5 Reasons Why You May Need a New Roof

Every roof has a finite lifespan, just like all other components of your home such as siding or even your appliances. But age isn’t the only sign that you need a new roof. Anything from water damage to granules in your gutters can signal the need for replacement. Check out these five reasons why you may need to replace your roof.

1.  Age

This is the most common reason for replacement. But many homeowners don’t know exactly how old their roof is. A good rule of thumb for asphalt shingle roofs is that they can last up to about 20-25 years with good care. In addition to age, other factors that will determine how soon you get it replaced include improper ventilation systems and whether there’s already another layer of shingles under the top one. If you aren’t sure how old your roof is, consult with a trusted roofer in MA for an inspection.

2.  Shingle Wear

If you have an asphalt shingle roof and those shingles are curling or buckling, you may need a new roof. This usually happens with age but could signal a defect in the roofing material if the shingles aren’t all that old. Other signs of wear include shingles that frequently drop off or go missing.

3.  Wear on Chimney and Siding Flashing

Improperly fitted or corroded flashing can introduce leaks into your roof. If you notice the flashing around your chimney is rusted or bent, roof replacement is probably imminent. That’s because that by the time you have noticed this, the damage to the roof has already been done. A simple patch job likely won’t suffice.

4.  Failing Roof Valleys

If you take a look at the weaving where your roof valleys come together and see shingles that are falling away or missing, you may need a new roof. Roof valleys are important and their integrity must be maintained over their lifespan. That’s because moisture from snow and rain flow down through your roof valleys and into your gutters. If you have a failing roof valley, this will result in leaks.

5.  Granules in Your Gutters

If you are noticing small black granules clogging up your gutter, this is a sign your asphalt shingles are degrading well past their useful life. Those granules are necessary because they shield your roofing material from the sun and other elements. When they are stripped bare, you don’t get that same protection and your roof is vulnerable to leaks and other damage.

As your roof gets on in years, the loss of granules is accelerated as they naturally approach the end of their life cycle.

Contact Gutter Helmet of New England

Have you noticed any of the above signs? Our team specializes in roof replacement, thanks to GAF’s Lifetime Roofing System that gives you a longer lifespan for your home. To book your consultation, contact us at 833-710-2933.

Your gutters can make or break the health of your entire roof and home. Playing an important role in channeling rain away from your home, properly installed gutters can keep water from infiltrating your foundation and exterior trim. They can even reduce ice build-up and damage to roofing while preventing unsafe conditions on walkways.

Clogged gutters prevent the smooth run-off of rainwater, which can compromise not only your home’s structure but your family’s health as well. Check out these reasons why clean gutters translate to a healthy home.

Keep your gutters clean to:

Prevent Roof Damage

When water pools inside gutters that are clogged with debris, that water will begin to collect on the bottom of your roof. The result? Moisture buildup and the possibility of wood rot. Rot leads to wet insulation, mold growth and costly structural damage. Plus, when water is allowed to sit on your shingles and roof valleys, leaks can happen. The costs associated with roof damage and leaks inside the home are very high. It’s best to avoid these high costs in the first place, and you can do that with the right gutter system.

Keep Out Pests

Rodents and insects love damp areas. It stands to reason that if water sits for a long time in your gutters, it will attract termites, mosquitoes, and other insects and pests. If those critters make their way into the house, you could have a health problem on your hands as it impacts your family. Pests can carry disease, bite or sting, and nest in your belongings, so use the right gutter system to keep them out of your interior.

Prevent Damage to Fascia

Fascia — the long, straight board that runs along the roof’s lower edge behind the gutter – can fall victim to splashing from overflow. This will eventually cause your fascia to rot, allowing access to your attic by pests of all kinds.

Avoid Overwatering Garden Beds

If you, like many homeowners, have fruit, vegetable, flower and other plants in your garden, they can be compromised and destroyed by a malfunctioning gutter system. Essentially, your plants will drown from all the excess water falling onto them – in severe storms, the water runoff can come down in powerful sheets. Clean gutters will carry that rainwater off the roof and divert it elsewhere so your plants can thrive.  

Prevent Cracks in the Foundation

Water can damage your home’s foundation if the gutters and downspouts don’t properly direct rainwater away from the house. That water will saturate the soil around the foundation, making it unstable over time. Pooling rainwater also freezes and expands with extreme temperatures, leading to cracks in your foundation. Foundation damage is not cheap to fix!

Contact Gutter Helmet of New England

If you need a new gutter system to boost the health of your home, ask us about our Gutter Helmetsystem designed to keep leaves, debris and pine needles out. To book an inspection or to get a free quote, contact us at 833-710-2933.

