Roof Shingles Help, Anyone?

[rece]

Originally posted by s_havinga
not to bash a product but the Unicrete Ultra-lite product line is complete garbage. it is like 3/8" thick cement that you can't walk on and can snap it easily with you hands. I would hate to see what the recent hail storms would do to it!

Actual tile on the other hand is a great product but extremely expensive and it isn't even an option for most reroofs as it is too heavy and has to be planned for in the truss design stage.

Well, not to get into a war of words on the forum, but Unicrete's Light Weight tile is absolutely appropriate for re-roofing, and we have installed on thousands of homes through Alberta including many in the Hamptons/Edgemont areas.

While it is a thinner profile than our standard weight tile, you can walk on it, being careful where you step. Part of the point of this product is that you really should not have to be on the roof as it is not a susceptible to damage from hail, wind etc.

With respect to the most recent, as well as last years hail storms, some of the worst in history according to the insurance industry, we (Unicrete) have not had any claims for issues related to these storms. In reality, we have seen a spike in interest in our products due to the performance characteristics.

PS: I will gladly provide you with a lightweight tile sample ... if you really think you can break it by hand.

Really, I would love to discuss what products you feel offer better characteristics as a roofing material that has stood the test of time like concrete tiles.

[secol]

Originally posted by DeeK
when it comes down to it.. shingles dont really makes much of a difference what kind you use. The job of the roof is to keep water out, that is achieved by proper underlay. I have no idea what the vents are for unless they are simply just replacing older vents.. in which I would say what a waste of time. a vent is a vent is a vent. as long as its not damaged, dont fix it. I assume thats what the 4" pvc pipe is for as well. just another vent in the roof. I say again, don't fix it if its not broken.

Water/ice shields are great, paper underlay is a must to pass code.

I've never heard of "grip guard" or "drip edge". sounds like a bunch of gimmicks and crap to me. unless they are referring to drip edge in the sense that it overhangs the roof a bit to leave a proper drip edge into the eaves.


I don't claim to be a roofer, but I have been in the construction industry long enough to know whats what.

From the two quotes you have, so long as they are roughly the same price, I'd say go with the paper underlay, with water/ice shields.

i heard that vents help reduce heating costs in winter while help keep the house cooler in summers?

[rece]

Originally posted by secol


i heard that vents help reduce heating costs in winter while help keep the house cooler in summers?

That is correct in general. The basic function of a roof vent is to attempt to keep the temps in the attic ambient based on the outside temps.

The issue with most roofing materials is that they are applied directly to the deck of the roof causing the heat to transmit into the attic space even on a cold day. This is why many homes get hot on a sunny day, yet the outside temp is cold (say -15).

Know that the insulation in the ceiling of your home is great at keeping the cold out, but the characteristics related to heat transfer into the home are not as good.

There are some roofing products, for example Concrete Roof Tile, that offer an air space between the material and the deck of the roof. This assists significantly in the reduction of heat transferring into the attic space, creating near ambient temps throughout the year which assists in heating and cooling the home.