Blog

Benefits of Installing A Skylight

Two SkylightsFor many homeowners, adding a skylight feels like an unnecessary luxury that often has more drawbacks than benefits. However, if a skylight is well-installed, it can provide a number of benefits for your home! For those who are skeptical about whether or not it is a worthwhile investment to install a skylight on their home, take a look at our blog to learn more about the benefits of adding a skylight to your home’s roof!

Curb Appeal & Resale Value

One of the first benefits that comes to mind when homeowners consider adding a skylight to their home is the curb appeal that it adds. A skylight is a beautiful addition to any home’s exterior and many homeowners love the way they look. If you ever plan on selling your home, adding a skylight is an easy way to boost your home’s value!

Boost The Amount Of Natural Light In Your Home

Another common benefit that homeowners think of when considering the pros and installing a new skylight on their home’s roof is that it provides your home with natural light. If your home is surrounded by vegetation, it can often be difficult to get natural light in your home. Adding a skylight to your roof is an easy way to bolster the amount of light that your home receives.

Ventilation

If you install a skylight that can be opened and closed, it can be a fantastic way to improve the ventilation in your home. Since heat rises, if your home is feeling hot and stuffy in the summer, opening a couple of windows and your skylight can help create a vacuum that sucks the hot air out through the skylight while also bringing in more temperate air from the ground level.

Make The Room Feel Larger

Adding a skylight to a room can make the space feel larger. While building a skylight obviously won’t increase the total amount of inhabitable space in a room, it will create a large opening to the ceiling that will make the room feel larger even though you technically don’t have any additional space.

Contact Us Today

If you need to install a skylight on your home this fall, our team at Doing It Right Roofing is ready to assist! Reach out to our team today to learn more about our skylight installation services! Our team looks forward to assisting with your skylight installation needs!

Benefits of Fiber Cement Siding

Fiber Cement sidingWhile vinyl siding has long been the standard of the North American siding industry, there is another option that has been gaining in popularity over the last few decades, fiber cement siding. For homeowners looking to install a less conventional siding material on their homes, fiber cement siding presents a welcome alternative. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of fiber cement siding, keep reading below for more information!

Longer Lifespan

One of the primary reasons homeowners like to install fiber cement siding on their homes is that it provides a much longer lifespan than vinyl siding. Vinyl siding generally lasts for roughly 20-30 years, but fiber cement siding has the potential to last much longer. Well-maintained fiber cement can last upwards of 50 years, meaning that for many homeowners, once you’ve resided your home once, it’s possible that you’ll never need to replace it. If you’re looking for a siding material that lasts decades, fiber cement is a great option.

Aesthetics

Another reason that homeowners love fiber cement siding is for the aesthetic benefits that it provides. Fiber Cement is widely manufactured, making it available in a wide variety of color and design options. If you’re looking for a siding material that will boost your home’s curb appeal and resale value, fiber cement is a fantastic choice. Fiber cement can be designed to mimic the texture of nearly any other siding material on the market, including cedarwood. This makes it a great option to provide your home with both durability and beauty!

Durability

Speaking of its durability, fiber cement is far stronger than traditional vinyl siding, making it the perfect option for those in need of a siding material that can withstand a variety of different weather conditions. As most Pennslyvania homeowners know, we experience a bit of every kind of weather in the Mid-Atlantic, from blizzards to sweltering heat & humidity, to the occasional tropical storm! If you’re in search of a siding material that can withstand anything Mother Nature has to throw at it, Fiber Cement siding is a fantastic option. It is built to withstand high winds, fire, offers resistance to rot, humidity, and nearly anything else that your home is exposed to. Particularly in a climate like Pittsburgh that provides so much variety, fiber cement is a fantastic option to handle any weather that comes your way!

Contact Us Today

If you need to replace your home’s siding this fall, our team at Doing It Right Roofing is ready to assist! Reach out to us today to learn more about our James Hardie Fiber Cement installation services, as well as our vinyl siding installations. If you’re interested in learning more about our services, give us a call at (724) 351-0499 or by filling out our team’s online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your exterior remodeling needs!

