Measure your Roof for Shingles

While installing the roof it is very important that you buy all that you are going to need in appropriate quantity and in advance. You definitely would not want to rush to the market in the middle of the installation to buy additional stuff. If you are not adequately prepared it may affect the quality and the time taken to install the roof. Thus it is important that you plan properly and properly measure your roof for shingles before hand, when you are about to lay your roof shingles. This should save you from any trouble of having to go in the middle of the installation to buy more shingles.

However you must measure your roof for shingles properly because whereas you wouldn’t want to rush to the market in the middle of the installation and at the same time you wouldn’t want to be saddled with extra shingles.

It is actually quite simple to measure a roof for shingles for determining how many shingles you are going to need. A shingle of one square will cover an area of 100 sq feet of the roof. A contractor always measures a roof for shingles like this when he has to determine the number of shingles he will need. You should also place your order accordingly. A square of regular asphalt shingles has three shingle bundles in it. Each of these bundles carry twenty seven shingles.
Just measuring the perimeter of your roof will not be sufficient for determining the number of shingles you are going to need. There is something more to it that you should know about measuring the roof for shingles.

There are many types of shingles and buying only one type of shingle is not enough. For a complete installation of shingles you need different types of shingles. Without it the installation of the roof cannot be complete. How much you want to cover your roof means the number of layers of protection you are looking for. For instance, asphalt roofs which are laid on sloping roofs usually have only one layer. How to measure a Roof for Shingles

The incline (slope) of the roof is called a ratio. The slope is determined by measuring the vertical rise inches, per inches of the flat (horizontal) run. For instance, a roof having 3:12 slope means that at every flat space of 12 inches the roof is rising by 3 inches. The slope/angle of the roof will tell you how many shingles you should buy and what types of shingles you shall need and should order. Of course, it also depends on how you decide to measure the roof.

The best and the easiest way to measure your roofs for shingles is that you go to the roof with a measuring tape. In case you don’t want to take the trouble or the risk of climbing the roof then you can measure the floor area of the house. You add to this area, the overhanging areas, and then multiply it by the conversion factor which is determined according to the slope of the roof. Another point you must keep in mind when you measure a roof for shingles is that you need shingles for the ridge/hip area of the roof too. You will need at least 4 complete shingles for each ridge measuring 5 linear feet.

Thus if you keep all these tips in mind when you proceed to measure your roof for shingles, you will not make any mistake in buying them and will save yourself a lot of trouble too!

As Long Island, LI Roofing Contractors, and Northern Virginia Roofing contractors we take great pride in maintaining customer satisfaction for all types of new roof installation and roof repair work for residential and commercial roofing accounts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Briesemeister

Solar Roof Panels And Shingles

How would you like to have a roof which pulls double duty? The roof of your home can do much more than keep the rain and snow out of your house. It can also provide electrical energy for your home by supporting solar roof panels or solar shingles.

Solar technology has advanced producing lighter weight, more efficient solar cells which make solar roof panels and solar shingles a more feasible choice. The solar cells in the panels or shingles convert the sun light which shines on your roof into solar power which can then be put to use providing electricity for your home.

These solar roof panels and shingles are designed to take the place of regular shingles on your home, providing a waterproof covering for your home and generating electricity at the same time.

Solar roof panels are the easiest to install. These units come in either four foot by eight foot or four foot by four foot sections. Some of these are designed to be installed right over the existing roof, eliminating the need to remove the old roof first. Some manufacturers have simplified the installation process by designing the panels with a "plug and play" system. The panel to panel electrical connections for these systems are tool free, needing only to be connected to each other with handy plugs.

Newer solar technology has produced solar cells which can produce up to twenty percent efficiency, a vast improvement of the seven to ten percent produced by the older solar cells. This improvement has improved the economics of solar power and makes the investment of a solar roof a more viable choice than previous systems.

Using new technology, your home's roof can provide not only protection from the elements, it can be a valuable source of electricity. Make use of the sunlight falling on the roof which now goes to waste by using it to power all those electrical gadgets so necessary to modern life.

Paul Wonning is the owner of Plum Creek Marketing a web site which has information about many different topics.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Wonning

The Benefits of Getting Solar Roof Vents

Attics are used by most people to store valuable keepsakes and reminders of a treasured past. Every attic contains some sort of story that people remember for a long time. Attics can be treasure-troves of information and mementos that bring a family together. However, what most people do not know is the fact that attics are not really that ideal a place to keep your treasured mementos in. This is because attics are the most vulnerable to heat and humidity during the summer. This means that every summer, your treasures are exposed to the type of conditions that destroy them slowly. One way to prevent this from happening is the installation of solar roof vents.

Why solar roof vents?

1) Climate control - as said before, you need to prevent heat from damaging your stuff. Even if you don't have an attic, you would understand the need for proper climate control during the hot summer months. Solar roof vents can help you by letting air circulate within your house and maintaining a cool temperature. This means that people will no longer have to suffer under the heat of the summer sun.
This also means that your stuff will be protected from the sort of damage that heat can cause. Solar roof vents can help you keep the temperature in your attic even and thus, maintain the condition of your stuff.

2) Energy savings - let's face it: when people hear the word climate control, they immediately think about air conditioning. Of course, with this thought comes the idea of high electricity bills. Some people would rather sweat it out than pay the cost of having the air conditioning turned on the whole summer. However, solar roof vents lets you have the benefit of having a cool home without the cost of air conditioning.

One fact you should remember is that solar roof vents run on free energy. They are powered by the sun. Because of this, you really have no worries regarding the cost of the electricity. Alternative energy is very helpful since it is easy on the budget and does the job efficiently. That's why solar roof vents are just the thing for you.

3) Environment-friendly - the best thing about solar roof vents is that they harness the power of the sun. They manage to produce electricity without pollution. Consider this: every time you use the air conditioning system, you use commercial electricity. This means that more electricity has to be produced. This electricity is mostly produced using either fossil fuels or nuclear plants. Both produce enormous amounts of pollution. This does not help the earth, or you, any.

Solar roof vents make use of clean energy. They harness the power of the sun without any by-products that can harm the earth. This means that you will be able to control your home temperature without costing the planet that you live in. The benefits of using solar roof vents are undeniable. It is often the case that many people tend to abandon these products because they think that these products are not practical. As you have seen, solar roof vents are the most practical things that you can use to cool your home. They provide you with comfort for virtually nothing. So do yourself and the earth a favour and get a solar roof vent.

Find the right Solar Roof Vent for your house and learn more about the Solar Power Kit at the online guide at http://solarpower.advice-tips.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Evermon