Questions and Answers
Q & A - Adding Life to a Cedar Shake Roof
How can I make my cedar shake roof last longer? Monday evening I received this question from an old friend who lives in the Portland area. Rod asked, "I will be replacing my old shake roof this year. My roofer suggested going back with cedar shakes. Can you give me any ...
Q & A - How to Unclog a Downspout
So, your rain gutters are overflowing and nothing is coming out of the downspout, what do you do? Well, sounds like you have a clogged downspout. What do you do to fix this? Some will get a ladder and a garden hose and try shoving the hose down the spout in ...
Q & A - Shake Roof Repair
How and when should I have my shake roof repaired? This is a common question asked here at AskARoofer. Most shake roofs start to fail after 15 years. Some sooner, some later, but most start to show age when shakes curl, split and blow off, leaving missing shakes. Cedar shakes can ...
Roofing using a nail gun or hand nailing?
Roofing using a nail gun or hand nailing, which is the best way to install a roof? This question can be argued both ways and both can be correct. The simple answer is...It all depends on the man or woman holding the hammer or air gun and how they use it. ...
Q & A - Do I Need Tar Paper Under My Shingles?
Is tar paper (felt) needed under asphalt shingles? Do I need tar paper under my asphalt shingles? AskARoofer was asked this question a while back by a woman and this question comes up very often. It seems this lady’s house was recently purchased and after the first few spots of winter ...
Roofing Your House Yourself - Is it Worth the Risk?
Roofing your house can be one of the hardest and most dangerous home improvements to DIY. Roofing may be on the list of many folks whose roof is old, tired and probably won’t make it another year. With the high cost of roofing, some people think about doing the roof themselves. ...
Q & A - Repairing a Leaking Skylight
There are yellow water stains on the ceiling, is it because of my leaky skylight? Elizabeth asked, "I have yellow water staining the ceiling near a recessed light. I had a roofer look at my roof and he said the roof was ok. He suggested to “boot insulate” around my six ...
Q & A - Roof Trusses
Our loft conversion requires changing the pitch of the roof, can my roofer do that or does someone else need to be hired? Nathan asked, "We are converting our loft into two bedrooms but have to change the pitch of the roof to accommodate this. The person doing our roof says ...
Q & A - How to Find a Leak on My Roof
Is there a way to find a roof leak before it streams into my home? Do you have a leaky roof? While we recommend having a roofing profesional come out to inspect your roof, here is a tip on finding a leak. Access the roof in the area of the leak and ...
Q & A - Ridge Caps Facing the Prevailing Winds
Lucy from Illinois asked "For ridge shingles, how should the shingle overlap be oriented to the prevailing winds?" I am not sure what type of products you are using, but today most of the better-designed ridge caps have a sealant on the underside to resist high wind blow-offs. They are commonly ...
