Natalia – Page 5

Dec24

Uncategorized

Getting to Know Your Roof

If you have recently purchased a new house or property and during that purchasing process did not request or receive a roof inspection, then there are some immediate steps you should take in getting to know your roof. Especially in light of the second tropical storm we had last week in as many months, it is important to always be aware of the state of your home’s components and any changes in them. As a follow up to our last post, we are here to provide you with a helpful guide to getting to know your roof, particularly if you are a new homeowner.

Your first step should be to figure out what kind of roof you have and how old it is. You probably already know what kind of roof it is, as that is easy to ascertain just from looking at it. The material will give you an idea for the roof’s life expectancy. On average, 3-tab shingles have the lowest life expectancy among materials used commonly in our area with about 15 years. Architectural shingles (also called laminated or three dimensional) have an increased life expectancy of about twenty five to forty years. Metal roofs, provided that the correct type of metal is installed (especially if your property is located east of I-95 near the ocean), have a similar expectancy to architectural shingles with a slight advantage resulting in about thirty to fifty years. Tile roof life expectancies are more or less the same as metal.

Now that you know your roof’s life expectancy it is time to figure out how old it is now. Is it the original roof installed when the home was first built or has the roof recently been replaced? This information should be included in the documents you received with the home’s purchase. If it is not, however, this information can easily be found online. The local building department maintains public records of new construction and roof replacements, as both procedures require contractors to obtain permits. Identify whether your home is in city or county jurisdiction and then do a quick online search to find the age of your roof. Then, it is time to compare the roof’s age to its life expectancy. Hopefully, at this point you find out that your roof has a long time of peak efficacy remaining.

Whether that is true or not, the next step is to find out about the roof’s current condition and obtain knowledge of any prior problems or repairs. Ideally, the home’s previous owners or your realtor will provide you with that information. If they do not, and even if they do, it is always good practice to have your own inspection done independently. In the case that your roof is nearing its life expectancy, this is a necessary measure as well. The best person to inspect a roof is a licensed roofing contractor. They will be able to tell you the remaining life expectancy of the roof, any areas that are damaged or need repair, and any areas to watch in the future. A good roofer will also quickly identify any areas that were repaired in the past and how well those repairs are holding up. A thorough inspection from a contractor will typically cost one to several hundred dollars, depending on the size and complexity of the roof. On the other hand, roof replacement estimates are usually free and if you meet with the estimator in person, he will likely give you all the same information.

Another important aspect of getting to know your roof is identifying any warranties it may have. Newly constructed homes typically come with warranties on various of the building’s systems for the homeowner. Roof replacements also typically come with warranties, both manufacturers’ (for materials) and contractors’ (for labor). Repairs can also come with shorter warranties, but not always. Warranties can also be transferable or nontransferable; that is, when a house changes owners, sometimes the existing warranties come over with it and sometimes they do not. Transferable warranties also often have limits on how many times they can be transferred. In terms of roofing, manufacturers’ warranties can typically only be transferred once. Make sure you find out if there were any existing warranties on the property you bought and if any of them can be/have been transferred over with the sale.

Once you have gathered the information above, you are well on your way to getting to know your roof and your home. If any problems reveal themselves in the process, make sure to address them as soon as possible, before additional weather events exacerbate them.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Dec24

Roofing Blog

How a New Roof Can Increase the Value of Your Home

If you are in the process of selling or even thinking about putting your house up on the real estate market, you may be looking for ways to increase its value. One of the most valuable improvements you could make to your home is to replace its old roof with a new one. In this post we will explain how a new roof adds value to your home and the best way of going about getting your old roof replaced.

A new roof can be valuable in more ways than just the obvious. If your current roof is more than 10-15 years old, it is very prone to storm damage and highly difficult to repair. Repairs on old roofs additionally have a low life expectancy. People shopping the real estate market in Florida want to be sure that the property that they are buying is a good investment that will be stable for a long time. Florida, however, is prone to hurricanes and tropical storms which decrease property value and the stability of a home. So, new homeowners are looking for properties best able to stand up to strong storms like that. A new roof will instill confidence in shoppers since new roofs are built to the most current building codes and with the most up to date materials that provide the best protection possible against high winds and rain. Moreover, a new roof will likely not need any repairs for the upcoming years and will come with one or more warranties. All these things add value to a home.

