SB Roofing Blog

Choosing the right roofer may be the most important as well as well as the most difficult shopping experience for most home owners. SB Roofing will provide a thorough evaluation and diagnosis of each aspect of the whole roof design including:

• Inspect current condition of the roof surface for visible signs of fatigue or failure.
• Inspection of the existing ventilation and water carrying system.
• Inspection of attic to establish condition of wood sheathing, ventilation, or improper insulation or air sealing.
• Condition of chimney and all areas that may require repair or replacement of the flashing or re-pointing.
• Determine if the roof is actually in need of replacement or if there are other conditions that may be causing problems. Not every roof that leaks is a bad roof. Ice dams can be the problem as even new roofs have been known to leak.
• Provide a variety of options for style, color, and the length of the warranty period that fits your budget.

Here at SB Roofing, we are dedicated to providing quality products, craftsmanship, and service. But, more importantly, we want to assure that you are completely satisfied with the job we do for you.We are experienced providers of the industry's most secure residential roofing solutions, providing Hampton Roads homeowners with over 15 years experience. From immediate roofing estimates to quick service to final clean-up, we have built our reputation on protecting your most important investment - your home! Contact us today to learn more about our roofing services and how we can help you.

Every winter, your roof gets bombarded with wind, snow, ice and continual thaw-freeze conditions. This can result in severe and often hidden damage to the roof. Your roof can then leak during spring months when the heavy rains begin. Without a roof repair check-up and required repairs to your roof, a flood of water can cause thousands in damages.

Older roofs are especially vulnerable. Why? Because the shingles are already broken down from years of abuse from Mother Nature, and even if your roof has 5 or 10 more years of warranty life ahead, repairs to your roof are sometimes a must to get the most from your roof. Roof repairs are often mandatory.

Some of the areas your roof may require repairs are the loose or missing shingles that were damaged from hard winter winds. Shingles are extremely brittle in cold temperatures, and hard driven cold winds can easily break shingles. The worst danger areas are around chimneys, skylights, and anywhere shingles butt up against a wall. These are all very crucial roof repair areas during the new raining spring months.

Spring is almost here. Now is the time to do repairs to your roof. Roof repairs during the early months of spring after a hard blistery winter can literally save you thousands of dollars of damage and can keep your roof in tip top shape. Contact us today to learn more about your roof and repair services we offer.

Ice dams are simply ridges of ice that form at the edge of a home's roof and prevent the melting snow and/or water from draining off the roof. This water, if left undrained, can cause leaks in your home's roof, ceilings, walls, insulation and other problems.

So how are ice dams formed? A number of things can cause ice dams such as loss of heat from your home, snow cover on your roof, and the outside temperatures. In order for ice dams to form, there typically must be snow cover on the roof of your home. At the same time, the higher areas of your roof's outside surface are normally above freezing, while the lower surfaces are below freezing. This typically happens when the temperature outside is lower than freezing or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperatures at the higher levels of your roof reach above freezing, they begin to melt. As the water from this melting snow runs down the roof and reaches the lower portions of your roof it re-freezes. This causes an ice dam. The dam will grow as more water runs down the roof from the melting snow but will typically limit itself to those areas of the roof that remain below the freezing point.

If you currently have ice dams, they can be removed before any damage is done. You must first remove the snow from the roof. Taking a water hose and applying warm water on a day in which temperatures are above freezing will create the channels and allow the melted water to flow off your roof, preventing a further ice build up and keeping your interior safe from water damage. Should you be experiencing any ice dams be sure to contact us today and we'll be happy to come inspect your roof and diagnose the problem.

This winter, we Virginians have all experienced a lot of snow and you probably give a great deal of thought to getting rid of the snow that accumulates on your sidewalks and in your driveway. But that's a relatively easy task...just a bit time consuming.  Sidewalks are flat - there's really no way to get around shoveling them after a heavy snowfall. But what about your roof? Most houses in areas that get a lot of snow have inclined roofs so that the snow just slides off. However, there are occasions when snow accumulate on your roof, and because snow is so heavy it simply must be removed before it does serious damage to that roof. Even if you know that your roof was built to withstand all that weight - there's another reason why it should be removed. Melting snow can cause icedams in your gutters, so that as more snow melts the water has nowhere to go except into your ceilings.

Don't Climb On Your Roof

Even if you're able to get out onto your roof during the middle of winter it would be best if you didn't do it. Climbing around a dry roof is hard enough - trying to walk up and down a sloping roof covered with snow - which might be obscuring the ice below it - is the height of folly. Your best best is to use a roof rake or call a Virginia Beach roofing professional.

Whatever roof rake you use, do not use it near power lines. Even if you're a dozen feet away from a power line, if you lose control of the rake for any reason, it's length is such that it could quite easily tilt over those dozen feet, hit the power line, and give the operator quite an unpleasant shock. A roof rake enables the operator to reach up over 26 feet, which should be more than enough to get most of the snow off one's roof.

While this is a task that you do-it-at-home individuals can achieve it is still a difficult. We recommend having a roofing professional come and clear off your roof for you. We at SB Roofing have experience in all roofing solutions and we can save you the hassle of this daunting task. Contact us today for more information on our roofing services. 

