Posts Tagged Roofing

The Average Cost of Metal Roofing

Posted by ryan in Uncategorized on October 14th, 2011

The Average Cost of Metal Roofing
An average metal roof will normally cost about three times more that a conventional asphalt roof. Metal roofing materials are more costly, and the installation process is technical, requiring special skills with detailed training for each metal roofing system. Metal roof installation is usually time-consuming and tedious, calling for patience and precision and generally takes approximately two or three times longer to install than conventional asphalt roofing. However, metal roofs normally last two to three times longer than regular roofs, with average life spans of 40 to 60 years, compared to the 12 to 20 year life expectancy of asphalt roofs.


Comparisons

Although metal roofing is more costly than asphalt shingle roofing, it is comparable in price to tile and cedar shake roofing. However, a correctly installed metal roof will last much longer than a tile or cedar shake roof. Metal roofing is less expensive than natural slate and copper roofing though, usually costing two to three times less than those materials.

The Value and Money Savings of Metal Roofing

While a metal roof may be more costly than an asphalt roof initially, it usually provides significant energy savings. The metal reflects sunlight, and many people have decreased their cooling costs alone by as much as 20 to 40 percent after installing a metal roof. Additionally, metal roofs provide dependable protection against weather damage for a home’s interior and may contribute to lowering insurance costs, and they do not require maintenance. The value of a home will increase considerably after installation of metal roofing as well, and homeowners generally recoup an average 85.9 percent of the cost of their metal roofs when they sell their homes. Most metal roofs have warranties of 30 to 50 years, which is an indication of their quality and expected long life.

Average Price of Metal Roof Materials

The average cost of a mid-grade metal roof is about $5.25 per square foot for the roofing material, while low-grade metal roofing costs around $1.35 per square foot, and some of the high-grade metal roofing materials average about $11.00 per square foot. Therefore, materials for a 2,500 square foot metal roof can cost from about $3,375 to $25,500 with an average of around $13,125. A larger roof of 5,000 square feet may cost about $6,750 for lower-grade metal roofing to $51,000 for the high-grade roofing with an average of about $26,250. A small 1,500 square foot roof can cost from around $1,965 to $15,300 with an average of $7,869. The costs of installation and removal of old roofing are not included in these figures.

Metal Roofing Materials

Metal roofing manufacturers make roofing materials in various styles and colors to suit the tastes of individual homeowners. Vertical seam panels, with ribs that run from the eaves to the ridges of the roofs, are available in steel, copper, aluminum, zinc or terne metal. They use the same materials to make modular press-formed, pre-painted panels that can resemble slate, tile, wood shake or conventional shingles. They may coat the press-formed panels with an acrylic coating containing embedded stone granules or form 26-gauge steel into tile, shake or shingle shapes. A traditional metal roof is a great value over time, and people who want roofs that closely resemble natural slate, cedar shakes, tile, shiplap siding and even asphalt shingles can achieve the look they want for their homes with metal roofing as well. In that way, they receive the advantages of metal roofing while keeping the appearance they prefer.

A Valuable Asset

Metal roofs make a good investment for people who plan to remain in their homes for a long time because they should eventually pay for themselves in various ways. The roofs will help lower the cost of energy and raise the value of their homes. Good quality metal roofs do not need maintenance and should last more than 50 years. They may also lower homeowner’s insurance premiums, and their attractiveness is an added bonus.

Repair or Replacement ESTIMATES - Metal Roofing

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The Average Cost of Common Roof Repair Projects

Posted by ryan in Uncategorized on September 20th, 2011

Depending on what needs to be done, the cost of roof repairs can vary from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

The average cost of a simple roof repair in the United States is about $600, but many factors must be taken into consideration to come up with a more accurate estimate of how much any particular roof job will cost.


Shingle Replacement

The most common roof repair is the replacement of several damaged shingles to eliminate leaks. Replacing a few shingles is not as inexpensive at it may seen, however. Shingles are sold by the square, enough shingles to cover 100 square feet. These squares can cost $100 or more, and finding an exact match for a roof that has faded over time can be time consuming too.

Replacing damaged shingles also requires roofing nails, which cost about $65 per roll, and roofing cement, which often costs more than $20 a gallon.

With prices like theses, it is easy to see why contractors charge at least $250 for a small repair and often charge several hundred dollars more than that.

If a problem has existed for a while and the plywood underneath the shingles has been damaged, each sheet of plywood costs around $20 plus installation.

For roofs with several leaks, the most common way of fixing the problem is overlaying a complete layer of new shingles on top of the existing one. Taking into account the prices above, it is no surprise that contractors charge as much as $2 per square foot for new shingles installed over existing ones.

Other Roof Repairs

When a roof leaks in the valleys created where two or more different angled surfaces come together, it could be a failure of the flashing. Flashing is a piece of metal that covers inside angles so the exposed edges of the wood don’t take on water. When this fails, water can come in around the plywood and creates leaks inside the home.

The cost of replacing or resetting flashing depends on how much needs to be done. The materials are moderately priced, but the installation of them can be costly. In the case of flashing, a number of shingles have to be raised up or removed to place the new flashing, a tedious process that adds to the labor bill.

Labor usually costs between $45 and $75 per hour, depending on the region, and jobs with complicated angles or large areas that need repairing can take a full day or longer to complete. Chimneys, skylights and unusual roof lines can add to the complexity of a job and therefore cause labor costs to mount up.

In fact, leaks often develop around holes in a roof that have been cut for things like chimneys, skylights and vents.

In addition, when a storm causes roof damage, it often damages skylights too. Because installing a skylight requires a number of shingles and flashing pieces to be removed, this one simple task can cost $450 or more.

