Asphalt shingles, the most popular residential roofing material across the country, have the undisputed advantage of low initial cost. Whether they remain a bargain in the long term depends on how long they last. And how long they last varies tremendously. You may know someone whose asphalt-shingled roof has held up for thirty years or more. That homeowner might swear by asphalt shingles, and with good reason. However, another homeowner may have a horror story about having to replace asphalt shingles only two years after installation! This difference in longevity is due to several factors that are essential to understand when roofing with asphalt shingles.

The first factor in asphalt shingle life is the quality of the shingles themselves. Whether the base is felt or fiberglass, asphalt shingles rely on asphalt for waterproofing.  In addition, they rely on the top layer of ceramic granules to protect the asphalt layer from the degrading effect of UV radiation. The asphalt has two jobs: to keep water out and to hold the ceramic granules in place. If the asphalt is of low grade or if the manufacturing process does not ensure proper adhesion of the ceramic granules, the shingles will deteriorate quickly. Bad shingles may also split in random places.

Installation, including taking care of what is under the shingles, is as important as shingle quality. The decking, sheathing, and attic have to do their part to keep the shingles in good shape. Roofing paper must be installed under the shingles; whether you do the job yourself or hire a roofing contractor, make sure this step is not skipped. Situations that allow heat to build under the shingles cause the adhesive to fail and/or the shingles to deform (“cupping”). If you have one layer of shingles and are considering whether to have a second layer applied over it, keep in mind that stripping off the first layer does allow access to the sheathing to make repairs there.

Weather contributes to aging of asphalt shingles. Freezing temperatures allow ice to form in the smallest cracks, expanding the shingles. Here in the Bay Area, summertime can also be hard on asphalt roofs when roasting days alternate with cool nights. The result is thermal shock to roof shingles: rapid expansion and contraction stresses shingle materials to the point where fissures develop. Fissures provide moist habitat for algae and moss that can damage the shingle, particularly during damp weather, in shade, and when debris has been allowed to accumulate on the roof. Steep roofs are much better at shedding moisture and debris than low-slope ones. For this reason, shingles on high-slope roofs tend to last longer.

To avoid thermal shock, roofs need to be kept from overheating in summer. One option that helps is light-colored shingles. White shingles, in fact, may come with an “energy star” rating that allows part of the installation cost to be written off at tax time. No matter what color shingles you have, ventilation beneath the roof is key to minimizing shingle damage from heat and from thermal shock. You don’t have to wait until you need roofing repair done to take a look in your attic and see how well ventilated it is. Improvements here can save years on the life of your asphalt-shingle roof.

Contact Your Bay Area Roofing Contractors Today!

Century Roof and Solar uses only quality roof and gutter products from manufactures with the highest of standards, and quality control. Call us today at (888) 233-7548 to learn why we are the Bay Area’s premier roofing company.

Dozens? Hundreds?

Like most Bay Area residents, you have a soft spot for “environmental concerns.” You want to do what you can to heal the planet – or at least to prevent it from enduring more harm than necessary, during your short tenure here. But you also have your own needs and concerns. In an ideal world, you would like to reduce your footprint without committing much energy, time, or thought. Here’s one genius idea to that end: consider switching over to “BYOB” grocery bags.

You don’t need to shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to enjoy rich benefits for both yourself and for the environment, from this alternative “bag bringing paradigm.”

Consider these jaw-dropping statistics. According to independent analyses, 2,000 lbs worth of plastic bags saved is the equivalent of saving 11 whole barrels of oil. If you shop once a week – just for yourself – over the course of 10 years, you’ll save around 2,000 bags, reducing the stress on San Francisco Bay Area landfills and also substantially reducing plastic consumption. Even better, you will protect at risk ecosystems from getting suffocated by your discarded plastic bags.

San Francisco on Oct 1st 2012 extended its ban on plastic bags in major grocery stores and pharmacies to restaurants and smaller merchants. 

The ordinance expands a 2007 law, the first of its kind in the nation, that banned non-compostable plastic bags at large supermarkets and pharmacies. When the new prohibition goes into effect on October 1, it will extend to all retail stores and finally to all restaurants in the city starting next summer. – Huffington Post

You need not “give up” all your plastic bags. Indeed, if you recycle some bags – or give them second or third uses – you’ll reduce your footprint and eliminate pesky housework. For instance:

• If you own a cat or a dog, use leftover bags for litter or pooper-scooper duty;
• Keep a few plastic bags in your car to collect the nasty flotsam and jetsam that accumulates (e.g. discarded parking tickets, random flyers left on your windshield, gum wrappers, et cetera);
• If you really want to get creative, repurpose old plastic bags as Halloween costumes or as makeshift shoes when you paint the deck (or better, send your husband to do the job!).