Fall Roof Maintenance

Man Cleaning His Gutters on Ladder

With Fall in full swing and winter just around the corner, it is important to ensure that your home is properly protected for the winter months. One of the most important things you can do to prepare your home for the cooler months is to perform a bit of roofing maintenance in the fall. If you’re interested in learning more about what you should be doing to ensure your home is properly protected, keep reading below to learn a few tips and tricks.

Clean Your Gutters

As we covered in our last blog, cleaning your gutters is incredibly important for the health of your home. First of all, having clogged gutters can lead to water pouring over the sides of your gutter system where it can get under your starter shingles, run down your siding & fascia boards, and drip down onto your flower beds and foundation. Furthermore, if you have a lot of debris in your gutter system holding moisture and it freezes in the winter, your roof run-off won’t be able to drain anywhere and your home could be exposed to ice dams. In order to prevent expensive repairs, be sure to perform routine maintenance on your gutter system.

Remove Debris

Another issue that your roof may be exposed to, particularly in the fall, is being covered in debris. This can be a problem both if the debris ends up clogging your gutter system, but also if the debris holds a lot of moisture against your shingles causing it to eventually freeze and damage the shingles themselves. If you find that your roof is particularly covered in debris, you’ll want to clean it off before the winter months!

Examine Your Shingles

Finally, you’ll want to keep an eye on the most important piece of your home’s roofing system, your shingles. They can begin to breakdown in a variety of ways, including warping, cracking, losing their granules, and falling off of your roof entirely. If you find that your shingles are failing, you’ll want to have the shingles replaced before the winter months begin in order to protect your home from expensive water damage. Having damaged shingles can allow water to seep into your roof deck where it can quickly cause rot damage. If you find that your shingles are damaged, be sure to have your roof repaired as soon as possible!

Contact Us Today

Do you need to replace your roof before the winter begins? Our team at Doing It Right Roofing is ready to assist! We can be reached over the phone at (724) 351-0499 or by filling out our team’s online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your roof replacement needs!

Best Season To Replace Your Roof

Old roof in the fall with yellow leaves falling on it

If you need to replace your home’s roof, you may be wondering what the best time of year is to tackle the replacement process. Is it during the winter, when contractors workloads are slower, or is it the summer month when warm weather permits an easy workflow. If you’re interested in learning more about the best season to replace your home’s roof, keep reading below for more information!

Winter

First on our list is winter. As you may have guessed, winter is arguably the worst season to tackle your roof replacement. The cold, snowy weather can make the installation process difficult, as there is a great deal of stagnant moisture that accumulates on your roof during the winter weather. Additionally, the cold weather itself can make it difficult to install the shingle system correctly. In general, this is the worst season to tackle a roof replacement for the reasons above. However, if it is still early in the season, before the snow has begun to fall, it is possible that you may be able to get a quick appointment with a contractor, as the winter months are the slowest for contractors. Furthermore, even if you cannot get a full roof replacement completed during the winter, you can still contact contractors for patch jobs with the agreement that they will replace the roof in the springtime!

Spring

Arguably the second-best season for roof replacements, the spring season offers cool, but temperate, weather, ideal for roof installations. As long as the rain holds out, spring is a great time to have your roof replaced. However, the major issue with the spring months is that contractors tend to have a long list of jobs that they need to complete, as calls have come in all winter long and many people are taking stock of their home’s exteriors to get replacements and repairs completed. If you can book a timely appointment, spring is a great time for your replacement, but it can often be difficult to find a contractor who doesn’t have a long list of jobs they need to complete before yours.

Summer

While many homeowners would assume that summer is the ideal season to replace a roof, it can be a difficult undertaking in the summer heat. Crews often need to start working on the morning and take a break during the peak heat of the day, as it gets incredibly hot on an asphalt shingle roof. While the weather is generally good for roof replacements, the heat can make it a more arduous process than it would be during the cooler months.

Fall

Finally, we have arrived at what is arguably the best season for roof replacements, Fall. The reason fall is the best month is that it offers a mix of the best traits of each season. Generally, the weather is cool enough to permit long workdays, but the weather also tends to be less precipitous than the spring months that offer similar temperatures. It also allows you to have a freshly installed roof before the winter, protecting your home from any leaking or ice dam issues that may have plagued a less sound roof. If you are able to have your roof replaced during the fall, it is the best time of the year to tackle the project.

