Snow And Ice Removal Service In Massachusetts

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Mike

We are available to shovel off roofs and melt ice dams in Northern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

We use calcium chloride to safely melt ice dams and snow rakes and shovels to remove snow. We have hook ladders and safety harnesses for safety.

We have several crews to service many neighborhoods at once, or to handle large jobs.

Use this CONTACT FORM or give us a call for immediate service: 978-788-9100

Ice dam Prevention

We install roof belts (heating panels) and Ice melt cables to help prevent ice dams. These ice dam prevention methods have proven affective here in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

By eliminating ice build up on the edges of your roof, or in your roof valleys, melting snow is able to be shed from the roof.

Most of the systems we install activate automatically, and ice belt panels come in different colors, so they blend with your roof in a tasteful way.

 

 

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Roof Damage Repair Sealing Potenial Ice Dam Concerns

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Mike

Did your roof leak last year due to ice dams? If it didn’t you probably have the proper amount of roof ventilation and insulation in your attic roof system, or a good anti ice dam system. (contact us for a free audit)

Massachusetts was nailed by heavy snow followed with a thaw during the day, and freezing at night, this combination week after week caused many roofs, windows and even some walls to develop giant ice dams which eventually began to leak.

Heat allowed to escape your home structure, due to a light left on in the attic or droopy insulation in your walls, or poor ventilation in your roof structure, as is typical with hip style roofs and older homes, you have the possibility, even the likelihood of an ice dam to occur.

Heavy Snow and ice from the tough storms earlier in the year have weakened many roof vent pipe boots and lifted lead and metal flashings. Even if you have not noticed any water on your ceiling, it does not mean your roof has not been penetrated. Many roofs begin leaking long before the obvious signs of a leak.

This is why it is a good idea to have a professional come out and inspect your roof system for weaknesses before it is to late. We recommend you have your gutters cleaned out at the same time to help prevent back ups. These services cost very little, especially when compared to the large expense of roof snow and ice removal, drywall repairs, or worse, water in the wall mixing with your home electricity.

We recommend establishing a maintenance agreement with a local roofing contractor (Cough* like us). Roofing contractors will service their customers long before even returning the calls of people with emergencies, and all leaky roofs are emergencies. By having a roof company come out and inspect your roof and seal any lifted shingles and such, performing a free energy audit, and letting them know that you want a call if the area is hit with weather conducive with creating ice dams, they will be glad to put you on their call list.

Contact

 

Posted in Ice Dams - Roof Leaks | Tagged ice dams, leaky roofs, roof leak, roof ventilation, roofing contractor, roofing contractors | Comments Off

GAF North East Roofing Seminar

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Mike

I attended the GAF seminar held at the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino Conference Center yesterday 3/17/2011. They had four or five industry speakers, most from within the GAF company, but one man stole the show; Dave Harrison, A former GAF executive, now independent consultant. The presentation ran from 8:30am to 2:20 and covered topics like; green roofing, warranty information, and was concluded with a raffle.

I would choose the Mohegan Conference Center to host any seminar or convention, as the conference area is enormous, and the staff was very professional. We had about 500 attendees, and we only took up half the room, the back wall was lined with vendors.

Dave Harrison was the featured speaker for good reason, he knows business and he knows roofing. He walked us through how he would run a roofing company if he and his son’s opened one. He covered close to 60 slides and the time went buy quickly, and every word was informative and insightful. He handle question from the crowd on the fly with amazing analogies, humor and a down to earth mannor.

The topics he covered included; how to assemble a presentation book, minimum profit margins, and what questions to ask in order to discover concerns, provide solutions, and build value.

The green roofing presentation was not as much about GAF’s “cool shingle” products, but more about recycling old shingles. The Presenter of this material was Martin Grohman, I found his presentation fun and informative. He is heading up the GAF Sustainability Blog which is loaded with information. If you have any questions about green roofing, or need help to find shingle recyclers in your area, this is the guy to ask.

They concluded the event by raffling off 2500 square feet of custom high definition roofing materials, Carhartt Jackets, Roofing underlayment, umbrellas, and two model homes with detachable roofs.

This was my first year attending, and was highly impressed with the event, I am honored to be affiliated with such a helpful quality manufacturer. The whole event was really geared toward the roofers and roofing companies, it focused on differentiating us from our competition and making more money.

