Shingle Roofing

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Shingles are the most popular and most affordable type of roofing in the U.S and many other countries. Shingles are made up of Asphalt, Fiberglass, and granules. The asphalt is applied to the fiberglass to make the shingle stiff and waterproof. The granules are added for extra waterproofing, and to add color or definition to the looks of the product. Dimensional style shingles are made of many layers instead of just one layer which typically means longer life span. Shingles are great for roofs with any type of pitch to them. They can let mass amounts of rain/water pass over them without any issues. They are also fairly easy to install compared to a steel type roofing or slate roofing. Overall shingles are a great product and we have had so many great reviews with them.

The correct way to put on a new roof Is to completely strip the roof down to the sheeting boards or plank boards whichever is on your home. Which means removing all of the old roofing shingles, tar paper, nails, pipe collars, etc. A lot of people request to have a 2nd layer of roofing over their existing roofing but we do not do that, because it voids all manufacture warranties and (in our opinion) its not the correct way of doing it.

Step 2: Inspect all of the wood to make sure none of it is rotted or broken. If you previously had leaks in the roof chances are, you have rotted wood. If any wood is rotted it needs to be replaced. 

Step 3: Ice & water barrier. Ice & water barrier comes in 36" wide rolls, Virginia building code requires Ice & water shield to be 24" into the heated wall space, so if you have a very wide over hang you might need 2 roll widths of it. The typical home only needs 1 roll width though.

Step 4: Roofing felt. You can use tar paper which is the older style way of doing it which still works but it has its pros and cons. Or you can use synthetic felt which is made the same way a tarp is made. We mostly use synthetic felt because we believe its lighter and more breathable for the roof. We normally let the homeowner pick that choice though.

Step 5: Perimeter starter shingles. Starter shingles are made of the same materials as a roofing shingle and they go around the entire perimeter of the roof. They are designed to keep the edges of the roofing shingles from sagging, and keep the edges of the roof stiffer. They also keep weather from getting underneath the roofing.

Step 6: Install all new vent pipe collars. The collars we use are made of aluminum so they don't crack, warp, or  get holes in them over time. They also feature a neoprene rubber boot that is very resistant to the sun making them last a lot longer than your average vinyl pipe collar.

Step 7: You begin to install your roofing shingles. We use longer American made nails to ensure the life span of your new roof. We also put a minimum of 4 nails in each shingle to ensure you get your wind warranties.

Step 8: Ridge ventilation system. 95% of the roofs we install, we add on a ridge ventilation system. It is a must have. It is a vinyl vent with channels on the edges that goes along the ridge of the roof to let the heat out of the attic. The channels keep the weather from getting in, and it keeps your attic drastically cooler, essentially keeping the rest of your house cooler saving you many on your A/C bills.

 We also replace all the flashings with every roof. They include chimney flashing, step flashing, apron flashing, etc.