Blog

Summer and winter weather can take their toll on your roof. Recognizing the signs of storm damage is an important part of maintaining your roof, which may need special attention following severe weather or harsh conditions. If you think you may need emergency repairs for your roof following a storm, don’t wait—contact your Fairfax roofers immediately for prompt service to prevent further damage to your roof.

Wind

High winds can damage your roof in several ways. The direction and force of the wind both play a role in the type and amount of damage your roof sustains. In most cases, winds become a risk to your roof when gusts exceed approximately 60 miles per hour. Although your roof and home are typically designed to sustain much higher winds, this is the speed at which poorly-installed roofing often begins to loosen. Winds of these speeds and higher can break the bonds sealing shingles together, causing them to curl and present a space for moisture and pests to gain access to your roofing underlayment or attic. Additionally, higher winds can tear shingles away from the roof completely, leaving larger areas exposed to damage. 

Hail

Hail is another common source of roof damage during storms. This type of damage varies with the duration and size of the hail. In most cases, hail causes damage to shingles without knocking them from your roof. Hailstones may cause pockmarks or cracks in asphalt, cedar, or slate shingles; hail can also cause denting and warping of metal roofing under extreme conditions. In some cases, hail may cause pieces of shingles to break off or become weaker, allowing them to be carried away by wind or rain during the same storm or subsequent poor weather events. Even if hail does not cause readily visible damage to your roof, it’s a good idea to schedule a roofing inspection following a hailstorm. Hail may cause damage that only a roofer can identify during a physical inspection, or put your roof at risk for future leaks or premature wear without repairs.

Ice and Snow

Although you may think of rain and thunderstorms when envisioning the causes of storm damage to your roof, ice and snow can also affect the integrity of your roof and home. Ice storms, while not as common as snowstorms, can cause curling and cracking of shingles as ice accumulates and expands on your roof. Heavy snowfall can place excess weight and pressure on your roof; if thick snow is not removed, it will continue to absorb moisture from subsequent precipitation, adding to the weight and increasing the risk of roof leaks and collapse. Ice and snow can also put your roof at risk for ice dam formation, which not only affects the materials of your roof, but typically causes water damage inside your home as well. Snow and ice removal and any necessary roof repairs should always be handled by a professional for both safety and efficacy.

Your Fairfax roofing company can help you protect your roof all year long with roofing inspections, maintenance, repair, and replacement. We are dedicated to providing excellent roofing services to meet your needs, including green roofing and skylight and gutter care. Please check us out online or click through our blog for additional information about protecting your roof and your home.

Skylights are a versatile feature that can completely transform the look and feel of your home’s interior. A skylight can increase the natural light in any room by up to 30%, helping your home to feel more open and welcoming while also lowering the cost of lighting. If you are thinking of installing skylights in your home or business, your roofing experts in Alexandria are your best resource when choosing and installing these beneficial features.

Determining Your Needs and Preferences

If you are thinking of installing a skylight, it’s important to determine whether these features are right for you. Skylights increase the amount of daylight in your home, which can help interior spaces feel more bright and airy. A skylight can reduce the need for artificial lighting in dark areas, such as hallways and bathrooms. Skylights may also be used for additional ventilation during fair weather, which can help regulate your home’s temperature and reduce stuffiness on upper floors that may suffer from poor HVAC performance. However, skylights and solar tubes will be visible on the exterior of your roof, and may affect your curb appeal if you want to place one on the portion of your roof that faces the street.

Considering Your Options

Installing one or more skylights is an amazing way to increase the value and aesthetics of your property. There are many factors to consider when installing skylights, including style and placement. Depending on the slope of your roof and the areas where you want to place your skylights, you may receive direct or diffuse sunlight. If you have woodwork or furnishings that can be damaged by direct sunlight, tinted or frosted skylights may be best to allow added light without affecting the features inside your home. Shades and blinds can also allow you to adjust the amount of light that enters through your skylight, just like your home’s other windows. Skylights may be stationary or operational to provide added ventilation. Finally, it’s important to consider the size of your skylight—larger skylights don’t necessarily cost more to install than small ones, so look to the size of your room and the area you want to light or ventilate when choosing your skylight’s size. While small rooms such as bathrooms don’t need large skylights, living areas can benefit from larger skylights that truly make these spaces feel more open.