Contact Us Today

Do you need to replace your home’s roof this fall? Our team at Doing It Right Roofing is ready to assist! We can be reached over the phone at (724) 351-0499 or by filling out our online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your roof replacement needs!

Benefits Of Metal Roofing

Metal Roofing is a less conventional roofing material that has been gaining in popularity recently due to all of the benefits that it provides. If you’re interested in learning more about why more homeowners have been choosing metal roofing, take a look at our blog to learn more about the pros of metal roofing!

Longer Lifespan Than Asphalt Shingles

One of the greatest benefits of metal roofing is that it is long-lasting. While asphalt shingles generally last between 15 and 30 years at the maximum, metal roofing can easily last upwards of 50 years, and potentially much longer with a bit of maintenance. If you’re in search of a roofing material that you will never need to replace, metal roofing is a fantastic option!

Lightweight and Easy To Install

Metal roofing is far lighter than tile roofing, and even lighter than some of the heavier duty, architectural shingles that some homeowners choose to install. This has a couple of benefits. First of all, it means that your roof will need less support, saving you engineering costs. The other benefit is that it makes it even easier to install. Metal roofing is already relatively easy to install due to the fact that is constructed of large sheets of roofing rather than individual shingles. This makes it easy to install, which is particularly useful if you’re in need of a quick fix for your home’s roof!

Fire Resistant

Another reason that homeowners choose to install metal roofing is that is it entirely fire-resistant. While asphalt shingles generally possess a Class 1A fire rating, depending on the manufacturer, they will still melt and burn when exposed to a flame for a long period of time. Metal roofing on the other hand, will never burn. This makes it a safe option to install on homes in wildfire territory, as well as a smart option for homeowners looking to preemptively protect their home’s from fire damage.

Cooling Properties

Metal Roofing helps reflect solar heat away from the home, rather than asphalt shingles which absorb a lot of solar energy, which in turn helps reduce your cooling costs. If you find that you’re spending a considerable amount of money on air conditioning costs, installing a metal roof can help reduce the amount of energy used to cool your home.

Weather Resistant

Metal roofing is completely impervious to rot and other moisture damage, making it great for climates that receive a lot of rain or snow. Slippery, hard metal roofing offers no grooves for moisture to get trapped in, making it easy to shed excess moisture.

Aesthetics

Finally, metal roofing looks fantastic. Its unique look will help provide your home with additional curb appeal in comparison to the homes with asphalt shingles in your neighborhood. Furthermore, metal roofing is available in a variety of colors, ensuring that you can find the perfect color to fit the aesthetic of your home’s exterior.

Contact Us Today

If you’re interested in learning more about metal roofing, or installing a metal roof on your home today, our team is ready to assist! We can be reached over the phone at (724) 351-0499 or by filling out our team’s online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your roof replacement needs!

How Can I Prevent Moss from Growing on my Roof?

Moss might look harmless, but its presence on the tiles of a roof can cause a number of problems and difficulties for homeowners. From rotting to drain blocking, moss growth often means costly repairs, damaged roof tiles, and at its worse, a complete replacement. Avoid moss from growing on your roof with these handy tips.

Tips for Avoiding Moss on your Roof

It helps to avoid moss as much as possible on your roof, for a variety of reasons. For starters, there are several issues with the weather that moss can actually make much worse.

Why Avoid Moss?

Due to the composition of moss, it is constantly absorbing moisture, meaning extra weight is being added to your roof tiles. Not to mention, that weight is in water and could lead to rotting and a breakdown of the structural integrity of your roof. When roofs need replacing, many contractors will note that the roof has taken away the ability of the draining to occur at a sloped angle like designed. Moss takes in that moisture and clogs drains, making roof damage a matter of time. Lastly, moss can attract birds and insects, which could not only mess up the tiles but cause an eyesore in your neighborhood. Between the number of ways that moss can damage and cause trouble for your roof, it is best to avoid it at all costs.

