Discover a New Look For Your Roof
The wide array of shingle options that are currently on the market for a roofing company’s client is very exciting. Now is a great time to be putting up a new home or just re-roofing your existing home. There are so many different material choices available! Many houses in your neighborhood may still have asphalt shingles. This is because traditional asphalt shingles do have benefits. They look great and are very durable, all while being cost effective. Don’t make the default choice before you take some time to do some research on the many, many other choices out there. You never know one of those choices might be just the right fit for you. One of these options are clay shingles.
For homeowners who want to create a mood or an atmosphere a clay tile roof is the choice. This is the ideal roof for various architectural house styles. Clay tiles have been used on roofs since the ancient times and are still common in areas around the world. Clay shingles can be found today in a large selection of styles among them Flat, interlocking Roman Tiles, Barrel, Rectangular Barrel, S-Curved, and Italian Tiles.
Any house can get a boost of interest and beauty from a clay tile roof. Clay tiles use their shape to create interesting and striking shadows that change fluidly as the the sun rises and sets and the angle it shines on the roof changes. You will be the envy of the neighborhood with the bright vibrant colors the clay comes in.
The roof tiles are thoughtfully planned with two things in mind. First it is crucial that they interlock for the best chance of a successful installation. They are also designed with special channels so that they can direct water toward the roof’s gutters. Today’s tiles are each made with a mold to keep them all uniform in shape and size. After the tiles are molded to meet all these demands they are dried for up to four days. Every one of the tiles is then kiln heated. If you are looking for a special color in the tile a pigment can be add to the clay during the process. It isn’t necessary though the clay can also naturally give beautiful tones of reds, oranges, and earth tones. In addition to the pigment after the kiln process is done a glaze of black, white, yellow, silver, green, or blue can be used. Other special techniques can be used to give an aged or weathered look to the tile. With so much variation a Minneapolis roofing company should be able to find just the right clay tile for your home or even your business. The fact that there are so many hand done touches may make clay seem to be an expensive option, but the beauty and long lasting durability of a traditional tile roof makes the investment definitely worth it!
Tile is made in several grades. The first grade is the best fit for a Minneapolis roofing company’s client since it is resistant to the heaviest frost. The second grade isn’t designed to dip below freezing frequently although it can handle some winter weather. The third grade is found in the southern part of the country and is best installed where the weather will remain mild.
While a great choice this roof style isn’t right for every home. Remember these tiles are much heavier than the standard asphalt option. You should always have a roofer make certian that your home will be able to bear weight the load of this roof style. This can be a benefit too, the extra weight makes a tile roof more resistant to wind damage.
If you choose to invest in this style of roof a Minneapolis roofing company will show you toward a clay tile shingle that can resist salt, ice, and rain. All things that must be addressed in the Midwest. Make your home shine in your neighborhood by using a roofing material that both compliments and adds character to the style of your home
The Most Important Things to Know When Planning a Commercial Roof
You have a commercial building in need of a roof. There are near endless options in the phone book and internet. How do you know where to start? A roofer is a roofer. Not the case! If you need a roofer to install a new commercial roof or do repairs to an existing one you must choose a roofer who has experience on commercial roofs.
What is it that make residential and commercial roofs so different? An clear difference is size. This size difference means that the roofers you choose need to have enough manpower to install your roof. Commercial buildings typically have a larger number of protrusions jutting out than a home. Homes almost always have only a single chimney. The roof of a commercial buildinghas many more things to take into account. You may have smoke stacks, ventilation systems, pipes, mechanical wiring, skylights, or even a roof entrance! Businesses like restaurants can have even more additional machinery on the roof. You will need trained professional roofers to handle these obstacles.
The pitch of the roof is the other large difference between residential and commercial projects. Commercial buildings frequently have flat roofs as oppose to residential homes whose roofs are more concerned with looking aesthetically appealing. Flat roofs incorporate energy saving into their roofing materials in multiple ways. Flat roofing membranes are reflective. They are designed with the intention of saving your business energy and money. Highly reflective membranes reduce the amount of energy it takes to cool your building. Your building will be kept cool through the hottest times of the year. You will be both saving money by decreasing the amount of energy you consume and be lowering the amount of pollution you are producing. This contributes to a cleaner environment. Two energy efficient roofing membranes are TPO and EPDM. The commercial roofers you are considering should know about these.
