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When to replace your roof?

October 7, 2016 by Kyle Lyons Leave a Comment

So here it is, the start of the halloween season. Most schools are back in business and parents are breathing that sigh of relief, no kids at home to worry about messing up the house. Is it to late to replace your roof ?

The question is, did you wait to long to get the roof replaced. Is there still time to make sure your home is ready for the nasty winter months ahead? Well rest assured there is still time. You do not have to worry about those nasty ice dams running your Christmas.

Spring, summer and fall all provide good seasons to replace your roof, giving you plenty of time to get a good quality seal on your roof to prevent any blown off shingles.

So when is the best time to replace your roof? Well, depending on your location you can replace it year around. For those of you around the Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana areas, we have a different story to tell you.

Replace your roof in the Midwest.

There are many great things about the Louisville, Kentucky area. We have all of the seasons, Kentucky Derby and some of the best Bourbon a man (or woman) could ask for. The downfall to all of that of course are the seasons. Roofing in the wintertime can be a risky endeavor.

Installing shingles below freezing can create multiple problems and are against manufacturers recommendations.

How cold can you go? Most shingle manufacturers do not want you to install shingles at a temperature below 40 degrees. There are many reasons for this; shingles installed below this temperature do not have the proper time to seal. Some roofing companies will guarantee blow-offs until spring has sprung and the shingles are warmed up enough to seal. But, Shingle Manufacturers will not warranty this and if you pick the wrong contractor, you could be stuck with a nasty repair bill.

Shingles installed at or around a freezing temperature also have the tendency to crack. If your home has any valleys, then you are more than likely asking for a leak.

Best time to replace your roof.

We have discussed the downfall of replacing your roof in the winter. So if winter is the riskiest, what season is the best?

Roofing in the spring, summer and early fall can provide you plenty of time for your roof to seal. With average temperatures above 50 degrees and the sun shining, your roof will heat up and lay down sealing tighter than a Ziploc bag.

Warm temperatures and sunshine always provide for the best time to replace your roof. But, that doesn’t mean you should avoid thinking about it during the winter. If you have a problem or a leak, call your local roofing contractor and get an inspection, or do one yourself. We all know; when it comes to the weather in the Ohio valley; if you do not like it, wait 5 minutes. Winter in our area can still give you a good few days in a row to have your roof replaced and keep you happy and dry for the remainder of the winter.

Make sure, regardless of the time of year, you look over your warranty provided by both the manufacturer and Roofing contractor to make sure you are not inviting more problems than you may already have!

Ice and Water Shield

September 2, 2016 by Kyle Lyons Leave a Comment

Ice and Water shield, looks similar to felt. But, provides so much more for your home. Have you ever seen a roof installation and wondered what the local roofing contractor was installing? It rolls out like roofing felt, but what is that they are peeling off the back?

Ice and water shield was one of the greatest inventions for your local roofing contractor. Manufactured with a rubberized asphalt mixture, ice and water shield provides one of the best layers of protection a home could ask for.

Where to use ice and water shield?

Ice and Water Shield can and should be used in all climates and locations in the U.S. Depending on where you live in the country you will have different requirements for use.

Southern climates

In the south you do not have as much ice and snow to battle, most roofing contractors will use the product in areas that are prone to leaks. Valleys, chimneys, skylights and any in some cases walls as an extra layer of flashing

Northern climates

Sorry northerners, you need more Ice and Water Shield to protect your home. The snow and ice build-up that so commonly happens in your area needs to be stopped from entering into your home. In addition to valleys, chimneys, skylights and walls. Ice and Water Shield should be installed at the base of your roof. This provides an extra layer of protection in areas that ice and snow commonly build up.

How does Ice and Water work?

With the rubberized make up of Ice and Water shield, it provides a seal around every nail that penetrates the material. Think of a nail puncturing a tire, yes the nail goes in but immediately the rubber in the tire forms around the nail and in some cases, you will never have a leak.

That is why most reputable roofing contractors will explain the importance of ice and water shield and make sure it is installed properly and in the right locations.

We hope that regardless of who replaces your roof, ensure that this product is in installed in the areas needed depending on the climate.

Chimney Leak

August 17, 2016 by Kyle Lyons Leave a Comment

Rain pouring into your living room or den can be an unwanted experience? So what if you have a fireplace in your living area and you get the unsightly brown spots or water dripping on the floor or running down after every rain.

chimney leak

Chimneys

Chimneys and fireplaces are beautiful and relaxing. If you are fortunate enough to have one in your living room then you can relax with a good book and listen to the crackle of a warm fire on a cold winter night. Or even better, maybe you have one in your bedroom and can set the mood with your spouse and a nice glass of wine!

chimney-flashing

The provide dimension to the outside of your home and give the classic America feel to most homes. But, if flashing is installed improperly or sealant begins to break down you can find yourself using the wine glasses to catch water and that romantic mood can quickly turn into a nightmare!

Problems with chimneys

What can cause these leaks? First, your flashing could be the biggest problem. So what if you have a brick fireplace, then check the sealant along your counter flashing. If it is broken or cracked, that is more than likely your problem. If you have siding on your home, check the corners of the chimney and flashing, the flashing wraps around the corner and any sealant can break down over time.

chimney brick

Some lesser known problems can include sealing of your brick. Over time your brick can become porous and create a sponge effect when it rains. Regardless of how good your chimneys flashing job is, it could still leak!

If your chimney is any more than four foot wide you more than likely need to have a saddle installed to divert the water around each side of the chimney instead of directly in the back.

