Bauer Roofing Blog - Shingles

Asphalt Roofing Project: Downtown Columbia, SC

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:37:00 -0400

If there is one thing that I like about my job more than anything else, it is getting to know an old, downtown, South Carolina home. I’ve had the privilege of walking through the attic of houses that were well over a hundred years old, and have seen some interesting things. From 60 year-old newspapers to beams (or trusses) that were made out of logs –milled from the trees that were on the property—and still had the pine bark on them.

Maybe I’m just a nostalgic, but I think that’s fascinating.

This house, in downtown Columbia near the river, is a beautiful house that the homeowner was fixing up. When I measured the house and went through the attic, rotten wood was found around the chimney on the front and throughout the house in different spots. On an old house, more often than not, you are going to find broken and split boards, due to years of heat and moisture.

The front of her house has a chimney that is nearly at the bottom of a steep valley. It had been leaking for years, causing serious damage to the inside. From the initial pictures I could see where roofer after roofer had tried to fix the chimney with all kinds of remedies, but it wasn’t until we got the shingles off that we could actually tell what needed to be done and how. We ended up custom making a “cricket” that would shed water in three different directions. You’ll have to look at the pictures to understand.

Also, the vinyl siding that had been installed years before didn’t have any soffit vents cut into them. Obviously, in order for the house to breathe, it must have intake and exhaust. When the existing siding was taken off, it was discovered that it had been leaking and a good bit of the fascia was rotted. We removed the old siding and installed new siding that was perforated all the way around. Now, the eaves can provide the proper air-intake allowing the ridge vents do function at maximum efficiency.

Once last thing that we did was remove two old windows in her kitchen and install a giant garden window. This window was roughly 6'6" wide and 4'6" tall. It was custom made with a Corian bottom, side windows that open and a wire shelf in the middle.

As for the shingles, the homeowner chose to go with a CertainTeed Landmark 'AR' architectural shingle. The color that was chosen was Hunter Green and it was a perfect choice for this particular brick and trim color.

Take a look at these pictures. If you are interested in having a new roof installed, give us a call at 803-955-0374 or click here to have a representative get in touch with you

Can Asphalt Shingles Qualify for the Energy Tax Credit?

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:26:00 -0400

Yes, but...

Let me explain.

I’ve contacted the three major asphalt shingle manufacturers that we see used here in South Carolina: Certainteed, GAF/Elk and Owens Corning. I’ll list the shingles and colors that I’ve been told are Energy Star Rated, and if they are available to us here in the south.

Certainteed

Their “cool shingle” line is called Landmark Solaris. It is an architectural shingle that comes with a Lifetime Limited Warranty but isn’t available in any other warranty length at this time. The problem with this shingle is that it is currently made only in the Northwest. But I’ve been told, by a distributor, it could possibly be shipped here to South Carolina –I’m still waiting on a cost. It is available in these four colors: Burnt Sienna, Weathered Wood, Resawn Shake and Heather Blend.

I was told that, as of this week, the colors Mist White and Silver Birch have passed the tests and are now energy star rated in the regular Landmark Series. However, only those two colors.

In the 3-tab shingle arena, their Star White is energy star rated in the XT-25 shingle.

The Star White, Mist White and Silver Birch are readily available to us here in South Carolina, but the verdict is still out on the Landmark Solaris.

GAF/Elk

The “cool shingle” line by GAF-Elk is called the Timberline Prestique 40 HD Cool Color Series. This shingle is energy star rated in three colors and comes with a 40 Year Limited Warranty. It is not available in a 30 year, 50 year or Lifetime warranted shingle. It is currently only stocked in two places in California and, like the Certainteed Solaris, I am waiting on confirmation about availability and pricing. The colors available are: Cool Weatheredwood, Cool Barkwood and Cool Antique Slate.

GAF-Elk does have a regular 3-tab shingle, Royal Sovereign, that is energy star rated if you get the color White, and is available here in the south at anytime.

Owens Corning

Owens Corning has come out with their “cool shingle” and it is called Duration Premium Cool Shingles. I talked with Owens Corning this morning and this shingle has met the initial requirements for energy star rating but hasn’t received the Energy Star designation. The Duration Premium Cool Shingle won’t be fully Energy Star rated until August of 2010 (it takes three years for the certification). This shingle is offered in four colors and comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. But again, for us South Carolinians, it is currently only made in California and parts of Nevada. The four colors are: Frosted Oak, Harbor Fog, Sage and Sunrise.

Owens Corning does have a 3-tab shingle available that is energy star rated. Shasta white, in both the Classic (20 Year) and Supreme (25 year) line of shingles, is readily available for us here in the south.

Ventilation

I have been asked recently if the ventilation that is installed in a home can be used towards the Energy Tax Credit. Homeowners have asked if Ridge Vents, Soffit Vents and Baffle Vents qualify for the tax credit. So, I called the manufacturers of the ventilation we use, AirVent, and asked them. They said that only the Solar Fans qualify, not any other product.

Conclusion

A few miscellaneous notes. The Energy Tax Credit is not per occurrence. Meaning, you can’t get a $1500 tax credit for your roof + $1500 credit for new windows + $1500 tax credit for new insulation. Also, you can only apply it once during the next two years. Meaning, you can’t get $1500 this year for the roof and $1500 next year for new windows or insulation. However, you can combine different projects. Meaning, you can get $700 credit for windows + $800 credit for insulation. The Energy Tax Credit is 30% of material up to $1500.

If you live in South Carolina and have any questions or would like for someone to look at your house, please give us a call at 803-955-0374 or fill out our simple Request an Estimate Form and a representative will call you back.

New Project: Ranch Style House in Columbia, SC

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:44:00 -0400

Not every home we put a new roof system on requires us to do a lot of woodwork, but most houses have some. The homeowners knew there was potential for some plywood that needed to be replaced --from people walking on it and from the representative from Bauer Roofing inspecting the attic-- so it was no surprise when a few sheets, 5 or 6 to be exact, had to be replaced. As you can see from the pictures, the wood was delaminated --coming un-glued-- in spots and was replaced with new pieces. Also, the ridge vent was causing some rotten wood and problems on the inside of the house, so a different type was installed; one that would would work better, longer.

One of the main concerns was a leak that was coming through the ceiling in the living room. The leak was due to a problem with a furnace vent right smack in the middle of a valley. To aleviate this problem, the vent was sealed and CertainTeed Winterguard (valley-liner) was installed the whole lenghth of the valley. We always install valley liners in areas where water or leaves can collect, causing water to get in the house.

I've included pictures of the house in progress.

If you live in South Carolina and would like for a representative from Bauer Roofing to look at your house, please call us at 803-955-0374 or fill out this simple Estimate Request Form.

Roy Bauer

Current Roofing Project: Northeast Columbia, SC [Update]

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:11:00 -0400

THERE ARE UPDATED PICTURES BELOW FEB. 11, 2009

There are certain neighborhoods in the Midlands area where we have put a roof on what seems like every house on the street. The neighbors all know us because we put a roof on the most of their friend’s homes. Our current project, near Fort Jackson, is one of those neighborhoods. We were working down the street and were asked to look at this house.

The roof was about 20 years old and the homeowner wanted an evaluation. He indicated the plumbing vent pipe on the front had been leaking. So, when the Bauer Roofing representative got up on the roof to look at the shingles, it was evident that not only were the vent pipes leaking but the shingles were cracked and split, and had been for awhile.

We’ve only just begun working on this house but I’ve posted some “work-in-progress” pictures for you to look at.

Notice the Frost? Luckily, we don't get that much here in South Carolina.

[UPDATED PICTURES]

If you would like for a Bauer Roofing Representative to look at your house please give us a call at 803-955-0374 or fill out the simple form on our Estimate Request Page.

Roy Bauer

Current Project: Roofing and Siding in Columbia, SC

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:07:00 -0400

At this house near the V.A. Hospital in Columbia, we were called because of leaks and mildew that was found in the attic space. Upon the initial inspection, rotten wood was found in the attic and along the eaves under the existing vinyl siding.

After the Ventilation Assessment was done, it was found that the vinyl siding was installed without proper soffit venting and the attic didn’t have adequate exhaust ventilation. This lack of proper venting was causing heat and moisture to build up in the attic space, rotting out the wood and forming mold spores. We removed the existing soffit, which had vents about 12-15 feet apart, and replaced it with vinyl soffit that had continuous soffit venting.

