Roofing 101
What is a Slate Roof?
Slate roofs are one of the longest-lasting roofs you could have and are found all over the world. It is not uncommon to see these rock roofs last 100-200 years I recently had this photo sent to me from Scotland. These beautifully aged stone roofs can be found on a ...
How Many Layers of Roofing Are on my House?
There are a couple ways to determine how many layers are on your roof without tearing it up. So you are thinking about a new roof and are wondering just how many roofs or layers you have up there. If you have an older home and you have not lived there ...
Q & A - What is Skip Sheathing Roofing?
Understanding skip sheathing and its purpose. Meg asked, Why do I need to have new plywood. My home is in Roseville CA and my roofer says I have skip sheathing. I just don’t understand what he means. The roofer I am dealing with told me that askaroofer.com would have a picture. ...
Q & A - Should I Tear My Roof Off?
Is it better to roof over my existing roof or tear the roof off? It’s that time of year again when re-roofing is on the mind of many people. When thinking about doing an asphalt roof job, some people think they can save a few bucks by roofing over the old ...
AskARoofer - What is it? Another Interesting Tool!
What is this roofing tool used for? I have used this tool for many years in the roofing trade. I here recently resurfaced one { not shown } and I am getting it out to temper it and thought this would be a good challenge for you folks. So what do ...
Asbestos Paper Used on Roofs
The use of asbestos in roofing has some interesting history. Since the early 1900’s manufactures have used asbestos in different forms of roofing materials from tiles, mastic and roofing paper just to mention a few. Today I wanted to share a picture I took in 2004 in Elk Grove CA. Not ...
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 ...
Bend Cedar Shingles Without Splitting
Learn the best way to bend cedar shingles without splitting and weave a closed valley with ease. Today I was asked by another roofer contractor how to frame a Canoe Valley and roof it with cedar shingles. In my attempt to answer his question, he became very confused so I Googled it ...
AskARoofer - What is it? #3
What is it? Here is a _____?_____. It is made if oak and a metal plate. It has three dowel stoppers and hinging wood elbows. It is still a durable tool and could be used today. Many roofers use a form of this tool every day. Do you know what this ...
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 ...