Changing a Habit – Only Takes 21 Days

The so-called “success literature” tells us that adopting new habits can feel foreign and weird at first. But over time, new habits fade become second nature. You probably don’t think too much about the need to brush your teeth every night – you just do it automatically. Once you make the switch to bringing your own bags to the grocery store, after about few weeks, the change becomes permanent and you will never need to think about it again.

If you’re looking for even greater leverage – to improve the energy efficiency and “greenness” of your home or condo in the Bay Area – get in touch with the team here at Century Roof & Solar. Call us today for a free consultation. OR Call 510-780-9489

Solar Roofing Installations | Bay Area Gutters | East Bay Roofing 

Image source: http://quite-rightly.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-lead-warning-green-reusable-grocery.html

Image source2: http://greencotton.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/plastic-bags-minimizing-the-damage/

Rather than give you a boring list of “ways to conserve” that you can find a million other places on the internet, we thought it might be interesting to turn the tables a bit.

To that end, here three surefire ways to waste our most precious natural resource:

1. Gush excess water on your lawn or garden.

NASA statistics suggest that each American, on average, dumps 200 gallons of H2O on our properties and gardens every single day. To waste even more water, cut your grass really short, water lawns during the hot afternoon hours so that more water will evaporate, and aim your sprinkler system haphazardly, so the water hits walls or pavement and thus evaporates.

2. Use and abuse your pool.

Pools are notorious water wasters. So, rather than use a sprinkler system – or a community pool – to enjoy summer water play, buy your own pool. Be sure to leave the top off, when it’s not in use, so that the maximum amount of water can evaporate. Also, be sure to change the water more frequently than the manufacturer recommends.

3. Crank up your home water consumption.

There are countless ways to waste water in your home. You can take extra long showers every morning and run your dishwasher when you only have few dishes or plates inside. Ignore your water bill and refuse to look for inefficiencies that you can easily correct… and that could save you tens of dollars a month in utility costs just for a few minutes of work.

Of course, this article is meant to be facetious. We really do want you to conserve water – not only to protect the environment here in and around the Bay Area but also to save you money.

Fortunately, “going green” — being a conservationist — does not mean that you have to pay more or do anything extravagant. Century Roof and Solar is the premier solar solution provider for the Bay Area. We can help you go green, handle construction and roofing needs, and answer any of your questions about going solar.

Find out more about us online at www.centuryroofandsolar.com or contact us toll free at (888) 233-7548

Image credit: ehow.com

We always encourage comments and questions.  Thanks guys!

When you think of going solar do you still think of big bulky panels? Going solar can now look good and feel good. #thinkgreengogreen

Carlos Ochoa May 4, 2012

Are they still effective? What’s the cost per kilowatt vs the previous bulky panels?

Century Roof and Solar May 4, 2012

The system is very effective, the solar tiles are Csi technology (1kw per 100 sq feet) and have reduced the clients usage from $450 per month to $6.00 per month. The price per watt is $1.00 more, however the roof under the array locations are new due to the need for BIPV/Roof preparation and this area has pigeon problems that the homeowner did not want to deal with, on a conventional raised panel system. Thanks for asking +Carlos Ochoa!

Construction Dive May 4, 2012

How would they fair in extremely cold or snow-intense regions? On the surface, they definitely look better compared to the bulky panels.

Century Roof and Solar May 7, 2012

+Construction Dive The solar tiles perform very well in snow loading conditions for two reasons. The first is glass laminate with Csi cells (just like standard modules) have a uniform support structure across the entire laminate as opposed to only being picture framed like standard panels. The second advantage is that no snow load will build behind the panels because they are part of the building envelope, although snow guards would be needed to prevent snow run off from snow build up on the array.

Carlos Ochoa May 7, 2012

+Century Roof and Solar Do you know of any solar companies that would donate some solar panels to my university? =)

Century Roof and SolarMay 9, 2012

+Carlos Ochoa I would try contacting Solar Energy International at www.solarenergy.org I know that they get equipment donated to them and they should be able to help.

Carlos OchoaMay 9, 2012

+Century Roof and Solar Thanks!

Visit http://centuryroofandsolar.com

Join the conversation 

G+ https://plus.google.com/113123633040751177481/posts

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/centuryroofandsolar

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/centuryrfsolar

1. Dark, cruddy looking patches have spread across your roof

Many kinds of nastiness can cause this problem, ranging from fungal infection to the growth of certain types of vegetation to local point source pollution. Not only are these dirty patches unsettling and kind of gross to look at, but they can also be a prelude to more serious structural damage, mold, and other not-so-amazing stuff.

2. Your heating and cooling bills have unexpectedly “gone through the roof” (so to speak)

Depending on the layout of your house, the ventilation in your attic might be creating drafts and other burdens that are forcing your heating and cooling system to work too hard.