Working With Your Roofer

If you do decide you want to install skylights, it’s not a project you should undertake on your own. Working with your professional roofer means you’ll not only get top-quality results, you’ll also avoid damaging your roof or home in the process. Depending on your home’s structure and design, there may be areas of your roof that cannot withstand a skylight or may require special care before one can be installed. Your roofer has the experience necessary to evaluate your interior and exterior needs to design a plan for skylight placement that suits your aesthetic preferences while also protecting the long-term quality of your roof and the skylights he installs. Professionally-installed skylights will maintain their beauty and integrity for years, providing a strong barrier against the elements while providing the added light and ventilation you want.

Our roofers in Alexandria have extensive experience with commercial and residential roofing repair, maintenance, and skylight installation. If you’d like to learn more about skylight or roofing installation for your home or business, click over to our website to check out our full range of services and options. You can also find out more about the value of improving your roofing system or adding a skylight on our monthly blog.

Although a roof may seem like a simple cover for your home in Alexandria, it actually contains many components working together to provide both protection and comfort for the spaces within. Attic ventilation is a key element of your roofing system that helps to regulate temperature and moisture in your attic, which has an effect throughout the rest of your home as well. If you’re looking for ways to green your roof to enjoy a more eco-friendly lifestyle, solar attic ventilation is an excellent option that offers many beneficial returns on your investment.

The Importance of Attic Ventilation

Attic ventilation plays an important role in the quality of your home’s indoor air. Ventilation also helps to regulate temperature and reduce the need for heating and cooling, which can help you save money and further reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Sufficient attic ventilation prevents the buildup of moisture in your attic, which can damage insulation and roofing, as well as attract pests and promote mold growth. The buildup of warm, moist air in your attic during the winter is also a significant factor in the formation of ice dams, which can cause serious damage to your roof and home. By providing adequate ventilation in your attic, your roof and home will require fewer repairs and the materials in your home will last longer, contributing to a healthier environment by reducing the waste associated with replacement of your roof and other materials inside your home before their expected lifetime is up.

The Basics of Solar Attic Ventilation

Solar attic ventilation is an active ventilation system, rather than a passive one. Photovoltaic cells mounted on the top of the fan power the fan’s operation, allowing it to actively circulate air to reduce moisture and heat inside your home. These fans offer many benefits over conventional electric fans by effectively eliminating the fan’s operating costs and preventing negative pressure zones that can occur when electrical fans draw too much air out of your home too quickly. Furthermore, the installation of a solar attic fan can reduce your air conditioning consumption by up to 35%, which will help you save money and conserve power while maintaining a healthy and comfortable environment inside your home, particularly on an upper floor and in rooms adjacent to attic spaces. Solar attic fans are available in varying models to meet your ventilation requirements, regardless of the size of your home and attic.

Property owners that opt to install solar attic fans are eligible for a 30% tax credit up to a cap of $1,500 to cover the purchase, and installation of the fan through 2016. If you’d like to learn more about adding attic ventilation to your home or commercial property, click over to our website for more information about our roofing services in Alexandria. We also invite you to check out our blog for more green building information to improve comfort and reduce energy consumption for a healthier home and a healthier environment.

Solar power is a completely clean, renewable resource that comes from the sunlight that naturally reaches the Earth. Installing a residential solar roofing system in Alexandria offers you many benefits, from reducing or eliminating your need to buy power as a utility to improving the value and eco-friendliness of your home. Solar roofing has come a long way since its earliest inception—today, lightweight solar panels can be integrated right into the structure of your asphalt roof for a seamless, stylish look that will save you money.

How Solar Panels Work

When you install photovoltaic solar panels on your roof, they will work from dawn through dusk to capture and convert energy from the sun. Solar panels contain numerous cells made from silicon, which generate electricity as energetic photons in sunlight strike the surface. Power is generated in the form of a direct current (DC); thus, residential solar roofing systems also contain a power inverter, which converts direct current to alternating current (AC), which is used in your home. As power is generated by your roof, it is sent into your home’s electrical system, supplementing or even completely replacing the power drawn from your residential power grid. In some cases, any “extra” electricity generated by your roof can be sold back to your power company for use elsewhere, further increasing the benefits of installing solar panels in your roof.

