Slate offers substantial benefits over other types of roofing materials. Here are a few:

1. Aesthetic benefits

Slate is a beautiful, natural material. It recalls iconic buildings, such as Ivy League architectural masterpieces. It’s been used for centuries, and it looks great even after it’s been weathered.

2. Boosts the value of your building

Thanks to their unique beauty, simplicity, and durability, slate roofs tend to substantially increase property values. This is important, whether you’re fixing up an investment property to sell or just maximizing the equity value of your home.

3. Low pollution

Many Bay Area builders and remodelers are very “eco-conscious.” They want to avoid using materials that exude pollutants or toxins into the environment.

4. Easy to adapt to current structures

Some slate solutions require sophisticated modifications to existing roof structures. But other innovative technologies now allow you to easily adapt slate over your existing structure. Newer slate solutions are also lighter and less expensive than old ones.

Two reasons why slate is not a more popular material:

1. Traditionally, it’s relatively expensive.
2. It’s heavier than other roofing materials, which means that installation and maintenance require more work and that roofs must be well engineered to support the weight.

Fortunately, new technologies have made slate solutions both cheaper and easier for structures to bear. For help designing, executing and maintaining your Bay Area roofing project, look to the team at Century Roof & Solar. Whether or not you want to use slate or another material, we are standing by to discuss to provide a free and thorough consultation about your project.

But how do you maintain skylights effectively? What happens if you don’t keep up with the maintenance? Will your roof develop leaks, mildew and mold? Will your home leach heat (or A/C) and thus drive up your energy bills?

These are great questions. Here are some tips to address skylight maintenance worries:

• Follow the manufacturer suggested cleaning regimens. Print out a copy of this regimen, and add it to your calendar to review regularly.
• Before you clean, gather all needed equipment, including: ladders, nonabrasive cleaners, cloths, gloves, and a bucket.
• When you clean glass, wait until the sun is not overhead – so you can see better and so the glass won’t be heated up to a scalding temperature.
• When you apply a cleaning solution, first soak the glass with water and soap; then use a brush or other nonabrasive tool to scrape away debris.
• If stains like sap or paint won’t come off with this method, you might need to judiciously use a razor blade. Scrape in one direction, and do your best to avoid scratching the glass.
• To clean insect screens: take them down and then spray them with a hose or run them under the sink. Let the screens dry thoroughly before replacing them.
• If you need to climb on to the roof – or on to some dangerous areas of your home – to access the skylights, be careful and work with the spotter. Roof work can be surprisingly dangerous, and poor ladder work, the fragility of your roof area, or just general carelessness/negligence can lead to accidents. Also, a badly done skylight cleaning job can actually damage the roof. For instance, if you spill a bucket of cleaning solution near the skylight, the moisture could seep into the wood and cause mildew and mold to form.

For help with skylight maintenance and repair, or for more information about solar roofing, get in touch with the East Bay roofing contractors here at Century Roof and Solar for help. Call us today: 1-888-233-7548.

It’s Bay Area roofing repair season! You are (finally!) getting around to that “spring cleaning” session that you had planned for early March.

Well, better late than never.

Experts recommend that homeowners inspect their roofs at least twice a year: once in fall, before the blustery winter weather; and once in spring, to deal with winter weather damage.

Here’s a quick primer to get you started with spring roof care.

Image via Flickr

See any peeling? See any shingles blown off during the winter? Are any shingles scoured or de-granulated? When the grain gets stripped off shingles, the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate them easier and cause them to crack and warp.

Be mindful of any mold, fungi or other growths.

Avoid using a power washer, which can strip grains off the shingles, making them more susceptible to UV damage. Spray on a moss remover, instead, and then find and replace any obviously damaged shingles.

Check your gutters and spouts.

With safety as your watchword, scoop out leaves, twigs, bird droppings, and debris out of your gutters. Wear heavy gloves, so you don’t get cut or poked. If storms loosened gutters, tighten them, and tighten any metal roof bolts as well, in preparation for summer thunderstorm season.

Inspect your vents and soffits.

Remove spiders, nests, wasps, and other accumulated debris.

Look at the flashing around your skylight and chimney.

These metal strips can get loosened by harsh winter weather and make the roofing structure less stable and resistant to decay.

Should you “DIY” or call a roofing contractor?

As the saying goes, caution is the better part of valor. Make sure that you’re doing the right projects — and doing them safely — before you finalize your “DIY” maintenance process.

Connect with the team here at Century Roof and Solar to design a cost effective spring roof repair and maintenance strategy. Find out more about us online, or call today for a free estimate.