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Sunday, December 30, 2012

What Does Masonry Have To Do With Roofs?

Walls made of masonry, chimneys and window ledges all can effect your home in a way that makes you think it is the roof. Water erosion of non sloping ledges beneath windows, walls not properly counterflashed, and chimneys so spald that a finger could demolish it.

Roofers lift up counterflashing and it cannot be returned to its original position due to the memory of the metal. You'd have to push the metal counterflashing back past the wall, which you can't, to get it to lay flush.

Besides you put on copper roofing or slate and the roofer never heard of the Nobility of Metals. so your galvanized counterflashing has started a battery on the roof with the exchange of material on a subatomic level that only young children can see.

Someone forgets to water the yard or the roots of that long gone Elm tree rot away and the foundation moves. Brick and mortar is not nearly as flexible as members of Congress, so the wall cracks and rain and bugs enter.

Blame it on the roofer. He could have told you about it but it happened later or he didn't get on the roof.

As part of any home maintenance program, property owners should walk around their home and survey the exterior. Hard to do when phydeaux had pooped everywhere and your teenage son hasn't done his job. But do look up. Look around. Gutters full? Draining? Shrubs holding up the gutters? The wall cracked? Bricks falling of the top of the chimney? Little pieces of brick all over the roof?

If you handle it early you can save tens of thousands. If you wait, we'll make some money.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas

As this is my 249th post with nearly 100,000 views, I am happy if I helped anyone anywhere. I've actually made some friends here and, of course, got a few jobs. So with the final post of the year I hope ya'll all have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Don't forget to pray for the people hurt by the two Sandy disasters. I don't think this Christmas will be as good as most of ours will be.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Attic Ventilation Isn't for Heat Anymore

We don't ventilate roofs to remove the heat in the summer. We did in past but not anymore. A lot of old-timers like me remember when Dallas Power and Light sent out notices informing people not to cover their turbines in the winter. Yet people did and still do. Here in the Dallas Fort Worth area of North Texas the temperatures have always soared. Global Warming started right here in Irving.
 
Before the advent of energy efficient windows and housewrap like Tyvek or Raindrop homes were leaky. Energy escaped but so did the humidity. When you tighten up the house the humidity stays too. When you wake up in the morning and are thirsty that pound or two you lost overnight is on a journey upward and into your attic.

Usually we determine the ventilation requirements by the size of your attic using the 300, or in some case the 150, Rule of Balanced Ventilation. If a lot of mammals like in your home then you might need to increase the ventilation, or open a window or two, because they might be breathing, bathing, cooking or who knows what (I do want to keep my PG-13 rating). Even washing and drying clothes releases a lot of water vapor into the climate controlled sealed air system you call home. If all those warm blooded beasts wear clothes them they'll need to be washed. I really can't figure out why my 14 year old some never has dirty clothes though.

In the attic there is a confluence of these various sources of moisture and the ambient air from outside. By the way, that premise is based on balanced ventilation from your builder, roofer or hole cutting designee.

I just want the rug rats to know that their asthma might be a result of using a roofer with 1970 technology: venting to remove heat. The spores from your Spelunker's Cave sitting on top of your child's bedroom, a place you call the attic, have been breeding, permeating your framing, siding, mildewing your soffits, and causing general mayhem.

The heat removal is just a plus, and a mighty one at that, but do you think lowering your attic from 160 F to 130 F is wonderful. It is unless you are in it, and you'll still cook, albeit just a little slower.

By the way, if you read the small print on your roof warranty, the warranty is void if you don't follow the rules. Duh? And I promise you your roof will fail in less than 15 years. The blistering, granular loss, cracking, curling or clawing might happen in as little as six or seven.

Tired of repainting your house, wondering why your insulation is packed, the kids are sick, the house smells like old people and puppies, your electric bills are higher that your neighbor's, and only you got ice dams in the last ice event? I bet you wished you paid your deductible now rather than listening to a liar.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope Santa doesn't mess up your roof.




Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Monday, November 19, 2012

GAF Theft and Home Depot

Now get this: why is it that a disproportional amount of GAF roofing materials are stolen from job sites? These shingles grow legs faster than a walking catfish or mudskipper. Let''s say GAF is 60% of the market, then why does it seem that GAF composes 95% of the theft? The answer is Home Depot.

Home Depot does not require a receipt for returns but Lowes does.  So does every other responsible retailer. Home Depot sells GAF and Lowes sells Owens Corning. We've called both and verified this after other roofing contractors told me about the "no receipt rule" at Home Depot. This info was disclosed when we were discussing the theft of GAF Timberline from their jobs and one from the contractors own home. The Certainteed rep says the GAF are stolen because they weigh less. According to one supplier, who weighed the shingles, the Timberlines from Home Depot weigh less than the ones he sells. I will not tell you who told me this because he no wanna problemos but the difference was considerable. I will conduct an inquiry myself and let you know. If anyone else has first hand data please let me know.

