Faq

All too often, roof system problems are discovered after leaking or some other serious damage occurs. Periodic (twice-a-year) inspections often can uncover cracked, warped or missing shingles; loose seams and deteriorated flashings; excessive surface granules accumulating in the gutters or downspouts; and other visible signs of roof system problems. Indoors, look for cracked paint, discolored plasterboard and peeling wallpaper as signs of damaged roof areas.

You have two basic options: You can choose a complete replacement of the roof system, involving a tear-off of your existing roof system, or cover the existing roof system, involving only the installation of a new roof system. If you’ve already had one re-cover installed on your original roof system, check with a professional roofing contractor. In many instances, building code requirements allow no more than one roof system re-cover before a complete replacement is necessary.

Not necessarily. Leaks can result from flashings that have come loose or a section of the roof system being damaged. A complete roof system failure, however, generally is irreversible and a result of improper installation, choice of materials or the roof system installation is inappropriate for the home or building.

Most work should not be done by yourself. Professional roofing contractors are trained to safely and efficiently repair or replace roof systems. You can damage your roof system by using improper roofing techniques and severely injure yourself by falling off or through the roof.

Maintenance performed by home and building owners should be confined to inspecting roof systems during the fall and spring to check for cracked or curling shingles and cleaning gutters filled with dead leaves and other debris. If you must inspect your roof system yourself, use a firmly braced or tied-off ladder equipped with rubber safety feet. Wear rubber-soled shoes and stay on the ladder (and off the roof system), if possible.

Most new roof systems are designed to provide useful service for about 20 years. Some roof system types, such as slate, clay tile, and certain metal (e.g., copper) systems, can last longer.

Actual roof system lifespan is determined by a number of factors, including local climatic and environmental conditions, proper building and roof system design, material quality and suitability, proper application and adequate roof maintenance.

Roofing product manufacturers offer a variety of warranties on their products. Take a close look at those warranties to see what responsibilities and financial obligations manufacturers will assume if their products fail to reach their expected lives.

The price of a new roof system varies widely, depending on such things as the materials selected, contractor doing the work, home or building, location of the home or building, local labor rates and time of year. To get a good idea of price for your roof system, get three or four proposals from reputable contractors in your area. Keep in mind that price is only one factor, and it must be balanced with the quality of the materials and workmanship.

For each roofing material, there are different grades and corresponding prices. There also are a variety of styles and shapes. You need to look at the full product range and make a choice based on your budget and needs.

Within the roofing profession, there are different levels of expertise and craftsmanship. Insist on a contractor who is committed to quality work.

When considering your roofing options, the following formula may help:

Annual Roofing Cost = Total Cost (Materials & Labor)/Life Expectancy of Roof System (in years)

A solar powered attic vent is an attic ventilation fan which runs solely off solar power. These ventilators fall into the category of active (powered) attic ventilation, where outside air is forced through the attic and out the vent to effectively cool the attic space. This method of attic ventilation is many times more effective than passive (natural) ventilation since the air inside the attic is exchanged more times per hour with a powered vent than with a passive vent.

Static vents or ridge vents will help but generally do not provide sufficient air movement to pull heat and moisture from the attic – especially during the winter or when the ambient air is stagnant. If you have electric fans in the attic, you will benefit from increased air movement in the summer but at a cost of 350 to 400 watts of power per day! Often, electric attic fans have a thermostat that keep them inoperable during the winter, just when you need them to expel moisture! A solar powered attic fan runs whenever there is sunlight – and at no cost of operation.

How much money you will save is greatly dependent on the price of electricity in your area, the amount of attic space in your home, the efficiency of your attic insulation, and the amount of ventilation your solar attic vent is able to provide. In our experience, a typical installation will usually pay for itself in savings within 1-2 summers of use verses Powered Attic Fans that can cost up to $35 per month to operate.

To our knowledge, no permit is required.

No. There is no additional wiring or a need for an electrician to install the unit.

Yes it can! Many of our customers are using the fan to reduce the temperature in the garage or storage shed.

A thermal switch is often used to control a solar attic fan. This switch only allows the fan to run when the attic is warmer than 80-90 degrees F. Running the fan only when the attic is hot extends the life of the fan motor and results in less heat loss to the attic in winter, but does not allow the fan to reduce moisture build-up in the attic at all times and does not allow the fan to prevent ice dams during the winter.

During the summer, as the sun radiates heat onto your roof, your roof’s shingles or tiles become very hot. This heat is transferred through the roof and in turn heats up the air inside your attic. If the hot air stays inside your attic, the heat from this air will eventually enter your home. While attic insulation slows this process, it does not eliminate the heat transfer process entirely. If your attic is not very well insulated, it will do very little to stop the heat from getting through. Additionally, a hot attic stays hot long after the sun goes down, so the process of heat transfer into your home never really ends. By removing the hot air from your attic, the process of heat transfer into your home is minimized. The less attic heat that is transferred into your home, the less your air conditioner will need to work. If your air conditioner unit doesn’t need to run as much to keep your home cool, you save energy and money.

No, not at all. You can barely hear them running when you’re standing right next to one. The fan blades used in our solar attic vents are specially designed for whisper quiet operation.

Ridge vents, gables vents, and dormer vents work by passive (natural) draft air convection. This means that as hot air rises in your attic, it should flow out from these vents creating a natural draft through the attic. However, as you have probably noticed if you currently have any of these vents installed on your home, they are not very effective at reducing the temperature of your attic.

Turbine vents are designed to pull hot air out of your attic when the wind blows. These vents are equally ineffective at removing attic heat due to frequent mechanical problems, low air moving capability, and a dependence on the wind to supply the power needed to induce a draft through the attic.

Solar attic vents operate on the principle of active (forced) draft air convection. Our vents create an air draft through your attic many times more powerful than that of natural draft air convection techniques. By inducing a greater air daft through the attic, these solar attic vents can effectively cool your entire attic and keep it cool throughout the day.

The amount of ventilation an attic needs is determined by many factors, but in general, the more ventilation your attic has, the better off you will be. As attic air turnover is increased and fresh make-up air is brought into the attic, the attic temperature will begin to approach that of the ambient outside air temperature, which in turn minimizes heat transfer into your home. As long as your attic has plenty of fresh air make-up ventilation, more airflow through the attic will only increase the cooling performance of your solar attic fan.

Yes. Both the purchase price and installation cost of a solar attic fan qualify for a 30% federal tax credit. The credit applies to equipment placed in service between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2016. IRS Form # 5695 (Download pdf here) is needed to apply for this credit. Enter the installed cost on line 1 of the form.