Questions and Answers
Q & A - What is Alligatoring?
Roof alligatoring occurs when a modified bituminous roof surface is cracking. What is this picture of? Is it a picture of: A very dirty window Desert Mud Leather The chocolate cake left out in the sun None of the above. Looking at this unique photo it is hard to know what exactly it is if you are not ...
Can Asphalt Shingles be Installed on Low Pitched Roofs?
Asphalt shingles can be installed down to a 2:12 pitch roof with a double layer of underlayment. Here is an example of a roof I designed where the customer wanted a larger front porch to sit and relax in the evenings. Prior to the roof, I brought in Jonus Larsen to ...
Q & A - Is My Roof Valley Installed Incorrectly?
Steve asked, "Why does my valley have two different colors on it?" WOW, that’s a roof valley you don’t see every day. What you have is an area of the roof called a valley. The shiny straight line is called a W Valley and is most likely 18 inches – 24 ...
Q & A - Dutch Gutters, Why Do My Gutters Clog?
What causes gutters to clog and how to solve this problem. I received this question a while back from an elderly man concerned about having to get up on the roof to sweep off the leaves and clean out the clogged drains many times during the year. Most Dutch gutters I ...
Q & A - Asphalt Shingle Replacement and Old Felt
Is it better to take off old felt or leave it on during a roof replacement? Pam asked, "When replacing a roof with new asphalt shingles, is it best to take off the layer of old felt with the old shingles? Is it better to lay new felt over the old ...
Q & A - Tearing off a Roof, The Pro's and Con's
Barbara asked, "Can we lay over a roof that leaks?" "I am the president of a condo association. Our units are now 18 years old and need to be re-roofed. We have a few elderly men in our community who insist that we lay over the existing shingles rather than tear ...
Q & A - Roofing Felt, How Long Can I Leave It Uncovered?
Al asked, "How long can I leave the roofing paper uncovered?" Roofing Felt is applied to the deck with roofing nails and under steep slope roofs like tile, shakes and asphalt shingles. When re-roofing it is common to feel a roof out and leave it when rainy weather is present. This, ...
Q & A - Fascia Boards, How Do I bend Them?
How do I bend the fascia without cutting it? Adam Asked, "I have some rounded corners on a porch. The fascia board was put up with relief cuts on the backside of the board to allow it the wood to bend around the corner hip. Because of this it has leaked ...
Q & A - Whole House Fans
Whole house fans, how do they work? Have you ever sat outside on a hot summer evening and enjoyed the cool air? Did you know there is a way to bring that cool air into your home? A Whole House Fan can do this. These fans are a very popular way ...
Q & A - Zero Lot Line Scaffold
Is there a way we can fit the roof without the need for scaffolding on her property? Christine asked, "We have been granted planning permission to build and roof a two-story extension to which our neighbor has actively objected to. Her mission it seems is to make our Home Improvement as ...