Check with your local professional roofing contractor and have an inspection done if you think you have any problems. It is better to make sure al of these problems are addressed during replacement but can be easily addressed if needed after your roof has been replaced.

Can roof flashing mean roof leak?

August 15, 2016 by Kyle Lyons Leave a Comment

Roof flashing has many jobs on your home. There can be many different styles of flashing on your home, from drip edge to step and counter flashing, pan flashing, pipe collars and vents, both HVAC and plumbing.

It is more than likely that if your roof has not been properly maintained and inspected over the years, you could be in trouble and have a potential leak just waiting to strike.

Different styles of roof flashing

Drip edge:

Drip edge is your first and one of the most important flashings on your roof. It does not look like much but without it you will have a lot of roof decking to replace during your next roof replacement

The purpose of drip edge is to prevent the roll over of water to the decking. This small piece of metal, installed on the base and the rakes of the roof prevents water from being blown on to the decking or water rolling over the edges of the shingles and working back to the roof deck.

Step Flashing

Step Flashing is very important. Not everyone has this style roof flashing on their home. Step flashing is used in areas that either walls for another story on your home or a chimney would protrude out of your roof.

This flashing normally never seen goes between the shingles and behind either wood or vinyl siding or counter flashing on brick homes. This flashing allows water to run below the shingle on top and run off onto the shingles below. One important thing to note is that this flashing should never be nailed down towards the bottom. This will likely create a leak.

Counter Flashing

Counter flashing is a roof flashing used on brick homes or in areas of brick chimneys protruding out of the roof. This flashing is used to protect the step flashing below and gives a decorative look to the brick areas on your roof.

Now, keep in mind there are different ways counter flashing can be installed on your home. Neither being wrong, counter flashing can be nailed to the brick with a stiffener bend along the top and front and sealed with silicone caulking. Secondly, some contractors prefer to cut the flashing into the mortar joints and re-tuck the mortar leaving a more long term flashing. Both are normal practice but the later can make it a little harder the change out if your metal ever needs replacement.

Pan Flashing

Pan flashing, very similar to step flashing is installed on the front area of any dormers or chimneys that are protruding out of your roof. This flashing is meant to protect the area where shingles are cut to match up to the wall or chimney. This flashing will be hidden behind siding but visible on the roof. On brick homes you will see both the roof and wall faces of this siding matching up with the counter flashing that is installed along the walls.

This flashing will be nailed on both the wall and roof side. Like counter flashing can be cut in the mortar or laid on top and sealed on both sides. All nail heads on bot roof and wall side should be sealed with silicone.

Make sure that when your pan flashing is installed that they include stiffener bends on both sides to ensure your metal does not warp and wrinkle due to temperature changes.

Pipe Collars

Pipe Collars are in a league of their own. Depending on plumbing or HVAC needs you could have anywhere from one to who knows how many! Your pipe collars provide protection from and pipes or heat stacks that protrude from your roof.

These flashings are installed easily but do require the most maintenance. Pipe collars should be checked at least every year to ensure the rubber seal around the pipe itself has not started to dry rot. Pipe collars can be replaced during your roofs life cycle but normally a small bead of silicone around the rubber seal can give you a few more years of life.

There are newer versions of pipe collars that provide a lifetime guarantee these can be found at your local Lowes or Home Depot.

Conclusion

Regardless of what kind of roof flashing you have on your roof, you should have it checked at a minimum yearly to make sure there are no small potential problems that will turn into a big leak. Contact your local professional roofing contractor to schedule an inspection.

Roof Leak at Pitch change

August 11, 2016 by Kyle Lyons Leave a Comment

Do you have a pitch change on your roof? Do you have a nagging leak you just cannot figure out in that same area?

What is a pitch change?

First off, what exactly is a pitch change? Most commonly, found on homes that have an extended front porch tying into their main home. It can be found on normal homes that have been built with dimension in order to break up the look of a straight home.

So how exactly can a pitch change create problems? Is it something that can be fixed in a DIY situation or something a professional contractor should address?

Problem areas in pitch change

Pitch changes do create an interesting situation. In areas that receive a fair amount of snow or long cold spells are at high risk of ice damns forming in areas of pitch changes. This can allow water to back up and work its way behind shingles and coming into your home.

Additionally, during the installation of your roof if nails are installed right in the middle of the pitch change can create major problems.

What to do?

So how as a homeowner can you try to fix this yourself? Well there is no easy way to as a homeowner. This issue should be address one by a professional contractor and even better if addressed during the original installation.

If you are installing the roof as a homeowner or having a contractor install the roof then its best to make sure you request an Owens Corning ice and water shield or similar product, in the pitch change in addition to all valleys. Make sure there are no nails nailed directly in the center of the pitch change.

Those seem like simple enough but a major issue that most people miss and even some contractors miss is “short shingling” the lower slope. If the slope is below a 2/12 pitch then an asphalt shingle system is out of the question, you must go with a system designed for low slopes.

Extra Protection

Another extra layer of protection that some companies install and we at the Lyons Roofing Company recommend is for any low slope system from 2/12 to a 4/12 pitch we install Owens Corning Ice and Water shield on the entire section.

As a homeowner or a do it yourselfer make sure you address these areas during the installation. If not you will have years and years of headaches.

CALL TODAY

Louisville: (502) 689-0338
Indiana: (812) 294-3595

When to replace your roof?

Replace your roof in the Midwest.

Best time to replace your roof.