Tips for Avoiding Moss

An easy way to avoid moss on your roof is to add copper ridges to the roof tiles. This allows rainfall to hit those ridges, and a residue from the copper to run down the roof and help discourage the growth and spread of moss. Likewise, regular cleaning can help a ton too. For the most part, a routine maintenance check and cleaning of your roof is all you need to keep moss away and the roof in perfect condition. Take a power washer to your roof and gutters once or twice a year to avoid moss growth, and when you do see it starting, do not panic. Seeing a bit of it is totally normal. Just make sure to go about getting rid of it.

 

When moss is starting to pop up on your roof, hire a team to make sure it does not continue to grow. Professional roofing companies carry out the cleaning safely and with precision. Call today to schedule an appointment.

 

Signs You Need New Siding

It is no secret that your exterior siding will ultimately be a victim of the same threat that it’s meant to fend off. Siding wears out, break, cracks and ages. The deterioration will cause it to leak and not perform as it’s designed and cause damage that has the potential to be costly. While siding replacement may not be on your to-do list, you may need one, nonetheless. What are the signs that indicate that you need new siding? Here are some of the signs that you should look out for.

Cracked or Loose Siding

When large sections of your home’s siding reveal signs of cracking or several pieces are loose, there might be a problem that requires professional work. Just one or two pieces of loose siding or cracked is no reason for immediate concern, and you may be able to remove and replace those pieces. It’s important to remember to assess the layers underneath broken or cracked siding for additional damage that needs to be addressed.

Rot

Rot is a sign that your siding is no longer able to perform at an optimal level and protect your home. Rot can spread across the exterior, leaving you with only one choice-replacing the entire siding. You can use a screwdriver to tap on small areas of the siding to uncover weak spots that are experiencing dry rot that destroys the underlayer of your siding.

 Peeling Paint/Wallpaper

Peeling paint or wallpaper may not jump out as a clear sign that you need new siding. However, this is an indicator of faulty siding, where moisture has seeped through and into your home and damage the interior walls. Moisture is a problem that you do not want in your home.

 Fungus, Mold, or Mildew

Near the seams of your siding, in particular, you may notice fungus, mold or mildew. This is a sign that water has penetrated the siding and is trapped inside the wall and is slowly released and has the potential to cause any of the mentioned growths. These growths also tend to be on the shaded sections of siding that are typical to foster moisture. At his point, your siding is no longer doing its job.

If you need a siding replacement, Doing It Right has you covered with guaranteed consistent workmanship and accountability and top quality service bar none. At Doing It Right, your project and satisfaction are priority number one.

Spring Home Maintenance Checklist

With spring knocking on our door, it’s time for homeowners to begin taking stock of their home’s exteriors and assessing what needs to be repaired. If you’ve been wondering what you should be looking for when maintaining your home this spring, take a look at our blog!

Clean Your Gutters

One of the first things you should be checking on is your home’s gutters. They are likely to be full of debris and grime from the winter which will make it difficult for them to drain during those spring showers. In order to make sure your gutter system is working properly, ensure you examine your gutters at the start of the spring.

Check On Your Roof

Your roof could have accrued damage during the winter as well. Once all the snow has melted and you can easily examine it, take a look around to see if there are any cracked, broken, or warping shingles. If you notice any issues with your home’s shingles or roof, replace them as soon as possible to avoid any moisture damage in your home.

Examine Your Windows And Doors

Another problem area that homeowners should examine are their windows and doors. Ensure you check around the frame of your windows to find out if there are any air leaks. While you may be ventilating your home fairly often during the spring and summer, on those particularly hot days when you have the AC running you don’t want all that cold air escaping out the cracks in your window frames. Similarly, examine the frame of your doors, particularly the threshold, which could have worn away during the winter and contribute to air leakage.

Take A Look At Your Exterior Walls

Check around your home’s exterior walls, particularly around the eaves of your home, or around your downspouts. Both of these areas are particularly susceptible to water damage, so you should examine for water spots that indicate your home has been exposed to water damage.