Do you think Home Depot cares if roofing contractors lose money, being that Home Depot is also a roofing contractor? They don't give cash, they give store credits. That is like making a sale. They get the profit on the back end like a pawn shop, a fence, an alley dealer. That may be a little rough but they are not acting like responsible members of the community. Those stolen shingle cause people hardship, drive up the cost of roofing, and run businesses out of business.

I personally find it unethical to receive materials back without a receipt and then make money with a captive customer with a store voucher. Profit is made by the mark up on the voucher purchases. The local police probably don't like it any better than I do.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Insurance Policies and Code Upgrade Rider

Until recently if something on your roof, or any other part of the home, was not up to code and replacement was covered by the insurance carrier, the insurance paid for the upgrade to code compliance. The insurance doesn't pay for sloppy workmanship, seconds or defective materials, or anything that is not a sudden loss by an "Act of God." But they would pay if a legal government entity like the state, county or municipality required better materials.

If a Homeowners Association or the Mafia required you to put on thicker shingles or decking you were out of pocket.

The change came recently as we fought the insurance companies to pay for better decks on homes with 3/8" decking and won. These thin decks had their roofs replace several times and like most roofs were improperly ventilated. They were safety hazards not only for the roofers but for anyone going up their to get an errant newspaper or put out a fire.

In the recent past many areas allowed fire resistant decking to be used on multifamily condos in lieu of through roof firewalls. The accelerated testing methods did not show that once heated the chemicals used for the fire retardant slowly destroyed the structural integrity of the manufactured wood. Sheet happens and sometimes 4x8.

Last summer an employee of an insurance company said he was going to talk to the cities and see if he could get some relief. That means inferior building codes. Now Irving allows for 3/8" decking to be laid over your worn out decking that is unfit for a sanitary landfill.

A small step for insurance, a giant fall for the firemen. Anyway, if you can find 3/8", it is not that much cheaper but the insurance doesn't have to pay for the removal and disposal of the old deck. This is the unblemished endorsement of shoddy workmanship that insurance companies warn you about.

In conclusion it is reasonable though. You shouldn't expect your insurance to remodel your home. Now go ask your agent if he's offered you the code upgrade feature and if there is anything else he should tell you before he gets you with the low bid policy that covers very little.

Do you even know what your deductible is and if it the same for all types of claims? If you ask your agent for advice and he's experienced, he'll probably get to work and explain your options. There are lots of shortcuts being thrown out there these days and you don't want to find out the hard way that you didn't have flood, fire, arson or code upgrade coverage.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Saturday, September 15, 2012

The Evolution of Roofing Felt

Merriam Webster describes felt as such:

 feel

1felt

noun \ˈfelt\

Definition of FELT

1
a : a cloth made of wool and fur often mixed with natural or synthetic fibers through the action of heat, moisture, chemicals, and pressure
b : a firm woven cloth of wool or cotton heavily napped and shrunk
2
: an article made of felt
3
: a material resembling felt: as
a : a heavy paper of organic or asbestos fibers impregnated with asphalt and used in building construction
b : semirigid pressed fiber insulation used in building 

We will discuss 3a, of course.

Originally there was just 15 lb., 30 lb., and copper felt. They were made from pulp made from rags, newspaper, and even old dollar bills. At the GAF plant on Singleton Blvd. in Dallas, TX, there was once a network of government agents guarding a convoy of armored vehicles coming from Treasury to guard the old dollar bills about to be mushed into roofing felt. 15 lb. weighed about 15 lbs. per square and 30 lb. did as its moniker stated also. Copper felt was a flashing, that I've actually seen, used for flashing. Copper was laminated to the asphalt impregnated felt. Watching the felt and asphalt get it on has scarred me for life.

There are other old felts, like asbestos, that we won't talk about because the censors at the EPA are in the next room. By the way, it was replaced by fiberglass felt.

Some felts were used for built up roofs, known as BUR, because they are used in layers with an interply of asphalt, to build up layers. Later they were punctured full of holes so the fumes and vapor could escape. This felt has been long gone from my life but could still be in use in colder climes. Non-fiberglass felts work well where it is so cold the fiberglass felts shatter.

The problem with 30 lb. as an underlayment is that it can wrinkle, even after it has been installed, and it is also a vapor barrier. This will accelerate the demise of a less than perfectly ventilated attic as it is moisture, and not heat, that is the Great Satan of Roofing.

On low slope roofs two ply of 15 lb. is mandated because it eliminates the weakness of a two inch lap that one ply of 30 lb. has plus the wrinkle factor. Any wrinkles on a roof between a 2/12 and 4/12 is a cardinal sin. 30 lb. under composition can be an original sin if it is not ventilated buy the rules governing fluid dynamics and moisture migration. These be Bernoulli, not to be confused with the great Texan Burnelli, and Venturi. If you are lost here you're going to flunk the test at the end of the blog. So you better go back to the beginning and start taking notes.