Essentially, what happens is that unseasonable weather can cause moisture to get lodged in your attic. This moisture then seeps into the rafters and insulation, causing damage, which in turn causes the energy loss.

3. Peeling or blistering paint

This is another problem often pinned to bad attic ventilation. Major temperature fluctuations (global warming, anyone?) can also imperil both the exterior and interior roof paint job.

4. Post-winter attic leakage

We who live near the Bay Area don’t often have to deal with the kind of icy nastiness that afflicts states to our east and north. But if you live in an area where ice forms, then ice can dam up on your roof and create leaks, particularly if you have poor shingle underlayment.

For help dealing with any roof repair issue in the Bay Area, look to the team here at Century Roof & Solar. Call us now, or learn more about our roofing solutions online.

image sources
image #1: http://www.thesidingguy.com/Softwash.html
image#2:http://www.gwinnettdailyonline.com/GDP/archive/article795CA5E3F4B049D485A98091BD3D880E.asp
image#3:http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/?cat=120
image#4:http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=64129

1. Walk and bike more. Yes, it’s fun to drive. And yes, if you live in the Bay Area, it could be difficult to get everywhere you want to go on foot or via bike or public transportation. But it’s less hard than you think to toss the car key; as a side benefit, you’ll be able to connect with your local community more.

2. Spend less time talking about “going green” and more time doing it. Every time you speak, you exhale a non-negligible quantity of carbon dioxide into the air. Save your breath… and save the planet.

3. Bedeck yourselves with pine needles. (Okay, maybe that’s taking “go green” a bit too literally.)

4. Educate yourself about going green. Adopting thoughtless, supposedly “environmentally conscious” measures that are not necessarily grounded in science won’t help the earth. It will just feed your ego. The “green” actions you take should be useful for the planet.

5. Connect with other “green enthusiasts” for ideas. You will get more ideas from your environmentally conscious friends and family members than you will from any website or top 10 list.

7. Be mindful of your water usage.

8. Monitor your energy consumption. Some studies suggest that homeowners who pay attention to how much energy they use – who have a monitor that allows them to actually see their consumption habits – subconsciously reduce their energy consumption significantly.

9. Inflate your tires. Poor tire maintenance can not only lead to serious car crashes, but it also leads to fuel efficiency problems.

10. Go solar! It’s easier, cheaper, and more fun to go solar than ever before. The trusted professionals at Century Roof & Solar will help you develop and execute a powerful solar solution. We’re one of the Bay Area’s most-respected roofing contractors.

Find out more about our solar installation capabilities at www.centuryroofandsolar.com, or call us for assistance now at (510) 780-9489.

 #ThinkGreenGoGreen

Follow Century Roof and Solar on Twitter!

Like Century Roof and Solar on Facebook!

Skylights and so-called “sun tubes” are becoming increasingly popular – not just among cutting-edge architects but also among “rank and file” building designers and homeowners.  What’s changed about our collective attitude towards these features?
1. First of all, skylights and sun tubes can help you save on electricity bills.
In an “up” economy, saving a few bucks a month on your power bill might not seem like much.  But in today’s troubled economy, homeowners and small businesses are turning over every rock to look for innovative ways to save. When you get natural sunlight through a skylight or sun tube to light up your kitchen, bathroom, rec room, or other area, you don’t need to keep flipping on and off the electricity.
2. Aesthetics.
Let’s face it.  A properly installed, “feng shui” engineered skylight can work wonders for a room.  Skylights are a lot more attractive than florescent overhead lights, for instance, and human beings have a biological craving for natural sunlight.
3. Airtight installations.
New technology and innovative installation techniques have resolved problems (leaks and loss of heat/cool air) that once plagued the skylight and sun tube industry.  A qualified and reputable company, such as CenturyRoof and Solar, can install airtight and leak-proof lights easily.
4. Remote control openings.
One possible downside to some skylights is that they must be cranked open and closed by hand.  This might not seem like to big of deal but if you are elderly, have a disability, or someone who might use the feature on a regular basis– a manually operated sunlight can be somewhat frustrating to use.  Fortunately, new technologies have solved this problem – many skylights can be cranked open via remote control now, nice for convenience and nice for show feature.
5. Vitamin D.
Compelling scientific research now suggests that many Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiency – a condition that’s associated with lack of natural sunlight.  By allowing more natural light into your home, you may be able to indulge (carefully!) in the sun’s natural rays and boost your vitamin D levels.
If you would like a personalized consultation regarding your skylight and sun tube needs, talk to the Bay Area leaders in roof systems, Century Roof and Solar.  Learn more at www.centuryrooftile.com or call 888-233-7548 for a free roofing/skylight sun tube quote.

Think Green! Go Green!

Fan us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter!