Tag: roofing

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Commercial Roofing Tips Residential Roofing Tips

Roof Inspections 101

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We get it. Roof maintenance and upkeep might not be at the top of your to-do list. But did you know that a routine roof inspection could mean the difference between needing a few repairs and needing a costly roof replacement? Roof inspections are essential to ensuring your roof and its systems are performing safely and effectively and that there aren’t any issues that could damage your home. Issues like roof leaks tend to have a domino effect, and ignoring minor problems with your roof could lead to much bigger ones. But what all goes on during a roof inspection? Let’s go over the basics.

How Often Do I Need a Roof Inspection?

First, let’s discuss the most important question you might have. How often do I need an inspection? The answer isn’t as concrete as you might think, and it can depend on the age and condition of your roof, as well as weather conditions in your area. When a brand new roof is installed, it won’t need an inspection for years. After three or four years, we recommend an inspection once every two years. And as your roof ages, a yearly inspection is your best bet. Of course, if a yearly inspection earlier in the life of your roof will give you peace of mind, go for it. However, there might not be any issues for the first several years.

Another factor to consider is the weather in your area. In the Triangle, we see some heavy wind and rain during hurricane season though they typically don’t result in significant damages. Our friends near the coast might have a completely different experience. If your roof regularly endures harsh weather conditions, an annual inspection is a good idea.

What Happens During a Roof Inspection?

When your home or building is ready for a roof inspection, contact your roofing team to schedule a time. We’ll send a team member out to your address to check for things like:

  • Overall condition of shingles
  • Overall condition of flashing
  • Overall condition of walls
  • Overall condition of pipes
  • Exposed nails
  • Holes
  • Rust
  • Stains
  • Organic growth issues/ moss
  • Other damage

Sure, you would probably notice missing shingles from your roof, but it takes a trained eye to identify the less obvious issues. Once we’ve checked for visible damages, we’ll move on to inspecting for structural issues. This includes examining uneven roof planes, signs of sagging, and the condition of the soffit, fascia, and gutter system. At this time, we’ll also inspect your chimney for structural damage, cracks, crumbling mortar or grout, and damage to the chimney caps.

Want to know the best way to avoid these damages? With a regular roof inspection and maintenance. Determining how often you need one can be tricky, and our team is here to give our best advice. Contact the Bond team to schedule your roof inspection today, or chat with a team member about any of your roofing needs.

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Residential Roofing Tips

The Pros and Cons of Asphalt Shingles

Building a home or looking into a roof replacement? Asphalt shingles are a popular roofing choice. Asphalt shingle roofing is likely the most widely used roofing system in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of residential structures.  There are several positive reasons to choose asphalt shingles, but like most anything else, there are some cons as well.

The Pros

  • Economical – Asphalt shingles are one of the most economical roofing materials you can choose, which is why most people select them. The initial cost is much lower than a metal or flat roof due to lower material costs and ease of installation.  With asphalt shingles, you get high performance for a low-cost.
  • Versatility – Asphalt shingles can be applied to all sorts of shapes and roof slopes and are suitable for a variety of climates and environments. 
  • Wide Variety of Style and Colors – If you seek a unique look, you can achieve that with asphalt shingles. Because they come in such a wide variety of styles and colors, you’ll be sure to find a combination that suits your home. If energy efficiency is a priority of yours, there are even solar reflective energy-efficient shingles on the market. 
  • Fire, Wind, and Impact Resistance Options – When it’s needed, higher-end shingles with increased protection from the elements are available at a relatively low-cost difference. 
  • Ease of Repair – Just as asphalt shingles are easy to install, they are also easy to repair.  With specialized systems like metal, slate, tile or wood shake you might have a hard time finding a roofer and the material to make a repair.  Most roofers can make a shingle repair and the shingles themselves are widely available.

The Cons 

  • Relatively Short Service Life – Asphalt shingle roofs will last 15-30 years before you’ll need to replace the whole roof. This might seem like a long time but is relatively short compared to the service life of copper, tile, or slate roofing, which can last up to 100 years. 
  • Lower Wind Resistance – Ok, we mentioned this as a pro for shingles and there are some options for increased wind resistance with asphalt shingles, but if you live in an area with the potential for strong winds like the beach or the mountains, you might consider other options like metal or tile.
  • Not Suitable for Low Slopes – This con doesn’t apply to most homes, but a roof must have a slope of at least 2:12 to be suitable for asphalt shingles. Otherwise, water buildup could damage your roofing, structure, and home. 
  • Not as Energy-Efficient – Unfortunately, asphalt shingles will not be as energy-efficient as metal or white flat roofs. Shingles are much better at absorbing heat than reflecting it, even when painted a lighter color. If energy efficiency is what you’re after and you’d like asphalt shingles, consider a solar reflective shingle. 

Now that we’ve reviewed the top pros and cons of asphalt shingles, we hope your roofing decision will be made a bit easier. If you have any roofing questions or you’d like to set up a consultation, contact the Bond Roofing team. 

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Commercial Roofing Tips

Roof Coatings: What are the Benefits for your Commercial Roof?

If your commercial roof isn’t in the best condition and you’ve thought about the costly option of a replacement, there is another option that could save you money: roof coatings.

What Are Roof Coatings?

Roof Coatings are what you’d guess. Material is coated onto a damaged or old roof system to maintain it and avoid total replacement. Here at Bond Roofing, we install acrylic and silicone coatings, and the material we use depends on your roof. Specific roofing types are better suited for coatings than others. Installation of coatings on metal roofing occurs more than any other roofing type; they are an excellent solution for deteriorating metal roofs. Coatings are white, which means they often improve the energy efficiency of the roof. Some building owners even choose to coat a dark roof for this reason.

As we said, the kind of coating we use depends on your roofing type and specific needs. However, the most common varieties we use at Bond are from GAF– Hydro-Stop PremiumCoat Acrylic and Unisil Silicone.

Does My Roof Qualify for Coatings? 

By code, no no building can have more than two roofing systems installed. If your commercial building has a second roof overlaying the original roof, you are a candidate! But that isn’t a guarantee that we can coat your roof.

We cannot coat a roof that contains moisture, so building owners must address roof problems before there are several leaks. Don’t wait until the roof is a real problem. Once water intrusion is widespread, a complete tear-off is the only option, and it will cost significantly more than a coating.

Benefits of Coatings

The primary advantage of coating is avoiding a costly tear-off. Coatings are a lower-cost option than total roof replacement and they are easily renewable. However, they don’t last forever. You’ll need a new layer once every 10-20 years, depending on the type of coating system initially installed. Sometimes, the old coating can be cleaned up and re-coated to extend the manufacturer’s warranty.

Additionally, coatings are versatile. Aside from roofing, we use coatings on walls, masonry or stone chimneys, walkable balconies and terraces, and even planters and fountains.

Don’t think you have to go with a tear-off and total roof replacement! Contact us for more details about coatings, and we are here to answer any questions about your roofing needs.