TPO is a reflective roofing membrane. TPO exceeds the basic guidelines to achieve an Energy Star rating. Not only is it solar reflective, depending on the color of the membrane it has a thermal emittance level of .8 to .9. Thermal emittance measures the heat radiating and being absorbed from the material. A metal roof that is very hot to the touch has a low rating; it is absorbing heat but isn’t releasing it again. A membrane, like TPO, that has a high thermal emittance rating will absorb heat and then release it back out. Doing this keeps the building cool. Thermal emittance is measured on a scale from 0 to 1. In addition to these benefits TPO is 100% recyclable.
EPDM is also an outstanding membrane roofing material choice. EPDM is flexible which is a benefit on flat roofs where inflexibility in materials can be a large reason behind the leaks. EPDM is ethylene propylene diene M-class rubber. As another green benefit the runoff water doesn’t become polluted by it, so rainwater can be harvested to be reused for multiple purposes. EPDM membrane roofing’s thermal properties lead in large part to lower energy costs and help it keep the building cool.
Maintenance is needed on every roof. When you will need it and how much of it is needed can greatly depend on how well that roof is installed. This is also true for the life span of a roof. A commercial roof can be expected to live in the range of 12 to 25 years. A roof’s life expectancy will in part depend on the environment it is in and the traffic level it carries. Proper installation also plays a large role in how long your roof will last. With the important role the roofers in Minneapolis MN play in the install of your commercial roof, choose carefully. Your roof will have bear the brunt of all four seasons, your roofer will have a great effect on how well it does that.
Roofing Kansas City
As in any location, before you can start a project like roofing in Kansas City, there are some things that you may want to take into consideration. Your roof is one, if not the most important part of your home. If it’s compromised then it could significantly affect the safety of both your property and your family. That being said, it’s imperative that your roof maintains its structural stability.
Roof repair, renovation and replacement projects all have requirements that have to be fulfilled, some of which vary according to your home’s location and the climate that surrounds it. This is why before you proceed with roofing in Kansas City, there are some things that you may want to take note of.
Roofing in Kansas City tends to be a big priority for Kansas homeowners, particularly because the area’s situated in “Tornado Alley”. When it comes to homes in locations prone to harsh weather, knowing your roof’s condition and how to keep it in the best possible shape are two things that have to always be taken into consideration.
Before you plan any upgrades or changes due to aesthetic purposes, it’s best to first consider the factors that equate to your roof’s current state. In order for roofing in Kansas City to be properly assessed, there are some things that you have to know.
1. Visible signs of damage. First take the time to check if there are any noticeable signs of wear and tear, such as loose or missing shingles, broken tiles or leaks.
2. Material. Every roofing material has its own average lifespan as well as its own requirements in order for it to be able to withstand the elements.
3. Age. Most roofing materials have an average lifespan of at least a decade. This can be shorter or longer depending on how well and often they are maintained and whether they’ve suffered any damage.
4. Location. Since your roof is exposed to the elements, the weather can take a toll on it. Proper roofing in Kansas City is based on your home’s location, including wind zone requirements and the usual weather in the area.
5. Previous repairs and upgrades. If you’ve recently changed your roof in any way and you think that something’s off, chances are that there was a problem with the previous installation.
6. Care and maintenance. No roofing material is absolutely maintenance free, so consider whether your roof has been given the attention that it needs.
If you’re unsure of any of your answers, the first thing to do is research. This includes asking for an assessment from a local contractor, in order to see if your roof has any problems that require immediate attention.
Traditional And Cultural West African Homes
Some groups were more concerned about their security and so fortified the buidings while others had houses which were more temporaly and looked like tents because they were pastoralists. What is interesting about these structures is that they are weather proof although looking at them one may not think so.
The houses are made in a way and with materials that make them cool in the hot weathers and warm in the cold rainy seasons. The materials used range from mud, brick, dung, grass and stone depending on the area. Africans are a communal people and most of the homes would be huddled together in a homestead as an extension of each other and for protection against outsiders.
In this first part I explores traditional homes in West Africa. West Africa has a rather humid climate and that may explain most of their traditional houses compared to those in the East and South Africa. The countries that make West Africa include Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Bukina Faso and Niger.