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Homeowner Due Diligence | What To Know When Hiring A Contractor

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Mike

Homeowners Homework

Roof contractors who cut corners running their business, will cut corners installing your new roof, and this is why homeowners are encouraged to look into each company they are considering (also called due diligence).

We will look into a few of the more important aspects of performing homeowners homework in this article, and provide a list of resources and suggestions to make it easier. Helping to ensure your home improvement is done by qualified workers, and your investment is protected.

Attain Building Permit:

There are several reasons to pull a permit for your job, first and foremost, is so that your job is not shut down, or stopped by the town building inspector, and to avoid the possibly of being fined.

The reason it is on our due diligence list is so that you know the person you hired is a licensed contractor in good standing with your local township and building inspector’s office. Only those qualified are able to attain the permit.

Workmans Comp Insurance

Homeowners generally ask contractors if they have insurance, contractor say’s yep, and that’s it. Any person who is hiring a contractor must verify insurance, any prospective contractor that can not name their insurance company, and what town their agent is located in, most likely has no insurance. You have to assume that if someone gets injured on your property, you and everybody involved will be sued.

Some roofing contractors get cheap 85/15 policies. This means they are claiming they only perform roofing work 15% of the time, when in all actuality, they roof 99% of the time. It’s not enough that they have some form of insurance, look at the policy break down. If a law suit is filed, they will be audited by the insurance company, and if it is discovered they lied about the nature of their work, you will not be protected!

A roofing company, even a small one that does not spend at least 10k a year on workmans comp, is not a legitimate roofing company, or they mainly hire sub contractors to perform their work. Hopefully the subs are covered!

While we are on the subject of insurance, keep this in mind, insurance companies will not pay for shoddy workmanship. If you pay banana’s you are likely to get monkey’s, and even if you install the best materials, if you end up needing repairs due to shoddy workmanship, they will come from your own pocket.

If you end up with roof leaks within two – five years, which is when shoddy work begins to breakdown, and it is discovered, that your shingles were nailed to high, with to few nails (known as skip nailing), with nails in the seams, or any other corner cutting poor workmanship method, you could end up paying for the materials and certainly the labor to have all the work redone by your self. Shingle manufacturers and insurance companies do not cover poor workmanship.

Contractors License:

It is easy to see if your contractor is licensed in Massachusetts. Ask to see there contractors license, it will have a picture of them on it and a #. Simply go to this website and enter the type of license (Supervisor etc…) and the license number. This website will show if there are any claims against them, if there are any restrictions, and their status (current / not current)

References:

Make use of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), they list all companies, whether they pay to be sponsored, or not. The only difference is this; if a company pays to be listed, they will be promoted. If they do not pay, they will not be promoted, but you can count on the same unbiased honest report either way, and its free!

The web is now full of reviews, keep in mind that they have computers capable of being programmed to write and leave reviews, so get a reference list from your potential contractor too, of people you can call and speak with, then take the time to call a few.

The Contract:

The contract has four corners, and if it isn’t stated with in those four corners, you are not getting it! Our field is loaded with gypsy roofers who promise the moon and deliver a headache. Do your best to make sure you get the most value for your money by not comparing what one person say’s they will do, to what another wrote down they will do.

 

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Ice Dam Solutions

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Mike

The Truth About Ice Dam Prevention

There is no way to prevent ice dams from forming, there is however a way to prevent leaks due to ice dams.

Even if you have heat tape, ice wires, and heated roof panels, unless you cover the entire roof, you are only going to cause dams to form higher up on the roof.

If you would like to avoid leaks due to ice dams and melting roof snow, you need to install ice belts. Ice belts are metal panels approximately 27 1/2″ x 3′ in size. Basically standing seam roofing panels installed on the lower edges of the roof.

When these ice belts are installed properly on existing asphalt roofs, all existing roof materials are removed, stripping the lower edges of roofing to the boards. Then install Grace Ice and Water Shield, new drip-edge, and then the roof belts. Roof belts come in a variety of colors, making them virtually unnoticeable.

Of course copper has always been available as a solution, but this is a expensive alternative when compared to the new and improved standing seam metal roofing materials.