Maintain Your Deck Or Patio

Finally, be sure to take a look at your deck or patio, whether it’s made from natural wood or a composite look-a-like. Keeping your deck free of debris can help extend it’s lifespan no matter what material it’s made out of. If your deck is wooden, be sure to clean and re-finish it. If it’s a composite, be sure to follow the manufacturers directions for maintenance. Be sure to keep an eye out for any rot in your boards or rust in the nails and hardware to ensure your deck is in great shape for the warm months ahead!

Contact Us Today

Are you in need of a new roof or siding for your home this spring? Reach out to our team today for more information. We can be contacted over the phone at (724) 351-0499 or by filling out our online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your exterior remodeling needs!

3 Roofing Winter Hazards to Look Out For

Winter can be a tough time for roofs. During this season there tend to be more storms, harsher conditions, and extreme temperature changes, making it not only difficult for roofs to endure the season, but also makes it more difficult to fix problems once they arise. Here are 3 common roofing issues that tend to arise.

Wind

Wind is a force that will catch onto any weak or loose points on your roof, making it a greater threat the older your roof gets. Even if your home’s roof is secure, it can force moisture underneath the shingles, causing problems that if left unchecked will become a greater issue later.

Usually, commercial buildings tend to fair better in strong winds due to their flat surface. However, they are almost never completely flat, so there is still a chance for damage to the roof just like any other surface.

In the case of particularly strong winds, roof surfaces can become damaged or cracked. Damaged flashing creates a seam for water to get under the surface of the roofing material, increasing the risk of leaks and water damage.

Snow

Snow is often associated with snowball fights and beautiful winter landscapes, but it is also a headache for homeowners in charge of maintaining it. If not kept in check, it will accumulate over time, and eventually pose a danger for the roof and put building operations at risk.

Different types of roof are built to handle different amounts of weight, but allowing larger amounts of snow to pile up on your roof will certainly affect it’s load-bearing capacity. A large roof can cause a great deal of stress to the roof, compressing the insulation of the building, or even potentially damaging the roof deck. When left unchecked, it can even lead to complete roof collapse.

Some telltale signs of a roof exceeding maximum capacity include loud popping sounds coming from it, as well as sagging metal supports, warped wood, and any distortion with the structure in general.

Temperature Changes

Temperature fluctuations tend to be more extreme during the winter. Days tend to be far warmer than the nights, and this repeated temperature change can lead to significant damage to a roof.

Over time, your roof’s capacity to adjust to the temperature changes diminishes, and eventually these constant expansions and contractions can shorten the lifespan of the roof. This can reveal itself in the form of joints cracking, seams tearing loose and separated flashings, all of which can be difficult to fix. A worse case scenario would be a roof experiencing thermal shock, which worse case scenario would result in the material being split wide open.

To avoid these, it’s important to have your roof inspected regularly and to replace your roof towards the end of its lifespan. If you need to schedule such activity for your roof, contact us at 724.351.0499, or submit an online inquiry form. We’d love to work with you!

Chat with A Contractor: When Do I Get A New Roof?

10 Signs That You Need a New Roof

This 10 point checklist will help you to determine if it’s time for a new roof. If your asphalt shingle roof shows these signs, it should be evaluated by a professional roofing contractor. Call the roofing experts at Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC to get a professional evaluation of your roof and to determine if your problems are shingle, flashing, or weather related.