Sometime back in the late 1980's the 15lb. became #15 and 30 lb. became #30. This was because they weren't what they used to be. They lost their tonnage and the lb. suffix became a "#" prefix.  Sorry Capitalist Pigs, of which I am a card carrying member.

So what's an ethical roofer to do? Fret? Cry? Stomp his feet until something better comes along? Assuredly we did and the roof god Techus provided us with an alternative to sin. Synthetics, something short of sin but in the same category. This is because there are some really bad ones and some okay ones and some really fantastic ones. You've got a complete cornucopia of synthetics and hybrids out there that could confuse even the most learned of roofing Philosophers and Sophists.

Some synthetics breath and others do not. Permeability, my friend, is the mother of roof penicillin. Whether it be in the movement of attic air or the containment of humidity in the undergarments of roofing, the issue is the same: moisture ruins organic and metallic materials.

The hybrids are asphaltic felts that lay flat like #15, ugh, but have the strength of #30.

Now, let's talk new construction versus re-roofing steep roofs. When roofers roof new homes they can use #15. They roll felt and lay roofing. They do not need to walk on the #15, and if they did they'd be mangled in some way or another. #15 will not support a person on a steep roof. When re-roofing a steep roof, the roofers must dry in the home rapidly to protect the contents and the finished product: sheetrock, paint, insulation, carpet, etc.

In the recent past all the way back to my ancient beginnings as a roofer, insurance companies paid for #30 on insurance claims pertaining to steep roofs. This protected the roofer from certain death. Now they cheap out and only pay for #30 if it is on the roof prior to replacement. I've told them that one day a roofer will break his neck and they will be included in the lawsuit. I hope some attorney comes across this and uses it in his filings.

There is so much more more to tell about felt but my felt pen is running dry.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Monday, August 13, 2012

Every Hailstorm Is Exactly the Same

Just like that Nine Inch Nails' song, "Every Day Is Exactly the Same", every hailstorm is exactly the same.

"But I can tell you exactly how it will end. There is no love here.
I'm writing on a little piece of paper
I'm hoping someday you might find
Well I'll hide it behind something
They won't look behind...

...I can't remember how this got started
Oh, but I can tell you exactly how it will end."



You signed that paper and you don't know the guy. He knocked on your door and the lizard part of your brain bought and now your cerebral cortex cannot rationalize it. 

This is your home. You only worried about a deductible and free sounded good, yet the costs are tremendous.

First there will be no one around to fix the leaks, there will be no warranty because he doesn't have any idea what the warranty caveats are, and you lost out on the non-prorated part and the labor part of the warranty because he is not certified.

By using someone off the manufacturer's already culled list your chances are greatly enhanced at getting a quality product on the most expensive item you've purchased to date: your home and all of its contents.

A good hand nailed roof with balanced, and I mean balanced, ventilation is pretty awesome stuff but having a transferable 100% material and labor warranty for 50 years, when most roofs won't pass inspection after eleven or twelve, is more than a great thing. It is an insurance policy. And if you have doubt, just look at how much your insurance is paying for it.

Rarely does an insurance company pay correctly the first time out and the door knocking roofer doesn't care because he'll just cut product out, use a felt stretcher and a sky hook, and hire strangers lurking around Home Depot to put on your roof. You can't get the better warranty if all the proper accessories aren't used and you don't get the minimum if you don't follow the "300 Rule of Balanced Ventilation".

So when the mushroom roofers pop up and start jumping out from behind the bushes trying to get you in a hurry, calm down and take a breath, and if you need an answer now the answer is no. Haste makes waste.

Crosby, Stills and Nash sang about it in "Deja Vu":

"And I feel
Like I've been here before
Feel
Like I've been here before
And you know
It makes me wonder..."



Jon Wright again.
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Friday, August 3, 2012

Roof Scams Anyone?

So the door to door roofing salesman has hit your porch wanting you to sign. Don't worry, the document you sign does not hold up unless he gets all people on the title to sign and he tells you about the right of rescission.

Byron Harris of WFAA, Channel 8 affiliate for ABC, did a nice piece on roof scams on July 29th called "Roof Repairs:Read and understand before you sign." My advice is to not sign anything. Don't let anyone on your roof or, for heaven's sake, in your home just because they say they're a roofer. All the more reason to run them off.

Do your homework. Make sure they are registered with the city and, if canvassing door to door, have their permit to do so. Cities vet people with background checks and issue permits to go door to door. Burglaries go up after storms and you might just have let Jack the Roof Ripper in your home.

Check references, insurance (you can have yourself named with a rider to make sure it is real and the insurance will mail you a current form), and check to see if the roofer is certified by the manufacturer that he is using. This increases the warranty from being a prorated material only coverage on product failure to up to 50 years 100% coverage on replacement costs with product defect.

But if the roofer doesn't follow the 300 Rule of Balanced Ventilation there is no warranty and your roof will fail, your insulation will compress, the paint will peel, your kids will cough, and the roof decking will weaken.

The BBB, Angie's List, and exhaustive searches on the internet can help protect you from this unregulated bunch of gypsies. And so can not giving any money down and not signing any paper you haven't read, like Byron Harris said. Otherwise he may be writing about you.

If the roofer is uninsured and floods your house, does not pay his material and labor bills, just puts the roof on badly so it looks like poo and leaks, steals your stuff, ruins your landscaping, lets your dog get out, causes your wife to kick you out, or is just a general weirdo, then it is your own arse-fault, er, asphalt. So c. y. a. because these roofs are important, cost a lot of money, and protect almost everything you own.

By the way, in the picture in the WFAA article, the roofer is laying GAF Timberline lifetime roofing incorrectly. The manual says the material must be staggered and not racked. This is a warranty violation. I guess he's not a certified Master Elite. Inspectapedia has a good article on GAF contractors.

CertainTeed has the same program for your protection.

Don't just run off a cliff, or your roof. Protect your home and your family.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How Thick is Your Roof?

Let me put the issue of shingle grade in a clearer light. Insurance companies are initially paying for the lowest grade of roofing upon their inspection. As most roofers are not familiar with industry history and changes, and because they are in a hurry, they just use whatever the insurance pays for and sometimes even put thinner, lighter, less warrantied products on.

The insurance adjusters want to do the right thing but sometimes their bosses tell them to do otherwise. I've been told by adjusters that their boss says they are broke and can't pay right. So you, the homeowner, pays.

If the gauge works to their advantage, they use it. An Allstate adjuster tried to say my replacement Class IV Timberline ArmorShield shingle was a 30 year because his Haag Engineering gauge said it was. If he had read their article (found here, question #12) on the usage he would have known the gauge does not apply to Class IV shingles. The product is made differently, and thickness and years in warranty do not effect impact resistance ratings.

They always look for a way to dumb down the roof. One of my previous customers in Irving has a 1995 Presitque Plus and it is a real looker. Thick and beefy but they want to put on today's "50 year" which is much thinner. She wants the same look but the adjuster says that he can only pay for what she has. So what's the problem?

50 year single manufacture in 1995.
"50 year" shingle manufactured in 1995.

50 year shingle manufactured in 2012.
"50 year" shingle manufactured in 2012.

Now he's looking at warranty, not thickness. If it has a higher warranty but gauges thinner, they pay for a thinner less warrantied roof product.

Demand similar! They will walk all over you and devalue your home in the process.

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

How Insurance Companies Evaluate the Grade of Roofing You Have

They do a poor job. Often they call all laminates 30 year when until recently the 40 year was the most commonly sold product.

When the laminated shingle craze began was in the era of cedar shingles and many were installed over the cedar shingles. When subsequent damage occurred the replacement roof was the middle quality or heavy. The lightweight looked horrrible over wood shingles.
Let me digress. GAF introduced a thick 340 lb. Timberline organic product in the 1970's which failed because it was thick and full of paper , ergo organic. In about 1980 the fiberglass version arrived at about 300lbs. per square with a 30 year warranty..

Here came the idealistic and innovative folks at Elcor, with their Woody Wood Pecker mascot, and new market strategies. Thus was born the Elk Presique II, a 240 lb. 25 year little brother to the 320 lb. Prestique  (I) 30 year. They had hoped to upgrade homeowners from the basic three tab model to the PII but has inadvertently cost them the PI business. So they came up with the 375 lb. Prestique Plus 40 year and completely dropped their Sunseal 25 year three tab.

Over at GAF all sorts of convulsions were going on. The Timberline continued for years as a 5" exposure 30 year but then came a Woodline 25 year, a Woodline Plus 30 year and the Timberline 30 year.

Times were good. The 25 year was about 250 lbs., the 30 year was about 300, and the 40 was about 400 lbs.

In 2001 Atlas upgraded its 30 year to a 35 and it's 40 year to a 45. So everyone started to leap frog and the old 25-30-40 years became 30-40-50 respectively.

So here we are with all the insurance companies calling every roof a 30 year and as the margins are about the same the storm roofers don't care what they put on. They make the same whether it is a 30, 40, or 50 year. Ethical and concerned contractors will fight for months to get the insurance to pay for the right grade, which costs the insurance more but makes him the same. That  is bad because when your costs go up and the profit in dollars is the same, then the percentage of margin goes down, increasing risk.

The plot thickened last year when all the roofing manufacturers discontinued their 40 year, the middle grade. all the insurance carriers except for Allstate will pay for the next grade better, the 50 year. That is enough to get the class 4 laminated. Allstate stands alone stating they pay for what is on the roof whether or not it is available.

My friend Adela told me that her roofing company was having problems because some 25 year three tabs were gauging out at 20 year and that is all the insurance would pay for despite her copies of her invoices stating she bought Royal Sovereign 25 year.

