subject: Greening Up Your Home From The Top [print this page] There are many diverse aspects of a home that influence its level of energy efficiency. They include the doors, the windows, the siding and the roof. The roof is sometimes neglected. In some cases, homeowners avoid contacting a roofing contractor because they believe that the costs will be very high. In others, homeowners decide to make roof repairs into a home improvement project. Unless youre quite a good carpenter, this is likely to end in some degree of disaster. Repairing the damage you do yourself is quite often more expensive than repairing the original problem would have been.
Skylights are frequently in need of repairs, especially when theyre not installed by professional roofing contractors. These features involve a lot of complexity where the skylight joins with the rest of the roof. To make sure that the skylight isnt letting in rain in the summer and letting out heat in the winter, you need a professional. Installing roofing features doesnt seem like a particularly difficult job on the face of it, but it does involve quite a bit of complexity. Its generally much more complex than the average home improvement project, to be certain.
Another area where a good roofing contractor can help you make your home more environmentally sound is by finding problems before they start. In some cases, a roof will have rotted patches that are just waiting to become leaks. Your roof may also be made out of dated materials, meaning that youre not getting the full insulation value from the roof that you should. When this is the case, you may actually be able to save money by having the roof contractor make some significant repairs and replacements to your existing roof. The technology and techniques in use today are far more advanced and effective than those used in the past.
Your roof is not just a feature of your house: its a system. The roof repels rain, snow, hail, sleet and everything else, but all of that material needs somewhere to go. If you dont have good gutter systems, this can sometimes turn into problems with your roof in general. Ask your roofing contractor if they install and improve gutter systems. In many cases, damage to the roof can be made worse by clogged gutters that allow rainwater to sit on the roof without being drained away as it should be.
Your home improvement needs can be met, to a great extent, by your roofing contractor. Many of them also have personnel on staff who can install better windows and doors and who can make sure that your home is as energy-efficient as possible all the way around. This results in reduced bills but also offers much more. When your home is properly insulated, it cools and heats evenly, increasing the comfort level of everyone in the home. It also increases the value of your home. With the durable materials in use today, most roof improvements will prove to be very long lasting.
