water from the Miami roofing to the ground. A more elaborate definition is that rain chains are decorative, more beautiful and equally-functional alternatives to downspouts in transporting water to the ground or container.

Origin

Rain chains are not a new invention of modern times. They originated and are still widely used in Japan. Japanese have been using rain chains to collect water from the roof, transport it through the decorative rain chains, and eventually collect the water on the ground through large barrels for household use. Most Japanese temples incorporate large rain chains as part of their design.

The Art of Draining Water

What makes rain chains attractive to a lot of people is their aesthetic appeal in bringing water down from the gutter through the use of differently-designed chains and cups that serve the same purpose as the relatively-plain and common downspouts. Rain chains transform the otherwise-mundane draining of water into an art, from the relaxing and soft tinkling of water droplets through the chains to the calming sound of water rushing through the individual cups tied in a chain.

The typical rain chains are either simple chain links that span vertically or made from a series of metal cups with holes on the bottom and are chained together vertically. Rainwater drops down from the gutter through the connected series of rain chains.

Types of Rain Chains

Present-day manufacturers of rain chains incorporate different materials and designs in their production. Most rain chains today are made of copper; however, other materials are also available including aluminum and brass. The traditional cups and chains are still used although hybrid designs can be found. With a wide range of styles and prices on the market, consumers can choose which particular rain chain type suits their taste and home architectural design.

If you are a traditionalist then the link chains are for you because they conform most to the traditional style of rain chains. However, they create more water splashes than cups so  you have to keep this in mind when considering to install rain chains on areas that are near walkways, windows and doors.

Cup rain chains offer better performance to link chains because their open bottoms act as funnels through which water flows down from one cup to the next below it. Water splashes are greatly reduced even during heavy rainfall, which make them ideal to be placed on just about any area of the house including those near openings like doors and windows.