Posted in Ice Dams - Roof Leaks | Tagged ice dam prevention, ice dams, leaks | Comments Off

Roof Reinforcement

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Mike

Roof Supports

With the heavy snow loads we experienced here this year in New England, many home owners are looking for ways to strengthen their roof structure. After removing large amounts of snow from local Massachusetts roof tops, many customers complained they heard creaking sounds coming from the attic. This we explained was the framing coming back to form.

Many roofs were stressed and weakened this year,  and will require reinforcing and bracing.

Collar Ties & Knee Walls

For homes with unfinished attic space, this will be a simple matter of installing knee walls and collar ties. For homes with finished attic space or for homes with limited attic space, installing new roof supports will be more expensive.

example of collar ties and knee walls

Posted in Roof Repair | Tagged collar ties, framing, knee walls, massachusetts, reinforcement, roof structure, roof supports, roofs | Comments Off

Heavy Roof Snow Load Warning

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Mike

How much weight do you have on your roof?

Suppose you have an extra layer of roofing shingles on your building. It is allowed by Massachusetts building code to install a second layer over a first layer. The only problem with this is; it adds 180 lbs per 100 square feet (10 feet x 10 feet). A 1400 square foot roof will have an extra 2500 lbs weighing on the roof structure.

Calculating Roof Snow Load

Every cubic foot of wet snow weights 20-35 lbs, 100 cubic (10 feet x 10 feet x 1 foot of snow) square feet of roofing weights an extra 2000 lbs, and a roof that is only 1400 square feet with one foot of snow is carrying an extra 28,000 lbs conservatively, now what if you have more than a foot of snow, and or two layers of shingles?

I would go buy a snow rake and start removing some of the snow from my roof, or spend this next storm in a hotel making sure my home owners insurance was up to date. Bring your pets!

These snow load totals may never have been seen in this area before, we have five crews going full time removing roof snow, and we are booked two days out right now. It is dangerous slippery work, and great care needs to be taken. Home Depot and Lowes sell Roof rakes for between 14.00 and $60.00 dollars.

People with flat roofs are going to be at the most risk, then low pitched roof (3/12 – 6-12 pitch).

Pitch is measured by how many inches a roof rises over 12 inches.

With another foot and a half of snow predicted over the next 2 days, home owners and businesses need to be careful.

Posted in General | Tagged roof rakes, roof structure, snow load, snow rake, wet snow | Comments Off

Power Nailer vs Hand Nailing

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Mike

Should you use a Pneumatic Nail Gun or a Hammer?

There is very little reason not to use a powered nail gun, and one reason not to use a hammer.

Powered Roof Nailer

The only reason not use a air or electric powered nailer is the cost associated with renting or buying the tool.

Some people would argue that, you don’t have a good sense for whether or not the nail hit solid wood. I say if you have soft wood, replace it! That goes for any exterior construction work. With out a solid structure, your siding, gutters and roofing materials will not hold.

Using a Hammer

Using a hammer on newer construction is all well and fine, but if you have a house that was built before the 1980′s, you probably have plank decking, using a hammer to bang in every nail can put a lot of stress on older plank decking, especially if it has a lot of knot holes.

Using a coil air powered nailer will install the roofing materials with out pounding the heck out of the structure with a 18oz hammer.

Other Nailing Tips

In the North East we use a product called ice and water shield on the lower edges of our roofs to protect against Ice dams and wind driven rain. When nails are powered in with a nail gun they actually spin, causing the nail to seal better with the underlayment.

Use ring shank nails, they have little ribs on the shaft of the nail that keep them from backing out, and hold the materials on better.

Use the appropriate length nail! If you are going over an existing roof, you will need nails longer than the usual inch and a half. Always check with the manufacture of your roofing materials, to be sure and use the proper fasteners.

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3 Reasons for Ice Dams – What To Do?

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Mike

Ice Dams – Causes and Conditions

  1. Poor or no ventilation (allows escaping heat to melt snow).
  2. Poor or little insulation (allows escaping heat to melt snow).
  3. Sunshine (will melt snow even with temperature below freezing)

Ventilation

With proper ventilation the heat escaping the living area into the attic is quickly removed keeping the snow on the roof from heating up and melting.

