If You Haven’t Done a Spring Cleaning on Your Gutters Yet, Now is the Time!

Another cold, icy, snowy winter is gone, and we’re now in the midst of the rainy part of spring. So, you’ve probably already started on your spring cleaning tasks, but good chance you haven’t cleaned your gutters yet. After all, it’s been raining, why would you, right?

Well, as soon as that sun is out for more than half a day, you need to get that ladder out and get those gutters cleaned. If you can’t do it, hire a contractor like Dun-Rite Roofing, who can. Why is this so important?

Let us share a few reasons with you:

Gutters are your roof’s primary mechanism to get water off of it and away from the foundation of your home. Why? Well, 1 inch of rain washing off a 2,000 SF home’s roof can create over 1,000 gallons of water which could fill two swimming pools.

Clogged gutters are the number one reason that basements get flooded and damage the foundation. Clogged gutters keep that rain water from flowing, and the only place for it to go is up and behind and over the gutters, under the shingles and run down the side of the house to sit at the foundation as the ground gets more and more saturated.

If the basement or crawl space of a home has any cracks, the water will find them and run into the basement or crawl space. And, water will find cracks you may not even see. The water will also accumulate in window wells and seep through any broken seals or window openings.

That excessive moisture around your foundation will create mildew and mold in the basement and crawl space, which can lead to more costly problems. Not to mention, there is a health hazard that it causes. Clogged gutters collect that water that can’t flow and rot the eaves, fascia boards, and soffits. They also make a great place for mosquitoes to mate and hatch more mosquitoes!

When Choosing a Shingle Color, Six Things you Should Consider

You would think that choosing the color shingle for your home’s roof would be simple enough, right? But it actually is the hardest decision a homeowner has in most cases. There isn’t any set formula for this decision, and everyone has an individual taste and personal preference. So, the pros here at Dun-Rite Roofing have a few tips to offer that can help make this simple yet complex decision:

1. Look at the other homes in your neighborhood and the different combinations of those homes. The exterior facades such as the brick, siding, or stone and the trim. What do you like about them, or not like about them?

2. Ask whatever contractor you’re working with for full-size samples to make your decision.

3. Closely look at the granules and the varying colors of it on the sample. Asphalt shingles will contain a mixture of granules to create the overall color. You want the granule colors to match your home’s existing trim colors and the other exterior components so that the roof connects with the rest of the house.

4. If you are making exterior color changes, get color samples of each product so that you can make comparisons with the shingle colors.

5. After you have your color choices made, request addresses from your contractor where they have completed jobs and then do a drive-by.

6. Ask your contractor for website addresses of the shingle manufacturers. Most of them have visualization software today where you can download a picture of your house and apply the different colors and styles of shingles.

Before You Repair or Replace That Tile Roof!

After this past winter of ice and snow, then the spring hail storms we’ve had, have you noticed some broken or missing tiles on your roof? It may be time to repair those tiles or even replace the whole roof.

How do you know which you need? Well, if more than fifty-percent of the ceramic tiles on your roof are broken, cracked or missing, you’ll need a full roof replacement. And then, there is the underlayment system’s condition. There is usually an older ceramic tile roof that will have a form of organic underlayment like felt paper.

The thickness of this felt paper usually ranges between 30 pounds to 90 pounds. Ceramic roof tiles are porous which means they aren’t waterproof. So, the underlayment system is a vitally important part of keeping your home’s roof watertight.

Even if the ceramic tiles are in good condition, if the underlayment system isn’t, your roof is prone to failure. If this is the case, a professional roofing contractor can provide you a lift and re-lay service. This is where the existing tile is removed, then the underlayment and flashing system are replaced and then the tiles are laid back.

The Leaky Truth About Roofs

Your roof’s purpose is to provide the first line of defense for you, your family and your belongings against the elements. Water has a way of penetrating that defense when it finds a weakness.

The majority of roof leaks are easy repairs once the source of the leak has been determined. Determining the source is the biggest problem. When you have a drip coming from your ceiling, that doesn’t mean that is where the leak is located. Water runs downhill, so the actual leak could be from the other side of the house.