An Allstate adjust told me that she didn't care if the code said I had to replace certain flashings and when I mentioned that the roof was on reduced exposure, using 20% more product to compensate for a low slope, she asked me to show her the code for that. I left her on the roof and told the homeowner to sue them. She basically called me stupid. That....

Now that we have established that they use the code when they want and ignore it when they want, we know they ignore thickness whenever, no, all the time. There are no standard laminates that match the Prestique Plus for thickness. Period! You have to go to specialty roofing to match them. They won't go there.
One USAA adjuster, and don't get me wrong because they are excellent for the last two years, told me they wouldn't go from a 30 to a 50 year. Ii told her she wasn't. They were going from a 40 to a 50.

So use a micrometer and ask for a comparably thick product. Size matters when it comes to looking at a roof. That Haag gauge is good but even they admit it is flawed. As Captain Barbossa said: 'And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules." and in no way can the gauge apply to class 4 roofing.

The way to determine your roof quality is with an invoice or actually sending it to a lab. When we sent one to Farmer's Insurance lab, they lied through omission. They said it was a 30 year, and it was prior to 2001, but it is not today. Now it is a 40 only replaced with a 50, unless you have Allstate. They you are treated differently than all other insurance companies treat their customers.



Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Electricity Rate Hikes, Efficient roofs and Attics, Solar Energy

Deja Vu all over again. Last week I heard that Texas has approved an electricity rate increase of up to 25%. Also in the news were reports that if we have a really hot summer that there will be rolling blackouts. You must prepare for this now by one of several means:
Increase your ventilation to meet the manufacturer and building code requirements of balanced ventilation. A few roofers know the math and the way to design the fluid dynamic flow of a Venturi tube attic ventilation system. (Refer to other blogs here about ventilation or go to Ehow and read my discourse on ventilation.)
Install moe insulation but do not block off your intake vents.
Install either radiant barrier decking or high emissivity Energy Star roofing.
Install solar panels or solar shingles. We have both.
Hire a marriage counselor or, if you wait, a divorce attorney.

No matter what, you risk living in a hot home with sweaty sheets all night long. People die from this. Don't say I didn't warn you. The first three methods will reduce your energy costs but the forth one might save your life and/or family.

If you buy a solar energy system and you sell excess back onto the grid, so called net metering, the system shuts down during power outages. The electric companies don't want you to electrocute their employees and they don't want you to have electricity when your neighbors don't. They might kill you. Put down the gun.

This is a real possibility and will happen to some of us sooner or later. If we all work together by being prudent then we'll improve our odds. So quit being greedy and raise the thermostat from 72 to 78 and turn on a fan. Otherwise we might all face hell.

The Spanish word for summer is invierno but the word for hell is infierno. No hay quatro estaciones del clima aqui' en Texas. Son dos: invierno y infierno,

http://www.theroofforum.net/2010/08/should-roof-have-vents-or-ventilation.html

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

How To Make Your Roof and Roof Structure More Wind and Tornado Resistant.

Those pesky storms and tornadoes caused a lot of damage yesterday but in terms of total dollars I bet more damage was caused by the near hits, or wind to roofs in Arlington, Coppell, Carrollton, Dallas, Euless, Forney, Frisco, Lancaster

If you had a direct hit by a tornado there is no one that can help you but the Red Cross, your family and church, your insurance company and the contractor you carefully choose. But if your neighbor was plastered and his debris hit your home or your roof was damaged, then there were precautions you could have taken, and still might, to mitigate the amount of collateral damage your roof and roof structure sustained.

Starting with the roof and working down and into the framing, the first thing I would suggest is hand nailed roofing. Roofing nail guns drive nails at up to 952 mph. Enough said if you've ever held a fiberglass shingle or been hit in the head by anything going over 500 mph.

Next comes the felt. If it is not flat, the wind has something to grab a hold of. ( “This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.”Churchill). There are specialty flat laying felts like Roofer's Select or Shinglemate that help keep the roof surface flat.

Professional starter strips, rather than 20 year shingles turned around upside down and backwards help with the first course and rake edge by giving a stouter material with self seal near the edge. They also help prevent ladder damage to the edge.

Six nailing will increase your wind warranty from the manufacturer.

Now we go down into the meat of the home to find weaknesses. The first is old weak plywood badly nailed and improperly spaced. If coated or hot dip galvanized nails weren't used, the shingles might stay on but the plywood they are nailed too might be up there with Toto on the way to Oz. Lack of spacing causes buckling, giving the wind a place to grab.

Thicker plywood, or OSB, will help just by being heavier and having more wood to keep the decking nails implanted. Might as well as use Techshield and get the energy saving.

Hurricane clips, not like on new construction along the coast, which we can't install without removing your brick or siding, but the kind that connect the rafter to the top plate. These little inexpensive items give over 50% more uplift protection. That might just do the trick if it is just a drive by tornado.

Lastly, believe it or not, ventilation. Ventilation makes everything last longer. Paint, roofing, insulation, decking, your money, your health, your air conditioner, your marriage, not necessarily in that order. By keeping everything strong and dry from excessive humidity, ventilation keeps the entire structure younger.





Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Friday, March 9, 2012

Insurance company and Roofer Rip Off Homeowner with Cheap Settlement and Bad Workmanship

Below is a conversation I had online with a stranger in a pickle. The roof, which didn't leak before, now leaks that it has been changed. The roofer says that the insurance did not pay to replace the chimney flashings so he isn't responsible. He has a leg to stand on but I don't know how strong it is. For the sake of customer relations he should fix it but I don't think he knows how.
 
Dear Jon Wright:

I've been searching for information on the web this afternoon and tonight and came across your The Roof Forum site.

After reading along for some time, I think you may be the person I've been looking for to answer some questions.  I hope you don't mind my inquiry and can offer some assistance.

I'm just a regular person, living in my home, had storm damage and replaced my roof, and now my roof leaks.  The storm damage didn't make the roof leak - we replaced in along with many of our neighbors when the roofing companies emerged from the bushes and pointed out that last year's storm had damaged our roof.  We were told we WOULD have water leaks in the future, if we didn't replace our roof.  So, what right-minded homeowner wouldn't proceed and call their insurance company to get the ball rolling?  We took the leap of faith.

Since that fateful day last Spring, I've learned more about roof shingles and architectural shingles and now, flashing and chimneys than any 50-year old grandma REALLY wants to know. My previous idea of a roof was the thing that kept the elements out of the inside of your home! And still, I really know nothing at all...

Some basic facts:
My brand new 2-story house is 6 years old now, 5-1/2 at time of roof replacement.
Composition roof - entire roof replaced with architectural shingles.
Chimney is located alongside a valley, approx. 4 feet above roof end

Claim initiated April 2011
Roof replaced June 2011
1st leak  October, 2011 (1st major Fall storm).  Roofing contractor came out and caulked the roof, repaired interior water damage to wall.
2nd leak January, 2012:  Roofing contractor returned, determined the leak was at the chimney flashing. Evidently the other 'repair' had not identified the actual leak?
Feb 2012:  Leak band aided to review responsibility and promised to return when it rained again to see if leak resolved.
Mar 2012:  Advised leak is at the flashing, wasn't replaced at re-roof as part of claim, therefore not their problem.
                    Called insurance company.  Advised not part of original claim because pictures didn't show any flashing damage.  Advised it is roofing contractor's problem.

My quandary. my interior wall below the chimney in the master bedroom has water damage (the water cascades down the wall when it rains hard), and another leak has appeared in the family room - the drywall has a bubble when it rains  (probably along a joist from the fireplace, I am told).  I simply want my roof to stop leaking and to repair all the existing damage, and hopefully, prevent any further leakage and subsequent water damage.

And, I want to understand why this is neither the responsibility of the roofing company I hired, nor the insurance company I paid the deductible for already?  Rather, in both their opinions, oops - sorry, it's my problem!

Questions: 
1.  Since the roof never leaked in the 5 years prior to the replacement of the roof shingles sans flashing replacement - is the leak a result of the roof repair?  Poor planning/workmanship? Or was it just dumb luck it hadn't been a problem before the roof replacement?

2.   Is it general practice when re-roofing a home to replace the flashing or shore it up?

Jon, I am not a roofer.  I had no idea there were different types of roof shingles before last year, let alone all the information I need to absorb in order to intelligently converse or make comments about what is happening now (with the leak, responsibility, further action, etc.).

Any advise you can offer will be extremely appreciated.

Best regards,
Name redacted.

Hello Name Redacted,

First, do you mind if I copy our conversation and use it as a forum entry? This is a great concern of mine that I bring up with insurance companies all the time. I will delete names if you wish.

Second, I am not an attorney and this is not legal but only practical advice.

There is a program called Xactimate that the insurance companies have been using for years. It is the preeminent insurance adjusting program and roofers have been able to use it for the last several years. We are told what to charge and what we can charge for. A line item exists for "chimney flashing" but some insurance companies, i.e.: State Farm and Allstate, say the flashing must be damaged. The roofing manufacturers and the building codes state that they must be in like new condition. Sometimes we get paid for reflashing the chimney and other times they give us the labor but not the material. Deep in the pricing the cost of reflashing a chimney can be broken out into labor and material.

Nevertheless it is the roofing contractor's obligation to provide a roof "system" that doesn't leak even though the insurance company only wants to pay for a partial roof system. As both sides are pointing the finger at each other I would hold both culpable, especially the roofer.

Most of the mushroom roofers sprout from the ground and not from behind the bushes, although I love your analogy, and promise to save your deductible. This is insurance fraud unless the deductible was covered by items not replaced, like a portable building, or paid by the homeowner. The roofer committed fraud when he sent a bill for more than he charged you but you might get caught in the trap.

flashings and metal edge because those items were not hail damaged. I showed the adjuster that the roof had two ply felt, as required by code and that code required that the felt be installed underneath the metal edging on the rakes and over the metal edge on eaves. That required that the edging be changed. The adjuster said she didn't care about the code. When I showed them that the roofing was installed on a 4" reduced exposure, using 20% more material, the adjuster asked me to show her a specification for that.