Solution - Make sure there is adequate ventilation from the soffit to the ridge caps, and that insulation is not blocking soffit vents

Insulation

With enough properly distributed insulation, very little heat escapes the living area, and does not melt the snow on the roof.

Solution – Add sufficient insulation, and make sure no heat sources (light fixtures) are exposed near the roof.

Sunshine

Not to much you can do about this one, short of growing trees for shade.

Ways to prevent Ice dams or keep water from entering your home

1. Ice Wires / Heat Cables / Snow Belts

All names for the same product. A cable is attached to the roof in effected areas, when the cable is on, it heads up, these cables will not allow solid ice dams to form, as they keep channels open for snow or ice melt to escape.

2. Ice and Water Shield

Water is going to penetrate your shingled roof from time to time. Either because of ice dams, or a wind driven rain. Having a quality Ice and water shield underlayment, one that actually seals around the nails holding the shingles on, will not allow this water access into your home, instead it will direct it to the drip edge and away from your homes interior.

3. The one and only permanent solution for ice dams

Standing seem metal roofing. Installing 6 feet of metal roofing along the lower edges of your roof will prevent ice dams from allowing water into your buildings structure.

Ice and water shield, and heat cables /belts /wires are effective ways to deal with ice dams, but offer no guaranty! Standing seem metal roofing allows nature to take it’s course with out allowing water into your home.

Ice Dam Removal / Roof Snow Removal Methods

To stop water from backing up and coming into your home, you need to remove the ice dams that are causing this concern. The best and fastest way to remove ice dams without damaging the roof is to use Calcium Chloride. This product should only be handled by properly trained professionals.

Removing snow from your roof should be done with a roof rake. Roof raking will allow you to remove the snow from your roof without damaging your shingles, and causing the need for costly repairs in the spring. By removing the snow from the roof, there will be nothing to melt, which of course means ice dams have no water to back up.

Removing both the ice and snow from your roof is suggested.

Roof Snow Removal / Ice Dam Contractor

If you would like to hire a roofing contractor with years of experience removing Ice and snow, without damaging your roof, give us a call for a free estimate 978-788-9100.

Posted in Ice Dams - Roof Leaks | Tagged adequate ventilation, ice dams, roof ice, roof solution | Comments Off

Roof Shingle Types

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Mike

Types of Shingles used For Roofing

The most popular roofing material is of course asphalt shingles. There are many shingle manufacturers to choose from, but only two main types of shingle: Architectural, and Three Tab.

Shingle Manufacturers

The two most popular shingle manufactures are GAF/ELK and CertainTeed. Their next two biggest competitors are Owens Corning, and IKO. GAF/ELK used to be two different companies, GAF and ELK, GAF was know for the best longest lasting roofing shingle, and Elk was known for their high end product line and state of the art machining and manufacturing equipment. When the two companies merged, and became GAF/ELK they became the number one best shingle manufacturer in the United States.

Shingle Types

Three tab shingles are fast becoming obsolete, as all new home builders use the more durable, longer lasting architectural shingles. Still some home owners prefer the look of the three tab shingles as they lay flatter, and cost less.

Types of Architectural Shingles

Manufacturers of shingles offer a few choices of architectural shingles, regular and designer. Most homes feature the regular style architectural shingles with a roof life of approximately 30 years, and offer 8 to 10 colors to choose from. The designer arky’s offer different designers looks and colors and last between 40 and 50 years.

We always recommend using GAF/ELK shingles. We feel they offer the best quality and value for our customers. Over the past 20-30 years we have installed every brand of shingle, and have learned to trust GAF/ELK.

Free roofing estimates are an industry standard. If you need a roofing estimate, all you need do is call and set up some appointments with contractors in your area.

Home owners insurance companies require you to get and submit a few written estimates to file a claim. Not only will most contractors come and evaluate your concern for free, but they will often provide you with a temporary patch till you are ready to proceed with repairs or construction, as the situation dictates.

The only exception to this standard practice is with regards to non home owners. Many people shopping for real estate look to local contractors for free estimates. Some will provide a free inspection and some advice in hopes of securing a future job.

Written by Quinns Construction, a Massachusetts Roofing Contractor

Posted in Roofing Products | Tagged roof shingle types, roofing contractor, roofing material, shingle manufacturers, types of shingles | Comments Off