We also removed the two turbines and installed a baffled ridge vent, Shingle Vent II by AirVent, which “kicks” the flow of air up and over the ridge, creating negative pressure that sucks the air out of the house.

The attributes they were looking for in a roofing system were longevity, appearance and fungus resistance. They chose the GAF/Elk Birchwood 50 year shingle. They wanted to make sure they never had to see another roofer again, at least for the forseeable future.

If you are considering installing a new roof, give us a call. Let us come out and evaluate your house as thoroughly as we did this one. Please call us at 803-955-0374 or send us your information on the Request an Estimate Page.

Roy Bauer

Current Asphalt Roofing Projects (Kilbourne Rd & Cloverdale Rd)

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:04:00 -0400

UPDATE: PICTURES WERE ADDED FOR CLOVERDALE RD. SCROLL DOWN AND CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW.

Kilbourne Rd

This is a 1950’s ranch style house with 1x8 planks on it. It had a 3-tab shingle on it that was less than 15 years old. The homeowners wanted to install a roof that they wouldn’t have to worry about for next 30+ years, whether they were in the house or decided to sell it. They opted for the Certainteed Landmark Premium and the Weathered Wood color.

There were three things that had to be done before a shingle was ever nailed on.

Remove all of the existing shingles. Upon the initial inspection, leaks were found in many different places.
All of the old felt had to be removed, along with the nails holding both the shingles and felt in place.
The old rotted or broken planks had to be replaced. Also, a good portion of the planks had to be re-nailed.

Here is a picture of the front of the house with the old shingles on it.

Here is a picture of the back of the house with the old shingles on it.

Click here to see the rest of the current installation pictures. More to follow.

Cloverdale Dr

This is a 30+ year old split-level home with 1/2” plywood on it. When the roof was measured, indication of water infiltration was found around the walls, where the split-level is, and around the chimney, which is on the two-story part.

This roof, which had a 3-tab shingle on it, lasted no where near what the homeowner had been told. They decided to go with a roof system that would last 30+ years. They opted for a Certainteed Landmark Shingle in the Colonial Slate color.

Here is a picture of the front of the house with the old shingles on it.

Here is a picture of the back of the house with the old shingles on it.

Click here to see more pictures of this house as it is being installed. More to follow.

Loch Ln

Here is a sneak preview of the house we started this morning (Irmo, SC) I’ll follow with more pictures as they come in.

Front (Before)

Back (Before)

Keep checking back for more pictures.

Roofing Sooner Rather Than Later

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:16:00 -0400

Almost always when I knock on a door this is what the customer says, “We were just curious if we needed a new roof. I’m not sure how old it is, it just looks a little rough.” They go on to say, “Just look at it and let me know what a ballpark figure would be, we may do it now if it is within our budget or we’ll wait until next year, it depends.”

Does any of that sound familiar?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: roofing prices don’t go down. Whatever you pay 3 months from now will be more than today. That happens for two reasons: 1) If you have a leak of any size, it will only get worse. And roofing is a lot cheaper than doing a roof and replacing your ceilings. 2) Shingles have two types of asphalt in them, and asphalt comes from OIL.

Most homeowners don’t realize that shingle prices have just about doubled since March. On a 35 square house that is significant. And that is just the cost of the shingles. Add to it the cost of underlayment, ridge vent (vinyl) and delivery and you see why the sooner you do it the better.

If you have a regular 3-tab shingle and it is older than 15 years it may very well be time to get it done. Once you know you have to have a roof, everyday you procrastinate will cost you money. I know that sounds harsh but it is the truth. Search shingle prices or roofing costs and see what has happened to them.

If you don’t need a roof then this article is not for you. I am talking to those homeowners who are simply waiting for a future arbitrary time to do it. Go a head and get your ducks in a row. Meet with the roofing contractors and make a decision one way or the other. Don’t rush and make a bad decision, but getting roofers out to your home shouldn’t take more than a week, two at the most. If they haven’t called you back or say it will be a month, then move on. If a roofer is a month out to look at your house then there is an internal problem with the roofing company. If he won’t call you back when you are trying to give him money, do you think he’ll call back when there is a warranty claim? Find someone else.

There are fantastic articles on this blog about choosing a roofer. Things to look for When buying a new roof is a great one to begin with.