Problems Only Worsen

Because roof damage often causes leaking onto the plywood below the shingles, homes can be experiencing structural damage from roof problems long before leaks appear. That makes it very important to tackle roof repairs as soon as possible.

The exact cost of roof repairs also varies by region, by season and from one contractor to the next, and there can be as much as a 300 percent difference from one contractor to another.

It pays for homeowners who don’t plan to do their roof repair work themselves to choose a reputable, established roofing contractor they know they can trust.

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Metal Roofs: a classic technique comes back into vogue

Posted by ryan in Uncategorized on February 7th, 2011

Metal roofs are becoming increasingly popular as homeowners and builders make metal a plausible choice when working toward energy efficient homes. Although metal roofs work well in any part of the country, they are especially advantageous in wet and tropical areas. Florida and the Gulf Coast enjoy a climate where metal roofs come into their own thanks to high humidity. Metal roofs are also becoming popular in coastal areas where salt damage is common.To single out a common demographic where metal roofs excel, the deep south takes center stage. Metal roofs go back a long way and with technological advances in materials such as steel, copper and zinc, they remain traditional. Remodeling can emulate historical times while newer construction follows along the same lines. Commercial buildings will last longer with newer metal roofs, a plus in southern industrial areas.

Metal roofs are resistant to rain and mildew. Installed as large sheets they offer resistance to hurricane force winds, since shingles of any kind offer easy targets to the lifting force of high winds. Metal roofs can also be made corrosion-resistant in climates where rotting, dampness and salt damage are formidable enemies. That includes the northwest in the Washington and Oregon areas where dampness is extremely common.

Energy efficiency is a hallmark of metal roofs. They can reflect sunlight and keep interiors cooler. They can also keep heat from escaping when the weather turns cold. Steel has become the most popular material for metal roofs. In case you think metal presents a boring expanse on a roof, fabrication techniques can make the metal look like traditional asphalt shingle roofs. Special coatings have been developed to make metal roofs even more impervious to heat and radiation.

For all their practicality and energy efficiency, metal roofs have some drawbacks. The following provides some pros and cons:

  1. Metal roofs can be noisy in rainstorms although new techniques are able to provide a soundproofing layer underneath. Then again, some people actually like the sound of rain on a metal roof.
  2. Metal roofs require professional installation. They require extra preparation and many roofers find them hard to install. Of course, once in place, they are long-lasting.
  3. Installation tends to be more expensive than the standard practice of installing common roofing materials. However they never need to be replaced due to deterioration.
  4. Seams must be handled carefully to prevent seepage. With proper installation and maintenance they are permanently waterproof.
  5. The metal used is costlier than other materials. The installation should last as long as the building and once again replacement is unnecessary.
  6. Metal roofs can suffer dents. Nevertheless, any roof can suffer damage from large hailstones and falling objects.

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Roofing Trends in the Northeast

Posted by ryan in Uncategorized on May 19th, 2009

Roofing Trends in the Northeast
Northeast slate was once a traditional roofing material for homes and civic buildings. While it’s beautiful, long-lasting and great for ice and snow, slate is also extremely expensive — as much as $1,000 per hundred square feet. Roofing in Massachusetts and Connecticut roofing used to see much of this.

Today composite asphalt shingles are king when it comes to replacement roofing materials. About 90 percent of homes nationwide use composite shingles. They come in a wide range of colors, styles and with different levels of quality and types of warranties.
But composite roofing is far from the only choice. And because it is so common, you can easily set your home apart by using a different, more unique roofing choice.

Wood Shake and Wood Shingles
Decay resistant cedar is a common choice for wood shake and wood shingle roofing. You can count on wood roofing to last 20 to 25 years (however, you’ll find those who say cedar can last much longer); cedar roofing costs between $70 and $170 per hundred square feet.

Clay Tile
Clay or ceramic tiles, like slate, are heavy and durable, with roofs lasting 100 years or more. However, such a heavy roof requires reinforcement to support all the weight, meaning installation will likely be pricey. Clay and concrete tile roofs cost about $300 to $500 per hundred square feet.

But keep in mind that they are virtually maintenance free. If you plan to live in your house for the rest of your life, a ceramic tile roof might make sense.

Consider installation and maintenance costs as you weigh your roofing choices — and how long you plan to live in your home. According to Remodeling magazine’s annual “Cost vs. Value” report, a new composite roof averages just less than $19,000 and has a 65 percent return on investment.

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Composite Roofing - Let’s Know a Little More

Posted by ryan in Uncategorized on April 21st, 2009

Composite roofing is a natural choice for most homeowners: It’s long-lasting and cost effective, and as a result, it makes up more than 90 percent of the market.

 

Composite roofing is available in many colors, and most products are covered under warranty for 20 years. And some roofing products are covered for as long as 30 years, further increasing their attractiveness.

 

Remodeling magazine’s annual “Cost vs. Value” report estimates the average cost of roof replacement with composite fiberglass asphalt shingles to be just under $19,000; That estimate includes a 25-year warranty and 30 squares of 235-pound shingles with new underlayment, galvanized drip edge and mill-finish aluminum flashing, as well as custom flashing for two skylights.

 

Not All Composite Roofing Products Are Equal

Composite shingles are well suited for a variety of roof pitches and are easy to install yourself. They work well with most any flashing and edging products and don’t require special accessories for roof edges, chimneys or vents. 

 

However, be sure to shop around before you buy. Each product has its pluses and minuses. Some composite shingles are sturdier than others, but are also heavier to lug around; others are lighter and carry a better fire rating, but don’t perform as well in cold weather. 

 

Compare warranties, too. While a warranty might have a long lifespan, that doesn’t mean the shingles themselves won’t fail long before the warranty expires. Conduct online searches to determine whether the products you’re considering have been the target of homeowner complaints or dissatisfaction.

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