Winter can prove to be extremely damaging to your roof; leaks from driving rain, ice, and snow are dangers to be conscious of. SB Roofing offers some information on a few great ways to guard against roof hazards and what to look out for.

Check for Leaks
The first step you should take when roofing in the cold season, is to check for roof leaks. Most roofs will leak from a few locations: drains on flat roofs, and at gutters, leaders, and flues on sloped roofs.

Condensation
Another cold weather issue is condensation, which happens when warm, moist air hits a colder surface: for example, your home's warm interior against the bottom side of the cold roof deck. Prevent this from happening by installing a vapor retarder at the ceiling level to trap the warm air and keep it away from the roof deck's bottom. Houses with cathedral ceilings have more complex problems, and you might have to replace the existing insulation with uniquely designed cathedral ceiling insulation. To allow adequate ventilation, baffles may need to be installed, and it could involve the demolition of the ceiling or the roof in order to remove the insulation.

Clear Your Gutters
Next, check your drains, gutters, and leaders because leaks can occur if they become clogged with debris. Bi-monthly inspections of roof and terrace drains are very important during the winter months.

Ice Damming
The single most threatening weather occurrence is ice damming. Ice dams are the capillary action of water reaching its highest point in either a liquid or solid form. If ice or snow fills your home's gutters, the resulting melting water creates a roof hazard by overflowing the gutter and back up the roof, penetrating the roofing tiles and shingles. And with our recent blizzard and cold weather in Virginia this is a problem that most Virginians aren't aware of. Cleaning debris, snow and ice from flashing points is a great protective measure against ice-damming.

Should you be experiencing any of these problems be sure to contact us immediately and allow SB Roofing to repair your roof for you. If you're not sure whether or not your roof is experiencing problems we can inspect the roof for you and give you a free no obligation estimate. Contact us today to learn more about roofing solutions and how SB Roofing can save your roof.

Proper maintenance is key for keeping a roof in top shape. Roofs made of different materials require different kind of maintenance. As you can see in our "about your roof" page we explain how your roof actually functions. However, regardless of the material used to make a flat or slanting roof, debris and weather are two major culprits behind damage and deterioration of roofs.

Whether you have a roof made of asphalt shingles or cedar shakes, you can ensure that it not only lasts longer but keeps looking beautiful for years if only you follow the under mentioned roof maintenance tips. 

• Clean off any debris from your roof on a regular basis. You should trim the tree branches that hang over your roof. It is recommended to get
•  It is recommended to get a professional roofing specialist to do a through inspection of your roof. This way you can replace loose shingles and cracked tiles before they allow any form of water damage to take place.
• Pay special attention to the flashings around vents, skylights and chimneys while checking for any sign of damage.
• Make it a point to clean gutters and down spouts every month so that they are not choked with leaves, sticks or other debris.
• Do not walk on the roof while conducting an inspection or some roof repair work. Use an extension ladder for the purpose.
• Do not commit the mistake of painting your shingles as it reduces their life span drastically and they start looking shabby in a few months time.

If you have shingles one of the most common problems of having an asphalt shingle roof is that it easily grows algae and moss the can cause moisture entrapment and hence resultant dampness and leaking. To prevent this from happening, you can install zinc control strips along the ridges and joints of the roof surface. You can also check the problem of replacing missing shingles by applying some roofing cement under loose shingle tabs. Do not forget to check the caulking from time to time and keep the same debris free. Contact us today should you have any problems when dealing with roof inspections. If you feel uncomfortable being on the roof, then allow us at SB Roofing to do the job for you, we would be happy to assist any of our customers when helping with their roof.

Proper maintenance of your roof is really necessary to keep your family safe. Many people neglect proper caring of their roof which then leads to troublesome situations regarding your roof. SB Roofing suggests you to manage your roof properly and do not overlook small damages or leaks which might have a place in your roof and to repair it as soon as possible. To properly maintain it you should know the basics of it so lets discuss the basics of roof maintainability.

The maintainability of flat roofs is easy but still certain precautions should be taken. Flat roofs normally have edges on its sides, making it difficult for us to see it completely from the ground. To check it properly you need to climb it and see it from there. You should check for any leaks, there should be no debris on the top of it. The pipes should be clean so that the water flows out without any breaks. The management should be such that no water should collect over the roof in the rainy season else it will penetrate through it and would damage the ceiling. Checking the roof at least once in a year is necessary but due to Virginia experiecing a stormy hurricane season usualyl its best to check it every 6 months.

If you have an angled roof for your house then you must have settings to allow the water to collect in the gutters. The gutter is the most important part and you should check it more often for any debris or grass which may have crept in. The gutters should be kept clean else there is a chance that water would seep into the ceilings below. Apart from checking the gutters you should also inspect the entire roof quarterly in a year so that your house remains safe.

Following the above suggestions will ensure a damage free roof for a greater period of time. Should you need any roof replacement, repair, or even a simple inspection contact us today and we'll be happy to help.