Spend time with each and every roofer that comes out. Walk around the house with them, go in the attic with them. Find out how they specifically do things. If they won’t meet with you at the house or indicate it isn’t necessary to meet then hang up and move on to the next one. There are plenty of companies out there who care about customer satisfaction and want homeowners to have all of the information possible.

The more time you spend with a roofer the easier it will be to make the right decision.

Go ahead and get it done, what are you waiting for?

Things to Look For When Buying a New Roof

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:00:00 -0400

If you are in a hurry you can skip down to the list, but I encourage you to read the reasons for the list first. It will help shed some light on why it is important to look for certain things. It may also help you to understand why you have been so frustrated with buying a new roof.

The Reason for Needing The List:

Yesterday I met with a homeowner who was confused about the specifications on his new roof. He had already met with a few roofers, he didn’t say how many, and each one seemed to be doing something different.

Some of them wanted to put in a ridge vent. Some wanted to leave his one power fan. Some wanted to tear off the old shingles but leave the old felt. Some wanted to leave the shingles. In the valleys, some wanted to put ice and watershield, some didn’t even mention it. Some said gutters would help with the water runoff, and some said a rain diverter would be fine. Some wanted to run the ridge vent to the edge and some wanted to stop it a few feet short. And I could go on and on.

When you start the process of buying a new roof it is confusing. You have questions like, “Who do I call?” “What shingle do I use?” “What should I pay?”

And you would think that as the process moved forward the confusion would subside and you’d be left with a simple task of picking the one you like.

Yeah right, the further along in the process you go the more confused or frustrated you get. And at the end you are sitting there with 4 estimates, with a huge range in price and specifications, and you still have no idea what to do.

If this is you, you are not alone. In fact, you are in the majority, and this explains why the internet has thousands upon thousands of articles and information on choosing a contractor; because we, as roofers, are self-serving idiots when it comes to helping homeowners decide what is best for their house.

We, again as roofers, either don’t take the time to explain why we are doing what we are doing, or we haven’t learned enough to know why we do what we do. Some of us just do it a certain way, whether right or wrong, because that is the area standard or that is how our dad did it.

On behalf of all roofers, I apologize. I am sorry that we actually make a difficult buying decision worse.

So, what I want to do is give you the information you should have been given in the beginning. The information that focuses on what really matters: you, your house and what is best for it.

The List of Things To Look For When Buying a New Roof:

** A Note: This list is assuming you are interested in buying an asphalt roof. If you are considering a metal roof, which is a good idea, all of this applies except #2 (What Shingle?). I’ll post a separate list of things to look for when considering a metal roof, but this one first. If you are interested metal roofing, click here, but first read this list.

Do you need one? Sounds obvious, but make sure. How do you know if you need a new roof, or if a repair is good enough? These 3 things will determine if you need a new one or not.
1. How old are the shingles? If they are older than 10-15 years then repairing won’t do much good.
2. Is it leaking in one spot or all over the house? This may not be visible from the inside but from the attic (ask the roofer to look through the attic and see)
3. If they are curling or buckling it is time to replace the roof because once a shingle starts pulling up it won’t reseal and it will begin allowing water to get in.
What Shingle Should I Install and Should I Tear Off The Old Roof? That sounds like a loaded question, doesn’t it? I’m not talking about what manufacturer but what type; 3-tab or architectural. In short, at least from what we’ve seen here in South Carolina, 3 –tab shingles won’t last more than about 10-15 years. In many cases, less than that.
1. What Shingle?
  1. Why not 3-Tab Shingles? 1) they have slots in them that leave a portion of your roof with only one layer. The slots also are the reason there are so many corners on a shingle (isn’t that what is curling?”). 2) they are thin.
  2. Architectural shingles are laminated, meaning 2 (or 3 or 4) pieces are glued together to make the shingle the way it is. What that means to you is this: it has no slots in it. There aren’t any corners to curl up and no areas left with only one layer of shingle. Yes there is a tiny space in between each shingle, but that is inconsequential compared to the gaps left in a 3-tab shingle
2. Do I Tear off My Old Roof? My answer is YES. For two reasons
  1. The manufacturer admits there are advantages:
    For example:
    - If there are any defects in the roof deck, they will be revealed when the roof is torn off. These defects should be repaired before applying the new roof.
    - If condensation problems exist in the attic, they too will be revealed when the roof is torn off. Properly designed attic ventilation can then be installed in order to help eliminate such problems.
    - When the old roof is torn off, waterproofing shingle underlayment can be installed before applying the new roof. This will help protect against leaks created by cyclical ice damage and wind-driven rain. (CertainTeed)
  2. From a practical stand point, I want to know, as a roofer, what I am dealing with. If you leave the old roof on then there are unknowns that I am not comfortable with. Besides the fact that the shingles on top will look older then they really are, if you leave the old roof on, any rotten wood around a chimney won’t be seen. I can’t confidently look a homeowner in the eye and tell them it is a good idea to leave the shingles on when installing a new asphalt roof. One note on tearing off the old felt. Here is South Carolina, roofers, sadly, are famous for tearing off the shingles and leaving the old felt. It is absolutely ridiculous the level of incompetence and outright selfishness that would allow a roofer to tell a homeowner they are tearing everything off and then leave the 20+ year old felt on there. There is no reason given that even remotely makes up for the lack of sense and laziness this takes.
Is Ventilation Important? And if so, Then What Type? Making sure the attic is properly ventilated is essential when having a new roof installed. If you don’t have adequate ventilation in your attic, the manufacturer won’t give you a warranty on your shingles. Or, if they do, it will be a very limited one. Proper ventilation in a house is one of the most important things you can have. It will keep the house cooler, saving you money on air-conditioning, and it will keep the moisture level in check, saving your insulation from losing R-Value (which will keep heat from escaping in the winter). But there some very important things to consider when updating your ventilation. I have posted on this topic before so I am just going to place a link to it here. Read it. It may really help keep you from letting a roofer do something stupid to your house, like install a ridge vent and leave the old turbines or power fans.
Who Should Be Installing My Roof? Isn’t this the mother of all questions? Because if you get the right contractor, won’t everything else fall into place? So how do we know who the right person is? Make sure you put as much research into the Contractor you are hiring as you do the shingle he is installing! Here are some things to look for and questions to ask:
1. Do they have a permanent place of business?
2. Do they carry insurance and is the coverage adequate?
3. Are they a licensed, registered contractor and in good standing with the trade association and Better Business Bureau?
4. How long have they been in business as the same company? (a lot of roofers close down due to complaints and law suits and open up under another name)
5. What is their record for complaint resolution?
6. What is their workmanship warranty? (don’t believe a 10-20 year warranty when the company isn’t even that old)
7. Do they provide sufficient details for the project being performed?
8. How do they handle unforeseen or unknown extra costs?
9. Can they provide references for you to talk to?
How Do I Know The Price I’m Paying is Fair For What I’m Getting? Unless you buy roofs all of the time, and you might, how do you know the roofer is not trying to rip you off? You would think getting multiple estimates would help, and it could, but usually you end up with 4 estimates ranging from $5,000 to $12,000 and they are all doing something different. So there really is no way to compare on price, which is hard because comparing price is all we as consumers know how to do. If everything were equal; the specifications were the same, the insurance was the same, the shingle was the same, then comparing on price is easy, but that just isn’t the case very often. Here are some questions to ask and/or things to look for when deciding if the price you are given is fair for the job they are doing:
1. Has the contractor done work in the neighborhood? Nothing will spread faster through a neighborhood then someone ripping people off. If they haven’t worked in the neighborhood then talk to people, with a house like yours, that he has worked for.
2. Has the contractor done houses similar to yours? Here in South Carolina, like most areas, we have neighborhoods that are twenty-five years old and some that are a hundred. Make sure the contractor has a handle on the specifics of houses like yours or he could be estimating it too high or too low, both are bad.
3. Make sure you know what is included and what isn’t. Get a price per linear foot or square foot (whether it is a board roof or a plywood roof) up front so you know what to expect if they find something rotten around the chimney. Be leery of roofers who say all of the woodwork is included. Think about it…how is that possible unless they have a crystal ball? What happens if they find more woodwork than they expected? Basically you get screwed because he won’t be doing it.

Now obviously following this list of things to look for won’t insure you have a problem-free roofing experience, but it should be pretty close.