Hurricane Season Inspections
Every roof should be inspected two times per year. Pre-Hurricane Season and Post Hurricane Season are the most beneficial times to have your roof inspected. Roofing materials are subject to great wear and tear here in Florida, even on years no hurricane hits land, your roof is you first line of defense against the elements, and should not be forgotten about. A neglected roof can cost you a great deal more to repair than a maintained roof in terms of damaged plywood, studs, even interior ceilings and walls.
We all know here in Florida we experience the elements like no others, extreme temperatures, high amounts of UV rays, high winds, heavy rains, humidity call all cause your roof to break down over time. One small penetration can lead to a world of destruction. If your home or business is near the water or a high rise building it is critically essential to have a routine roof inspection and maintenance to save the life of your roof and prevent damage, which they are more exposed to.
Don’t wait until the damage is done. Bi-yearly roof inspections can help save your home from mold, dry-rot, fungus, warped walls and ceiling, moisture infiltration, weakening of the structure, insulation damage, and many more problems that cost thousand of dollars to repair. Having your roof inspected will add years to your roof life, help prevent untimely failure, and give you peace of mind.
Now is the time to call to schedule your roof inspection at 1-800-766-3987!!
RECENT TRA PROJECTS SPOTLIGHT
The Roof Authority, Inc. has recently completed the Roof Restoration of 20 buildings at Monterey Yacht Club in Stuart, FL. These flat roofs are Single Ply Membrane with sprayed cool roof coating over top. The white coating ensures that 97% of the UV rays that would be absorbed with black are reflected, thus saving these owners with up to 30% savings in cooling use, longer life, and less maintenance!!!
DON'T DO THIS AT HOME
An Article by Daniel Harris
When Popular Mechanics' "expert DIY guy" lists roofing as one of the top five "don't do-it-yourself projects," it's worth noting. And when "Ask the Builder's" nationally syndicated newspaper columnist (and DIY enthusiast) Tim Carter joins suit in talking homeowners down from the roof, it's time to put away the ladder and pick up the phone.
Relying on a reputable, professional roofing company to install your new roof or just tackle your roof repairs is the best decision to save you time, hassle and the potential added expense if DIY repairs result in leaks. Most importantly, leaving roofing jobs to the pros saves you the very real risk of serious injuries, and even death.
Ladder Injuries
According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, about 165,000 Americans require medical treatment for ladder-related injuries each year. Based on a 1990-2005 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, that number is escalating. During the course of the study, from beginning to end, the number of reported cases in which Americans were hurt in incidents involving ladders climbed by more than 50 percent.
Other ladder-injury findings from the study:
· More than 2.1 million people sought emergency treatment in the United States for ladder-related injuries.
· Of those injuries, almost 10 percent resulted in hospitalization or transfer to another hospital.
· The most frequently reported injuries were fractures.
· In cases in which the location where the injury took place was recorded, 97 percent happened at home.
· In nearly 77 percent of the cases, the injured party was male.
Accidental Fall StatisticsRoofing jobs, of course, require lots of time up and down ladders. Even if you're fortunate enough to avoid a ladder-related injury, a fall from the roof itself can happen.
According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
· Falls were the leading cause of nonfatal, medically treated injuries in the U.S. every single year from 1997 through 2007.
· The majority of reported falls occurred in or around the home.
· Falls were the cause of 38 percent of nonfatal, medically treated injuries in 2007.
· From 1997 to 2007, 71 percent of fall-related injuries resulted in at least a trip to a doctor's office or clinic.
· Of that 71 percent, 56 percent were serious enough to necessitate a visit to an emergency room or the use of an emergency vehicle.
· Between 2004 and 2007, accidental falls accounted for almost 25 percent of all reported fractures.
Mortality RatesThe risk of serious injury in a fall increases, of course, as the height off the ground increases. Falls during roofing jobs can be catastrophic, disabling people for life, or even ending lives.
Here are some sobering statistics to encourage you to think twice before making that climb to your roof:
· The Home Safety Council says that falls are "by far the leading cause of home injury deaths."
· Accidental falls killed 20,823 people in 2006, according to the CDC. That's more people than the Miami Heat's American Airlines Arena seats.
· A 2009 article from the Mayo Clinic listing men's top 10 health threats names falls as one of the leading causes of fatal accidents.
Risking injury or death taking on roofing jobs in the hot Florida sun simply isn't worth it. Save time, save your body, save your sanity and make sure the job is done right by putting your trust in a company that has earned the praise of Florida homeowners and business owners with years of experience.
NEW ROOFING OPTIONS
Not all roofing materials are created equal. Shingles and asphalt are materials from the stone age, literally. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, average black shingles have a solar reflectance of 3%, meaning 97% is absorbed in the building. While Terra Cotta colored tiles had a better solar reflectance at 24%, 76% of the suns heat is absorbed into the building. In today’s world of environmentally friendly building products, green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, the sky is the limit to how green, cool and anti-carbon you can go. Here are some o the newest Green Roofing Options:Cool Roofs:
A cool roof, which can be flat or sloped, reflects and emits the sun's heat back to the sky instead of transferring it to the building below. "Coolness" is measured by two properties, solar reflectance and thermal emittance. A cool roof can lower the surface temperature by 70 degrees and reduce building every use by up to 30%.
Benefits of cool roofs include: 
Energy savings
Global warming mitigation
Reduction in urban heat island effect and smog
Improved occupant comfort
Comply with codes and green building programs
To find out more information on Cool Roofs, visit www.coolroofs.org Call us at 1-800-766-3987 for a brochure.
While metal roofs have been around longer than shingles, they still lead the pack as far as the best roof money can buy. In the past, metal roofs might have been shoved aside due to the limited options of available styles and colors. After all, they are two big factors in deciding your roofing materials, and not everyone wanted a bright red roof.
Nowadays the options for metal roofing are endless, and so are the benefits. Metal roofing is the lightest material available. It weighs only a fraction of slate or clay tiles (which weigh an average of 100 lbs. per square), thus lightening the load on your building’s structure. Metal will not rot or crack, it’s noncombustible and able to resist hurricane force winds. Metal roofs reflect more radiant sunlight than it absorbs, saving you money on cooling costs, it’s long life and minimal maintenance, along with reduced installation labor make it hard to match any other roofing material.
While the standard color spectrums for metal roofs have significantly grown, you can have you roof coated any color or sheen you desire, by simply matching the color as you would in a paint store.
You might not think of metal roofs as particularly solar friendly, since they are typically not flat and have seams running down them. This too, is an idea of the past. In today’s world the time to go solar is now. Thin film laminates have adapted to meet the needs of the metal roof owners, and they now exist to run smoothly between the seams of your metal roof, or smoothly over the entire metal roof. They require no roof penetrations, can withstand 160 miles per hour winds, and are more efficient in high temperatures than standard solar panels.
Unlike asphalt shingles, metal roofs don’t use oil as part of their material, and metal roofs as well as thin solar laminates are currently both made in America! Why not take advantage of the sunny days we are so lucky to have in Florida and make energy!
