Common Roofing Practices
Ultimately there are only two ways to construct a roof an impermeable shell membrane made out of the same PVC, glass or metal; or made from the tiles, or natural slate or asphalt shingles which is the most chosen roofing in the US. As shingle is the most common, we will examine the process of installation of this material.
As with any big project, the blue plan is key in sizing your trusses, or frame of the roof. Once one’s trusses are up and nailed into place, the next step is to sheath the roof. Sheathing the roof is the process of placing and securing ply wood in between the trusses as to start a “cover” for the roof. The ply wood is nailed directly into the trusses for security. Once that is completed tar paper is applied and the shingles can finally be laid; securing them by nails and rubber cement. The process seems simple on paper but if one can put in the tedious work of ensuring that all of trusses, tar paper, and shingles are cut to size and let’s not forget, stomach working on the roof, a lot of money can be saved by doing one’s roof by themselves. Unfortunately no matter who installs the roof if not installed property repair will be eminent.
Common problems with roofing such as leaks or billowing are caused by poor installation. Just as there are common procedures for roofing installation, diagnosing roofing problems and roofing repair has common practices as well that one can learn to save them a bit of money. With commercial roofing it is in the maintenance. Good maintenance of a commercial roof will be preserving the roof life by 30-100%. Maintenance includes full periodic scheduled inspections of the full roof including flashes, drains, and masonry. The key is to make repairs during the inspection as one see it. Leaks is another big issue that is normally repaired which also go hand in hand with blown off tiles or shingles which more than likely are causing the leaks. As in commercial properties, regular inspections and touch-up would greatly preserve the life of one’s roof.