About Solar Panel Installation

Modern solar panels can be integrated right into your roofing system to lie flat with the surrounding material, rather than propped up on struts that require drilling or attachments to secure the panels to your roof. This design is superior in both appearance and longevity, as it minimizes the risk of damage to your roof and your solar panels over time due to leaks or rusting. The location of your solar panels will affect how much energy they generate—your panels should be located in a clear space with no overhanging branches or shade; solar panels are typically located on the southern side of a home to maximize solar exposure in both the summer and the winter. Your roofing contractor can help you evaluate your roof’s size and shape to determine how many panels you should install and where they should be placed.

Caring for Your Solar Roofing

Maintaining your solar panels will ensure they continue generating the maximum amount of electricity possible over their lifetime. Most solar panels don’t require cleaning unless they are excessively dusty—your roofing contractor can check the condition of your solar panels during your annual roofing inspection to let you know if any service is required. Monitoring your solar panels’ output can also alert you to the need for repairs—if output suddenly drops, your roofing company can perform an inspection to determine the best course of action. The best way to care for your solar panels is to care for your roofing in general by continuing to maintain your roof through regular inspections and repairs as necessary to protect the area surrounding the panels. Additionally, make sure to keep the trees around your home healthy and trimmed back to prevent debris or broken branches from affecting your solar panels or your roof, particularly during bad weather.

Are you ready to go solar in Alexandria? You can stop by our website to discover the residential and commercial solar roofing systems we offer, as well as our other roofing solutions and services. Don’t forget to check out our blog for more information about residential roofing, commercial roofing, and green roofing.

All roofing requires repair from time to time, addressing damage due to wear and tear, pests, and poor weather. However, some types of roof repairs are more urgent than others, as ignoring serious roofing problems can cause damage to the rest of your roof, your home, and even the belongings within. Knowing when you need to call for emergency roof repairs in McClean can make the difference between a secure, comfortable home and a major roofing disaster.

Common Causes of Emergency Roofing Repairs

In most cases, severe weather causes roof damage that requires immediate repairs, from heavy rains and hail to high winds and even lighting strikes. All of these factors can cause significant damage to your roof over the course of a single storm, leading to a hole that allows rainwater to begin leaking inside immediately. Damage from pests or falling debris can also lead to leaks during storms, while fire damage—even if the fire is minor—will also require emergency repairs to restore your roof’s structural integrity.

What to Do When You Need Emergency Roofing Repairs

As soon as you notice a problem that requires repair, you should make two phone calls: first, to your roofing contractor to request immediate repair, and second, to your homeowner’s insurance company to report the damage. In most cases, your policy will cover the cost of the repairs, but it will depend on your policy and the type of damage that occurs. If the storm that caused your roof damage is ongoing, your roofing contractor may wait until the weather has subsided enough to allow workers to safely access your roof—if so, he will give you advice on handling the problem until emergency repair workers can arrive. You can prevent leaks from causing further damage to your home by moving valuables out of the area affected by the water and laying down towels or placing buckets beneath the leak to manage any incoming water.

How to Prevent Emergency Roofing Repairs

While the situations that cause damage warranting emergency repairs are often unpredictable, there are still steps you can take to minimize your risk. Keep your roof in good condition with regular roofing inspections and any maintenance recommended by your roofing contractor. Trim any large branches in your yard and be aware of any power poles that could fall on your roof so you aren’t caught off guard if severe weather topples one. Keep emergency supplies on hands, such as plastic tarps, absorbent towels, and a few buckets big enough to collect rainwater. You should also have your home checked for pests regularly and address any infestations promptly to prevent pests and wildlife from damaging your roof.

If you need emergency roofing repairs, don’t hesitate—contact your trusted roofing expert by phone or online via our website to find out what steps you should take to protect your roof and your home. We are proud to offer a wide range of roofing services, including maintenance and emergency repairs for commercial and residential buildings in McLean. You can also learn more about the causes of roof damage and how to handle damage effectively by reading through our informative blog.