Hello!

With the possible exception of, “my parents are coming to live with us,” no phrase is more frightening to a New England homeowner than, “we have ice dams.”
Hard to deal with once they arrive, these perennial visitors are legendary for the damage they can cause (the dams I mean, not your in-laws).

Despite ice dams’ notoriety, few homeowners understand how they occur and, more important, how they can be prevented. In today’s newsletter, we explain.

Stay well,

Jim Moon
President
Gutter Helmet and Quality Roofing

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How to Prevent Ice Dams This Year

“Ice dam” refers to ice that builds up on the lower edge of your home’s roof, preventing water (or melting ice and snow) from flowing into your gutters and downspouts. Since the water can’t flow off the roof harmlessly, it backs up, eventually finding its way into your home (see diagram).
The ice dam damage usually shows up as water leaking into rooms that are directly beneath the roof, or as water stains on your ceiling, walls and insulation. 

What Causes Ice Dams?

In short, ice dams are the result of temperature differences between the main sections of your roof and the roof’s lower edges or eaves. 
Since hot air rises (think back to high school physics!), the heated air in our homes eventually escapes into the attic (especially if the attic is under-insulated). From there, this warmer air melts the snow on the roof (high snow loads where evaporation cannot occur exacerbates this problem), with the resulting water running down towards the gutter.

As water flows down the roof, it has a tendency to refreeze at the eaves (which jut out several feet from the outer walls and are therefore colder), forming ice which can trap future water flows. Eventually, this water may pool and back up onto the roof, causing the ruinous damage associated with ice dams.

How to Prevent Ice Dams

Unfortunately, if you live in New England, ice dams cannot be completely eliminated – the snow and cold see to that. You can, however, greatly reduce their onset and resulting damage by taking appropriate steps.
First, and since ice dams form because of the temperature differential between your attic and roof edges, make sure your attic is properly insulated.MassSave recommends 18-20 inches of blown-in insulation. Not only will this save on heating and cooling costs, it will keep your attic – and, therefore, your roof – colder during the winter months.
Second, make sure the fall season’s leaves have been removed from your gutters, either manually or (shameless self-promotion coming up!) through the installation of The Gutter Helmet® Gutter Guard System. This will keep them free-flowing, reducing ice buildup as a result.
Finally, consider installing our Heated Helmet system – a self-regulating coil that turns on and off as needed, melting the ice in your gutters before it has a chance to form a dam.

Final Thoughts

As with most home-related issues, a good offense is a good defense! Should snow build up on your roof, inspect your attic and keep a close eye for signs of roof leaks. 
If ice dams are found, immediately remove the snow from the trouble spot(s). But please be careful – climbing ladders, especially in the winter, is dangerous and best left to the professionals!

Hello!
Like a good waiter, the best roofs are the ones you don’t notice – they do their job professionally and efficiently. Over time, however, they need repair and/or replacement.
Read on and I’ll explain how roofs work (it’s a lot more than just shingles!) and their nine essential components.

This will help you keep yours in good shape and, if nothing else, allow you to impress your children with your roof knowledge. (I’m kidding, of course, impressing one’s offspring is not possible.)
All the best,

Jim Moon
President
Gutter Helmet and Quality Roofing

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A Healthy Roof is More Than Just Shingles

To the untrained eye, an asphalt roof looks like nothing more than several rows of neatly arranged shingles. Yes, these are an important roof component – but there’s a lot more going on beneath and around them.
I like to think of a roof as a system of materials and procedures, all designed to protect your home – for up to a quarter of a century! Each component and process is an essential cog in the system, the failure of any one of which can result in a leak or premature failure.

Here are the elements…

#1. Decking. In most cases, decking is made of plywood attached to your home’s rafters. Everything else sits on top. Whenever a new roof is installed, it’s important to have the decking inspected and any damage replaced with new material.

#2. Drip Edge. This goes along the bottom (eaves) and sides (rakes) of the roof and performs several functions. It channels water away from the house while closing gaps between the roof deck and the fascia (boards which cover the end of roof rafters). Drip edge adds a finished look to an asphalt shingled roof.

#3. Ice and Water Barrier. This material typically comes in 3-foot-wide rolls with self-adhering backing and is installed directly on the roof decking. Ice and water barrier protects against leaks caused by roof settling and extreme weather. In harsh climates (like ours!) or vulnerable areas, additional barrier can be installed for added protection.

#4. Flashing. These small pieces of sheet metal are installed over roof penetrations and at junctions with siding, skylights and chimneys. Flashing is installed on top of the ice and water barrier and prevents water from entering vulnerable areas where the roof and other materials meet.

