Imagine you are standing on the sidewalk and looking at an average house. You can see the siding, the windows, and the front door and up you can see the roof. Is there asphalt on the roof? Maybe the tree is moving? Maybe it’s made of metal or rubber sheets? What you see is where the focus is, but what you don’t see is really important. There is more to roofing than meets the eye. So let’s talk about what’s going on underneath herpes.
Roof terrace
We learn to crawl before we can walk, so when it comes to the roof, let’s start with the first square, which is the surface area of your roof, which is wood. Your wooden roof is comparable to the metal frame of a car. It is installed on top of the main frame of the house to provide a surface on which the shingles can be installed. Without a ceiling level installed in your home, you would have nowhere to install your shingles. And of course without shingles your roof will rot from sun, rain, snow and ice etc…Not a comfortable home at all!
In new homes, plywood or OSB boards are tied in the attic on top of the roofs as a roof covering. Plywood or OSB boards are installed in steps, leaving a small space between them so that the wood can expand and contract as it heats up in the summer and cools down in the winter. Older homes often install 2″ x 6″ instead of plywood or OSB. When it’s time to replace your roofing system, remember that Calgary Roofing Contractors will replace damaged timbers.
Keep in mind that if your roof is rotten or damaged in any way,
People walking on your roof can pick at or break the wood, causing additional damage to the roof system such as shingles… and the person walking! However, most roof decks can withstand some exposure to water or snow before replacement.
Metal: drop edge and rake edge
The drip edge and ridge edge are the first part of the roof system to be installed. This is a long, narrow piece of metal that is installed at both ends of the roof deck ie: along the gutter and at the end of the eaves.
Some local building codes in the area require the installation of drip edges and rake edges, while other building codes do not. Check with your local town planning authority. For example, in Alberta, the building code does not require the installation of drip or rake edges. Some new homes and/or budget roofing systems do not have gutters installed to allow for more affordable roofing prices. However, we recommend installing drip edges and ridge edges on every roof edge protection hire system, no exceptions.
Drip and ridge edging are available in a variety of colors
And sizes and can be customized to fit the needs of your roofing system. Installing a proper drip edge can often save you hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars if your roofing system needs to be replaced.
If your roofing system doesn’t currently have cast edge or rake edge installed, don’t panic, you’ll be living pretty well. Just remember that if your roof needs to be replaced, the Roofing Contractor may require you to replace some of the wood shingles if necessary.
Metal: chimneys and skylights
Arguably the most important part of any complete roofing system. Installed in valleys, chimneys and skylights, metal collects water for drainage on any roof. A poorly installed brand new roof system can descend on your living room.
Each chimney and skylight requires what is called a “back pan”, where the sheet metal is folded to an angle of about 90 degrees (depending on the pitch of your roof) and under and up the shingles is siding, stucco or stucco or . .. a glowing counter above the fireplace or skylight. Each back requires a small 2″ piece of metal that extends 1″ or more from either side of the chimney or skylight to direct water away from the corner. The water should hit the metal back panels and be diverted away to the other side, where it can still flow into the eave recess.
Metal: Valleys
Just as water moves along valleys between two mountains, water moves in valleys on roof tops. Valleys usually have the most water, so getting them right is very important!
As described in the teachable section, teaches are installed under the valleys. Although some building codes do not require the installation of such a seepage barrier, we always recommend that it be installed in each valley.
Caution: Many Roofing Contractors install valleys in a “closed” style. A closed valley has a shingle woven into the valley, as opposed to an “open” valley where the sheet metal runs from top to bottom. Both “open” and “closed” installation styles.