Having incensed me totally, I told the adjuster that the conversation was over, that I would not be talked to like an idiot, and that a lawsuit would probably follow. They've been trying to get me to write an explanation ever since.

Meanwhile, back at your roof, if I were you I'd use social media like Angie's List, the BBB, Google, and whatever you can find to make their lives miserable, unless you sue them, until the roof is fixed. If you use someone to repair the roof, you'll need to have photos of the whole process taken. The roofer had to tear out the old roofing and reinstall even if he integrated it with the old flashing. No leak before, leak now, it's a warranty issue.

The leak falls squarely on the roofer but the insurance companies need to be forced to stop breaking antitrust laws by price fixing too.

I hope this helps. Sorry for the lack of cohesion but I was interrupted at least eight times and had two appointments show up while trying to respond.

Jon

 
Wow!  You really gave me a lot to digest!  Thanks so VERY, VERY much.

Go right ahead and use our conversation.  I benefited greatly by your blogs and that was what prompted me to write to you.  Pay it forward.  If our conversation helps another, GREAT!

I'm attaching pictures of what I'm dealing with.  I climbed up there (yes, at 56, I still climb up on my roof.)  The lower section is over the master bedroom.  Not so frightening as the 2-story level.  It was windy today, so I minded my P's and Q's.  It keeps blowing my chairs off the porch, so I can imagine what unfettered wind would do to 120# at 30 feet up...

The roofing contractor used silicone to seal up the holes.  I'm concerned about this stuff lasting.  It doesn't do much in the gutters - fixing my leaks, so I can't imagine it lasts all that long on the hot surface of my roof.  I will call him back to repair his repair, and to address the leaks AGAIN.

I've asked my insurance company to provide me with the photos that SHOW the flashing was in pristine condition after the hail storm.  That, too, I plan to send back to the roofing contractor.  Unfortunately for him, I'm not easily put off.  I've worked customer service for many years.  My job has been to RESOLVE customer complaints and deal with my management - even though they are consistently reminding me we are below the bottom line on a project.  Well, if we do it right the first time...

So, again, thank you.  You've enlightened me still further, and I'm confident which path to take.  Just had to 'learn' more about what we were talking about.  As they say, "jack of all trades, but master at none."

Best regards,
Name Redacted

 
Sent: Tue, March 6, 2012 4:17:21 PM
Subject: Re: Roofing question - due to a leak
Wow!  You really gave me a lot to digest!  Thanks so VERY, VERY much.

Go right ahead and use our conversation.  I benefited greatly by your blogs and that was what prompted me to write to you.  Pay it forward.  If our conversation helps another, GREAT!

I'm attaching pictures of what I'm dealing with.  I climbed up there (yes, at 56, I still climb up on my roof.)  The lower section is over the master bedroom.  Not so frightening as the 2-story level.  It was windy today, so I minded my P's and Q's.  It keeps blowing my chairs off the porch, so I can imagine what unfettered wind would do to 120# at 30 feet up...

The roofing contractor used silicone to seal up the holes.  I'm concerned about this stuff lasting.  It doesn't do much in the gutters - fixing my leaks, so I can't imagine it lasts all that long on the hot surface of my roof.  I will call him back to repair his repair, and to address the leaks AGAIN.

I've asked my insurance company to provide me with the photos that SHOW the flashing was in pristine condition after the hail storm.  That, too, I plan to send back to the roofing contractor.  Unfortunately for him, I'm not easily put off.  I've worked customer service for many years.  My job has been to RESOLVE customer complaints and deal with my management - even though they are consistently reminding me we are below the bottom line on a project.  Well, if we do it right the first time...

So, again, thank you.  You've enlightened me still further, and I'm confident which path to take.  Just had to 'learn' more about what we were talking about.  As they say, "jack of all trades, but master at none."
 Best regards,
Name Redacted 


Jon's response:

Can you take some pictures from a distance? I see what looks like new sheetmetal in one picture.
When a chimney is at an angle like yours the roofer does not use step flashing. There needs to be pans on top the roofing where the water runs away and under the shingles where it runs into it. Plus you have a valley running into it.
Caulking and tar is a temporary fix, if that, and makes further repairs more difficult.
The siding needs to be removed and new flashing installed. The intransigence of both the roofer and insurance have left you in a pickle. The roofer could have gotten the labor but should have stated prior to the job that a lack of reflashing could result in a leak. He probably didn't state such a caveat.
What city do you live in? Was a permit and follow up city inspection required?
Was the roofer certified?
I hope those aren't Atlas shingles.

Reader response:
 
Additional pics attached.  No new sheetmetal.  Just the original stuff that the builder installed 6 years ago now.

