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Cut heating costs by fixing that old roof

asiacox | Posted in General Discussion on February 3, 2014 05:19am

A properly installed and well maintained roof tends to go unnoticed. Roofs in need of repair on the other hand stick out like a sore thumb. Ironically, many homeowners choose to put off much needed roof repairs because of the cost. What many don’t consider is that their damaged roof is already costing them money day and night anyways. With winter weather in full force around the country, homeowners with worn out roofs are seeing their energy bills skyrocket. All that money is literally being spent on heat that will simply escape out of the roof. Additionally, when the rain and snow fall, roof leaks lead to interior water damage and mold.

So if you’re one of those homeowners waiting until you can afford roof repairs, remember that you can’t afford to put it off any longer. Here are a few helpful tips for getting your roof fixed and your heating costs lowered this winter.

Noticing the problem

Though it probably already seems to you that heating costs are always going up each year, you should notice an even bigger jump in heating costs if you’ve got roofing troubles. If your energy bills seem unusually high, it’s a good indicator that your roof is in need of some repair. If you’re still unsure, pull up energy bills from previous winters and compare them.

Another indicator that your roof needs some attention is a cold draft coming through the attic space. If you have a two story home and the upstairs rooms are typically colder than downstairs, it’s a good sign that cold air is making it through your roof.

Call a roofing contractor

Many homeowners with roofing woes mistakenly believe that nothing can be done until winter has past. This is not the case. The sooner you call a roofing company and get the problem fixed, the better. If the roofing contractor you feel best about is booked, don’t settle for a less experienced contractor. You can lay a heavy tarp over the problem area or areas on your roof to keep out water temporarily until the roofing contractor you trust most can make it out to look at it.

Home improvement news brought to you by bartonroof.com

Source:
digitaljournal.com/pr/1714495

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  1. calvin | Feb 03, 2014 06:12am | #1

    Mark

    Do you think that I should leave the 2 old other roofs on-some say do a tear off.

    Besides costing more money to do the demo-the plus would be the savings in energy cost by leaving them on............

     

    do you think that pose by Asia was uncomfortable?

    1. User avater
      MarkH | Feb 03, 2014 11:51am | #4

      No less than than three roofs shall be permitted on energy star homes!  Yes Asia looks unconfortable there, but she doesn't look too bad.

  2. DanH | Feb 03, 2014 07:09am | #2

    Agreed, a load of trash fish.  A standard shingle roof can leak, and it can blow off in a gale, and it can look really bad, but unless there are holes in it you can see daylight through it has on effect on energy costs.

    The guy who wrote the above knows nothing about roofing!!

    1. User avater
      MarkH | Feb 03, 2014 11:48am | #3

      Where's that goofy lunatic at today?  He would blow a gasket after reading that!

  3. User avater
    Mongo | Feb 03, 2014 01:12pm | #5

    assfault shingles...

    My house has been slghtly colder this winter than in preious years. I originally thought it was because this winter has been quite a bit colder than other winters. Now I realize it's because my roof must be faulty. I tried to visually inspect my roof, but it's been covered with snow for most of the winter. Again, thanks to your post, I now understand my beliefs were flawed. I thought my roof was holding snow because it is very well insulated, but now I know it's because the shinges are bad. 

    Using the sage advice included in your very thoughful post, I realized the only true way to get a long lasting and energy efficient roof is to add multiple layers of shingle over my existing roof.

    Asphalt shingles have an R-value of less than 0.5, so using your advice I have decided to add insulation to my roof using a new method I'm calling the "Builtup Asiacox Dodeca Added Shingling System". B-A-D-A-S-S for short. I'm going to add 12 more layers of 40-year shingles over wht I currently have. That'll increase the R-value of my roof by 12 x 0.5 = R-6, and using logic that I never knew existed until reading your fine post, it'll ensure my new B-A-D-A-S-S dodeca-roof will last for 12 x 40 = 480 years. Longer than copper and slate!

    Asiacox, you are a marvel of thermal wonderment and eco-friendliness.

    1. calvin | Feb 03, 2014 07:22pm | #6

      boy oh boy..........

      I'm glad I left up the spam post-like Mark mentions-Asia and her awkward pose, isn't too bad on the eyes.  ..........and the replies to her post are a laugh.

      thanks Asia!

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