  1. Missing Roof Shingles
    Dislodged shingles or shingles that have been blown off the roof surface indicate that your roof’s asphalt shingle is losing its tar seal. When this happens asphalt shingles will become loose and have the tendency to flip up or off in even the lightest wind storms. Once the tar strip loses its seal not much can be done with the old shingle. Temporary tar sealing will work in the short term, but is not guaranteed to fix the problem permanently. Replacing the missing tab shingles is an option, but you need to be careful depending on the age of the roof. Mixing new asphalt shingles with much older, worn out asphalt shingles may cause other problems. Always consult an expert roofer like Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC before making costly repairs that may not work rather than getting a new roof.
  2. Missing Granular on Roofing Shingles
    On a new roof, asphalt based shingles have a granular covering to protect the tar surface and give the shingle its attractive appearance. Over time, the granular surface of the asphalt shingle loosens and wears off. Once worn down to the asphalt base, the asphalt shingle will tend to dry out and crack exposing the underlying roof. Once the granular surface has worn from the asphalt shingle base, the shingles must be replaced.
  3. Curling Roof Shingles
    Curling is generally caused by poor ventilation or a dried out asphalt shingle base. Once this curling process starts, nothing can stop it. Eventually the curled pieces break off which may cause the roof to leak. When a roof reaches this stage it is important not to walk on it if possible. Walking on it will dislodge the curled pieces will make them break off from the asphalt shingle base. Many inexperienced roofers will attempt to inspect a roof with curled shingles. Before doing a full roof inspection, Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC will discuss any damage risk from walking on your roof.
  4. Blistered Roofing Shingles
    At this point the shingles have had it. They are cracked, bubbled looking, and, in most cases, dislodged from their seal and original roof placement. This is another instance where everyone should remain off the roofing surface in order to avoid further damage to your existing shingles. Under these conditions, Doing It Right Home Improvements would recommend a completely new roof.
  5. Multiple Layers of Shingles
    When I started in this business back in 1984, it was common practice to install an asphalt shingle roof over an existing asphalt shingle roof. The manufacturers at that time even provided directions on how to do this type of installation. That has all changed and no reputable roofer would even consider installing shingle on shingle roofing now. Doing so will void your shingle warranty. What the roofing manufactures found is that the first layer of shingles actually cooks the layer or layers of shingles installed over top of them. We can attest to that since we have found up to 5 layers of shingles on some roofs. This will decrease the life span of the new shingles installed thus costing the consumer thousands in the end. Always remove all shingle and other roofing products down to the wood deck surface before installing a new roof.
  6. Algae Growth on Shingles
    The growth of brown or black algae on your asphalt shingles will not hurt your shingles’ performance. It doesn’t look very good, but it will not affect the shingle surface. After 30 years in business, Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC has never replaced a roof due to algae growth. Any replacement was either for appearance or because of condition of the underlying roofing material unrelated to algae. Removing the algae is optional and can be done using a bleach solution, however, bleach does remove granular as well and so we don’t recommend it.
  7. Flashing and Caulking Damage
    Most flashing products are made of aluminum, copper or tin. The latter being the most susceptible to water damage. Most flashing problems are repairable; however, don’t accept caulking as the fix all for your roof flashing problems. Most flashing problems are caused by incorrect installation or from the flashing being dislodge from its original place due to ice, water or wind. Caulking is used to “pretty up” the edges of the flashing and is primarily a mask. If flashings are incorrectly installed any leaks are usually caused by flashing issue and not the caulking job. I suggest a complete roof evaluation before you spend any amount of money on costly repairs.
  8. Roof Buckling
    One of the main causes of roof buckling is poor roof ventilation. Most manufactures also site poor ventilation as the # 1 cause of premature shingle wear. When heat and moisture are trapped in an attic space, it causes severe damage to the roof truss system and the roof sheathing deck. Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC always performs an attic inspection prior to replacing any roof. We check for proper ventilation and recommend additional vents if required to prevent roof buckling on your new roof.
  9. Water Damage and Rotting Roof Wood
    About 75% of all asphalt shingle roofs that we replace each year have some sort of rotting or water damaged wood that the homeowners are not aware of. The professionals at Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC take pride in our ability to spot those areas even before the roof surface is removed. Finding the signs of water damaged areas is key in evaluating a roof. Low spots in the roof surfaces or funnel areas, sagging or out of place lines of site are just some of the determining factors in spotting damaged areas. We recommend measuring the damaged area and then doubling the replacement radius.
  10. Water Marks / Interior and Exterior
    Let’s face it. If you find a water mark on the ceiling of your home or in the soffit area off your roofing overhang you have a water infiltration problem. That does not necessarily mean you need an entirely new roof. Doing It Right Roofing, Siding, Remodeling LLC will make the necessary assessment of the water mark and determine if it is related to a shingle, flashing, gutter, or maybe a chimney problem. Most homeowners call a roofer for leaks that are usually not caused by what the homeowner originally believes to be the problem. Correctly diagnosing the problem and implementing a good solution could save the homeowner thousands in unwanted repairs and keep the remaining untouched areas from future damage.