Dogon Villages, Mali: Historically Dogon Villages established in the Bandiagara area due to their resistance to Islam1000 years ago. The insecurity of Islam encroachment to their culture forced them to locate their villages in defensive positions along the walls of an escarpment. The huts are built of banco a mixture of earth and straw. The kitchen is round and is covered by a thatched roof. They also had houses built for menstrating women as women were considered unclean during menstration.
Dogon Cliff houses
The Dogon Hut
Djenne Houses, Mali: The Djenne houses are distinct in their built. They use mud brick and the entrance is lower which Historically was aimed at protecting them against their enemies, especially slave traders. The low entrance gave them time to prepare for an invading slave trader. Apparently slave capturers were known to be swift and would enter a house and capture someone and live in a hurry.
Djenne House
The roof tops were accessible and served as a protective place as it allowed them to monitor anyone approaching their village.
Djenne houses from the rooftop
Limba Villages, Sierra Leone: The huts are made of bamboo and mud and has a patio with a fixed seat. The roof is weather proof and is made out of thatch sewn to the wooden braces made out of grass. The roof is made in such a way that it offers shade to the house making it cooler.
Limba Hut
Musgum house, Cameroon: These huts also known as Tolek are doomed shaped and are made from compressed sun dried mud. The walls at the base are stronger than at the summit for stability of the building. The top of the house is pierced with a circular opening allowing air to circulate for freshness.
Musgum house
Musgum are built about 9 meters high which makes them cooler during hot seasons. The one below clearly shows the height compared to the people standing next to it.
Musgum hut
Mud House Cameroon: This is a different design by a different tribe in Cameroon. The hut is round like most African Huts are and is thatched with solid grass which is weather proof.
Mud House
Nord huts, Cameroon: These huts clearly defines the roof finish whcih looks like a nord.
Nord Huts
Taberma house, Togo: The Taberma whose name stands for “real architects of the world” have their origin in Bukina Faso. Their dwellings are known as the Tatas and are built using mud with bricks and resemble tiny castles. The houses are typically two storeys with the ground floor used for their domestic animals and cooking. The top is used for sleeping and is exposed to the sky and allows them to survey the approach of anyone.
Taberma house
Mud huts, Togo: This is another design of huts in Togo. These are made of mud and the roof thatched with straw. They are more cone like in look and closely knit together.
Dourtenga Huts, Burkina Faso: These huts are cone like and are made with mud and the walls plastered with clay. The roof is made with thick straw held together with wooden braces and is weather proof.
Dourtenga mud huts
Nomads Houses, Bukina Faso: As one can tell these houses have a temporaly nature. The houses are tent like and that is because the owners are nomads who move from one place to another in search of pasture for their animals.
Nomadic hut
Mud Brick hut, Nigeria: These huts are built using brick which have a long life span. The roof is thatched with grass sewn to wooden braces and is weather proof. The huts are lower down, wider and more round.
Nigerian hut
Katsina Village, Nigeria: The materials used in this village buildings seem to be more sandy looking. The houses also have a more square look and the roof is not thatched like most traditional Africa houses were.
Katsina houses
Mud brick houses in, Ghana: As is common with traditional African homes they are hudled close togther but these are more sqaure looking. The material used is mud brick and thatched with grass held togther with wooden braces
Brick house, Ghana
Ashanti Home, Ghana: As obviously can bee seen this house is very different in style than the others. It is a remnant of some of the Ashanti’s royal houses. Thise was proberly the main house as on the side ther are smaller house. The roof material is similar to traditional houses but the design seesm more modern that its era.
Ashanti Home
Boat houses, Senegal: These huts are different because they are built inside the water mass. They are lifted up by a table like building and the roof seems to cover the whole building making it look like an umbrella. The inhabitants are largely fishermen.
Boat Houses
Jole Fadiout traditional homes, Senegal: The house unlike the boat house are round and are made from brick stone and thathed with the traditional grass
Jole Fadiout house
Grass House, Niger: This hut seems to be made of grass all the way. It seems of a temporaly nature and as such the dwellers must be nomads
Grass hut
You may also be interested in http://www.bukisa.com/articles/367584_traditional-and-cultural-south-and-central-africas-homes
Tags: African, Cultural, Homes, Traditional, West