We live in Little Elm, TX but not the "city of" - we are unincorporated Denton County.  I don't believe a permit or inspection was required.

GAF architectural shingles.

BedRock Contracting in Grapevine.  Certified?  They tout 10 years experience and are accredited by the BBB.  Sadly, they were a 'friend of a friend,' and we did them a 'favor' taking them over someone else we had chosen.


So, if I understand you correctly, you are saying the rear pan flashing needs to be removed (where the leak is at both corners).  Or, does ALL the flashing AROUND the chimney need to be replaced?

Name Redacted

Jon's response:

Name Redacted,


These are not GAF shingles. Period.  I think they are Atlas Pinnacle.
The bottom of the chimney is improperly done. No step flashing ( pieces of flashing) should be there. There needs to be a solid piece on top of the shingles as the water is running away.  I can't tell on the back side but the flashing needs to be a solid piece on each side that goes under the shingle.
Caulk is a less than temporary fix otherwise roofing would be caulk.
Seems the whole chimney needs redoing.
There is no Bedrock certified by GAF in Texas.

Jon

Reader response:

Thank you for your insightful information.

I will take it from here, and I can't thank you enough for all the assistance (and support) you've given me.
Angels unawares...

Bless you,
 Name Redacted

 

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Unbreakable Rule of Flat roofs.

Thou shalt not roof over moisture. Any form of water, whether it be mere dampness or pools of mud, will blow apart the new roof.

Flat roofs are monolithic systems that need to flex, stretch, and stay adhered at the seams and flashings.
When they heat up, and boy do they, a contained drop of water will become excited and try to grow into a gallon of vapor, or something like that. The monolith is just that and there is no lap point for it to expand. Blisters form or an osmotic type action called migration occurs. Permeability is not a good thing for bathtubs.

H2O is a mean son of a gun and will destroy everything you own if you don't respect it. Water gives life 
but can also kill. If you are sure beyond a doubt that no water is in your flat roof system you should not
 reroof it anyway because decompsing roofs emit gases.

Best bet is to remove all old roofing. otherwise you can look at some of the roof restoration systems 
available for smooth surface roofs. Sometimes a restored roof is better than the original one, 
especially those using butyl tape on the seams and a two coat reflective system.


Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Radiant Barrier Done Wrong

Shouting from the rooftops I do declare that a lot of homeowners have been had, badly. The repeatedly made stupid mistakes never cease to amaze me. First and foremost is the failure to follow the 300 Rule of Balanced ventilation. Roof failure will be imminent and there is no warranty. Besides your sick kids (heat+humidity+organic material= spores, or equation #2, negative attic pressure can result in radon or other gases infiltrating through the foundation), high utility bills, peeling paint, premature deck failure, compressed insulation, and general chaos and mayhem.

But my stomach churns the most lately when I inspect an attic and see radiant barrier decking nailed directly to lathe. Here's the run down. 1) Wood shingles have a low density and reduce conductivity.
                                              2) Solid decking transmits a lot more heat.
                                              3) Energy efficient decking installed over lathe makes your attic even hotter.

The inventors of Techshield, formerly called KoolPly, warned that aluminum is a great conductor. Now the brochures leave out this quality and only mention that aluminum does not emit and reflects. But it doesn't when in contact with wood. Otherwise we would just put the aluminum side upwards.

The current manufacturers tell us to remove every other lathe and a 305 reduction of efficiency will occur 9 because there is more contact with wood than when placed onto rafters spaced every two feet. They forget to mention that both plywood and OSB are strong only in one direction so that if there is about a 15" gap on the 50% removal technique, the decking will warp just like when the eight foot side is the vertical rather than horizontal side. When you remove half the lathes the decking thinks that the lathe is the rafter.

So more contact means more heat. People pay extra for a hotter attic. They pay everyone. Build more dams, power plants, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island because that is what your attic will feel like:MELTDOWN! You are better off with normal decking or wood shingles under your roof that with misapplied radiant barrier decking.

Many times you can't remove the lathe because the rafters are not on two foot centers. Why? Because when you install lathe or plank decks, they don't have to be. What carpenter would take the time for a half inch difference if it made no difference. Larry Sample said rather wisely, "What's a half inch amongst friends?"
He also said that h his house had a perfectly good ventilation system until the previous owner put in turbines. I almost fell down while I inquired as how the hell did he know that. He's a mechanical HVAC guy and understands that roofing is rocket science: Venturi, Bernoulli, negative pressure, fluid dynamics (in a simple kind of way) and String Theory. Well not actually the last one but all the others apply.

Back at the inferno, the sun shines on the roof, the heat permeates the roofing, then the deck, and is now super conducted into the lathe by the highly conductive aluminum, which as turned on you like your tonsils. I love that old Bill Cosby record.

You want vent ridge? Sure we'll do it. and we'll put in some turbines and some power vents, and whatever you want... No education going on here. Just a whole lot of baking going on.






Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
    Follow jwrightroofing on Twitter