There are several things that can be the cause of a roof leak. For instance, AC and plumbing can cause a misdiagnosed roof leak. And with spring weather in this part of the country, hail damage and wind damage are number one in roof leaks. Some other roof leaks can be:

• Cracked, loose, missing shingles or tiles
• Damaged or deteriorated caulking, flashing, or seals
• Poor attic ventilation
• Poorly installed collars, flashings, shingles, or valleys
• Ice dams
• Pooled or ponding water
• Nail heads exposed
• Skylights
• Debris built up

Many of these things you can stop before they cause roof leaks by doing a monthly check of your roof. If you aren’t able to see the top of your roof from the ground and aren’t comfortable climbing a ladder, give us a call at Dunrite Roofing. After a hail storm in the area, it is wise to have your roof checked before you notice a leak.

Did Your Roof Get Hail Damage?

We’ve already had some strong weather coming through this year – early spring hail storms are the worse! They don’t only damage the spring gardens and our vehicles, but the roof on your home has the potential of being damaged, too. Hail can damage your home’s roof, and you won’t even know until the next big rain storm.

Here are few of the factors that can affect your roof after a hailstorm.

The Wind – With a hailstorm comes hard winds from any direction and every direction at high rates of speed. That high speed and the change in direction can affect the impact of hail.

Density and Size – Hailstones come in different sizes. They can be the size of a pea and as large as a softball. But they aren’t as smooth as a pea or softball – they have rough edges and that allows them to make more of an impact.

Absorbing Building Materials – All building materials will absorb hail impact differently. For instance, hail will ding a metal roof, metal cutters, and asphalt shingles. However, softball-size hail can puncture your roof.

What Does Hail Damage Look Like?

Well, it depends on what it hits. Various types of shingles have various reactions. Asphalt and composition shingles will have random hail damage, usually black in color. It will knock off granules and expose the felt underneath.Wood shingles will split and have dents and marks.

If you think that your home may have received hail damage on the roof, give us a call and let us take a look. If your neighbor’s house is getting a new roof, there is a pretty good chance your roof was damaged, too.

New Flashing is a Must with a New Roof

After this winter weather has gone and before the spring weather comes, many Tulsa residents have their home’s roof replaced. The professionals here at Dun-Rite Roofing will replace the metal flashings where other contractors may reuse the existing ones.

So, what exactly is this metal flashing and why is it so important? The metal flashing is an important detail to your roof. It protects and seals the joints that are created when the roof and roof-mounted structures intersect. The metal flashing protects your home’s roof from water penetrating to the inside.

Those joints are found along the chimney, hatches, parapets, skylights, towers and vent stacks. These areas constantly contract and expand with changes in the humidity and temperature. Some contractors will reuse the existing flashing to cut corners and save money. Some contractors reuse the existing flashing simply because it’s easier, especially when the flashing is embedded behind the brick or stucco siding.

However, it is our experience here at Dun-Rite Roofing that tells us most roof leaks are those joints, not in the middle of the roof.  Thus, flashing is a critical component and the old flashing should be replaced for the best interest of you and your roof.

Is Your Roof Ready for Spring?

Winter will be gone in a couple of months and coming in right behind it is spring. While that means baseball, hot dogs and warmer weather, it also means the rainy season here in Tulsa.   Now is the time to make sure your home’s roof is ready for all that rain, especially if you have an older roof.

If you haven’t had a professional look at your roof in a while, give us a call at Dun-Rite Roofing. We offer free evaluation and estimates and may find something that you can fix now before it becomes a bigger problem.

Roofing is designed to last for years, even decades. The most common in this area is the asphalt shingle type with metal roofs the next most common. Both have their pluses and both protect your home from the elements that Nature throws our way.

You want to be sure that regardless the type of roofing you have, it does its job. There could be the slightest leak that you may not have noticed because it is dripping past the roof and into the ceiling or worse, the walls.

This dampness will create mildew, mold and before you’re aware of it, the walls are rotting, then the floors. You can have a slow, small leak that isn’t even noticed for days, weeks, months even years. By the time you do notice, the damage is done and can be extensive.