Dream Team's Roofing Month

Welcome to October, everyone!  Here at the Dream Team Blog, we're going to drill down on one subject this month, and that's shingled roofing.  Each week this month, we're going to focus on one element of your roof and when having it is the most important.

To kick it off, let's talk about what happens when you replace a roof, in order.

1. Removal of existing roof to plywood: If you didn't know, your home is allowed to have up to three full layers of shingle, stacked one on top of the next, leading to a very, very thick roof.  Sometimes this much shingle can hide serious problems that replacement will make come up.  We want to know, so that we can head these problems off at the pass - and you want us to know, because the very safety of your home could be at stake.  Plus, if there's any problem with the plywood, we can replace it right then, to keep your roof looking good and being safe.

2. Insulation Installation: The next step in the process is to install all the various forms of insulation on top of your plywood.  The first of these is a strip of metal known as a drip edge, which is placed between your gutters and the fascia board behind, to insure that runoff is directed into the gutter only and not to the vulnerable wood behind - we'.  Placed on top of this is a layer of material referred to as an "ice & water shield'.  This protects your roof from water damage and protects the vulnerable wood underneath.

3. Shingles: There's some technical data about installing shingles specifically, but just knowing what goes before is the point of this post.

Not as simple as we all thought, huh?
 That's why we need qualified roofers! 

Gutters: An essential part of your home.

I don't think our learned readers need a long-winded explanation of what gutters are.  But, do you know the difference between a good gutter and a bad gutter?  A good gutter protects your home from rain by funneling it away from your roof and into the downspouts.  Bad gutters can fall into many categories:

• Badly installed: If the gutters are set at the wrong angle, water will not flow properly to the downspout and runoff will occur at the wrong places.

This is a gutter in real danger!

• Too loose: If water cannot easily run to the gutter, or there is space between the gutter and the wall, there is a danger of water running down from the gutter into the siding - this is very dangerous to your walls and fascia boards.  A gutter that pulls away can also do serious damage not only to the board behind, but also the roof it's connected to.

 

•  Clogged: Have you ever seen what happens after a beaver dam is built?  That happens in your gutters; and if you have trees over them, they can even clog up with frightening regularity.  And when it gets bad, if a seed, gets stuck in, something like the image to the right can happen!

 

• And still more.

 
So, what kind of danger are you in with bad gutters?  Well, the word "extreme" comes to mind, in big flashing neon letters.  Always remember this: your home's enemy number one, with a bullet, is water.  Starting from the top, we have: danger to your roof and fascia.  Wood & water do not mix in a way that's conducive to your home being a strong and safe place to live.  Too much water will cause wood rot, which we'll talk about in more depth in a moment; and it also causes the wood to crack, especially if there is still water when the winter comes and things freeze up.  If anyone remembers their science classes, you'll remember that water expands when it freezes - which can cause all sorts of warping and cracking effects on the wood under your roof and the fascia behind the gutter itself.

When you get past the roof itself, water from badly-installed gutters and downspouts can damage your walls, your foundations, and leak into your basement.  Once it gets in there, there are a whole host of problems related to the wood rot.

So let's get to the nitty-gritty.  The reason for the extreme danger is thus: mold.  Water causes mold growth, and warm, dark, places like your roof and basement are the absolutely perfect places for it to grow.  Why should you be worried about this?  Because even the CDC says,

"In 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. The IOM also found limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children."

And there are some very horrifying kinds of mold, like Black Mold.  It will, if untreated, kill you.  And while it's killing you, the water and the mold growth are eating away at the wood of your roof, the masonry foundations, and even your walls - in a few short years of mistreatment, your home can be completely unsafe and in fact, deadly for anyone to enter without a hazmat suit on.
Here's an extreme case - each of those polka-dot spots is really a colony of toxic black mold, spewing enough spores to kill a grown person:


And how do you prevent all of this?  It's very simple.  Twice a year, get your gutters flushed by a professional contractor like Dream Team.  So save your home and keep dreaming safely, by calling us at (888)382-2001!