#5. Roof Deck Protection (Underlayment). This is a breathable, but watertight material installed directly onto the decking (above the ice and water barrier), providing a secondary weatherproofing barrier.

#6. Starter Strip Shingles. Installed on the edges of the roof, starter strip shingles are used to minimize the chance of wind damage. Starter strips are nailed onto the ice and water barrier and have an adhesive which bonds to the roofing shingles.

#7. Roofing Shingles. Finally, we get to the shingles! These are the most visible component, providing years of durability and weather resistance, while enhancing the appearance of your home.

#8 Ventilation. This is an often misunderstand element, since many people don’t realize that proper ventilation is crucial to the long term health of the roofing system. Venting reduces temperatures in the summer months by allowing for airflow around the roof decking. It comes in many forms, including ridge venting, soffit venting and gable venting.

#9. Ridge Cap. This finishing material is installed over the ridge (the place where the two sides of your roof meet) and over the ridge vent (if there is one). They enhance the beauty of your home while guarding against leaks at the hips and ridges.
There you have it. Nine essential components, all coming together to create a system for keeping your house safe and dry, 365 days a year!

Hello!

Welcome to the first (of many) issues of The Home Maintenance Journal, our new monthly newsletter to help you protect your home. Each month, I will share insights and suggestions for maintaining the well-being of your most valuable asset.

I got involved in this business 27 years ago, after my dad had Gutter Helmet installed at his house and invited me over to check it out. I was so impressed with the technology (and it’s come a long way since then!) that I got into the business myself. I’ve learned a lot about home maintenance along the way and look forward to passing that knowledge along to you.

Also, as a Gutter Helmet and Quality Roofing customer, you’ll receive exclusive offers and savings on a range of home protection products and services (scroll down to see our October special).

In today’s newsletter we talk about gutters — how they work and why you need them!

All the best,

Jim Moon
President
Gutter Helmet and Quality Roofing

P.S. You are receiving this newsletter because you are a Gutter Helmet and Quality Roofing customer. If we have sent this to you in error, please accept our apology. You can unsubscribe with one click in the footer of this email.

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Do I Need Rain Gutters?

I never gave much thought to gutters until my dad invited me over to his house to have a look at his newly installed Gutter Helmet. I liked how it looked, but I really liked how it worked.

I remember standing on a ladder dropping handfuls of leaves onto the gutters and then running a hose on the roof to see if the leaves would get caught (they didn’t).

That was 1993. Since then, I’ve been to thousands of customer homes, some of which had suffered extensive water damage due to clogged or missing gutters. On the list of things that can destroy a house, water is right at the top (along with fire).

It does its damage in any number of ways:

• Foundation damage. If it’s not channeled away from your house’s foundation, water begins to seep into it, eventually deteriorating the structure. Water can also wash away underlying rock and soil which can lead to shifting and cracks in the foundation.
• Fascia, trim, siding and exterior door damage. When water runs over the exterior surfaces of your home, it can penetrate these surfaces, causing them to rot. This is especially true of wood-based materials.
• Landscaping. As it falls from your roof, water can erode the landscaping, washing away mulch and vulnerable plantings.
• Ice buildup. Here in New England, we’ve got the added threat of ice. Unchanneled water flowing off your roof can cause ice to form on driveways, decks and walkways. Ice will then force its way into these materials, causing cracks in the surfaces and creating slip hazards.

The purpose of your gutters is to prevent all that. The rain still falls off the roof (obviously), but it’s channeled safely through the gutters and away from your home.

Does every house need gutters?

No. It depends (mostly) on where you live. If you lived in a very arid climate — Arizona, for example — things like porous gravel under the roof edge and pitched concrete away from the foundation are usually enough.

On the other extreme, certain northern climates or mountainous regions with long winters and high snow loads often don’t have gutters because the potential for ice buildup and resulting roof damage outweighs the benefit.

But here in good old New England, most houses should have them!

How do I maintain my gutters?

The thing to keep in mind is that they only work if the water flows freely through them. 

Otherwise, not only does the water not flow safely away from your house, the gutters themselves (if filled with seeds, branches and other things that fall into them) can make water and ice damage worse than having no gutters at all.

So you need to keep them debris-free, especially prior to winter. That means either climbing a ladder and cleaning them out a couple of times a year, or installing something like our branded product, Gutter Helmet. (Beware of inexpensive products like wire mesh screens which don’t work well and can be difficult to remove and clean.)

Overall, given the damage that water can do to a home, gutters are very much a worthwhile investment. Keep them in good shape and debris-fee, and they will protect your home for years to come!