Another thing to take into consideration is the property insurance market in Florida. You may or may not have heard about this, but due to the amount of damages from storms and flooding in recent years leading to a preponderance of claims, many property insurance companies in Florida have either left the state or went under completely. This has turned what used to be a buyer’s market (to borrow a real estate term) into a seller’s market. In the past, there were so many property insurance companies operating in Florida that a homeowner could shop around for a policy and find a fairly affordable policy quickly and with ease. The recent troubles in the property insurance market, however, have led to a state where insurance companies can raise the cost of their policies or deny coverage altogether. Frequently the coverage denials or especially high costs of insuring property are associated precisely with the state and age of the roof. It has gotten nearly to the point that homeowners and property owners seeking new policies or renewals for homes with roofs 15 or more years old have nowhere to turn to but the state run insurer, which may offer only policies with limited coverage. Any new potential homeowner would want to avoid this issue by purchasing a home with a new roof.

So, if you are now convinced (as we suspect you are) that a roof replacement will add value to the sale price of your property, you are probably wondering how you might go about accomplishing this seemingly daunting task. The process is fairly easy. What you need to do is call a local, experienced, licensed, and insured contractor (like Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc!) for a free roof replacement estimate. Call several reputable local companies and get a series of estimates to compare prices, materials, and methods. Once you make your choice, call your chosen company and get your roof on the schedule–after filling out the necessary paperwork–as soon as possible. If you are concerned about cost, keep in mind that many companies, including Florida’s Best Roofing Inc., offer financing options. This means that you could finance your roof replacement now and then pay off your entire balance after you sell your property for a higher price than you may have previously imagined. It is important to get the process started as soon as possible. Although the roof replacement process itself is usually completed within two to three days (unless you have a tile roof), roofing companies tend to be a few weeks to a month or two out on their schedule, especially after the recent damages caused by Hurricane Ian and Tropical Storm Nicole. So do not wait, and give us a call today!

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Nov3

Roofing Blog

Roof Tips for New Homeowners

If you have just purchased a new home or are in the process of buying a house, then surely you have a lot on your mind. There are finances to consider, inspections, realtor costs and visits, upgrades, renovations, moving logistics, and much more. It is important to consider, additionally, issues connected particularly with the roof. This is especially important in a hurricane and storm prone area like Florida where roof damage is frequent and can be compounded by repeated storms. Here we would like to lay out for you some of the issues to consider.

Firstly, if possible, inspect the roof before finalizing your purchase. Roofing repairs and replacements can carry significant costs. These costs can vary from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. It is important to understand what kind of roof your new home has and its condition before purchasing. For instance, firstly determine the roof type. Is it a shingle, metal, or tile roof? This will help you determine current and future costs.

Shingle roofs are most common and they are also the cheapest. This means that your costs of upkeep in the future will be lower. Every roof needs maintenance, which will include occasional repairs and eventually full roof replacement. It is important to keep these costs in mind at the initial purchase. You should have a qualified and licensed contractor or inspector determine the roof replacement cost at first purchase, as prices vary widely by size, shape, and material. For instance, tile roofs are often preferred for their aesthetic and long life expectancy. Yet, many are unaware that replacing a tile roof can cost upward of fifty thousand dollars. While tile roofs are often marketed with promises of lifetime life expectancies or warranties, it is not unusual for them to get damaged in Florida’s storms. When that happens, repairs can cost several thousand dollars and if the damage is bad enough, then full replacement may be required.

Shingle roofs and metal roofs are cheaper to repair or replace. Still, metal is more expensive (sometimes double the cost of or triple the cost of shingle). It is important to keep these costs in mind at first purchase. On the other hand, the more expensive material roofs generally last longer in the first place. Tile and metal have a higher life expectancy than shingle. This does not mean that they will last forever, nor does it mean that shingle roofs will go in the first storm or the first few years. Recent developments in shingle technologies have led to increased life expectancies for shingle roofs at times rivaling those of metal or tile.

The second thing to consider is the condition of the roof at the time of purchase. We strongly recommend that you have the roof and the whole house inspected by a qualified professional before purchase. This way you can avoid getting stuck with unexpected repair or renovation costs. Regarding the roof in particular, there are several questions to be answered. How old is the roof? Has it ever been repaired or replaced? Has the roof ever leaked and how was the issue resolved if it had? What is the status of the warranties on the roof? Can they be transferred? Is there any current visible damage to the roof that needs immediate attention? Will the seller take care of these repairs or are they discounting the cost of the house based on the condition of the roof? If there is a discount, is it enough to cover the costs you will bear? Keep in mind that if a roof is old enough or damaged extensively, repairs are at best a brief stop-gap measure and full replacement is certainly going to be required soon. Also, be particularly mindful of hail damage. It can be difficult to detect and does not immediately result in leaks. However, hail damaged roofs will degrade further more and more over the months following the damage and eventually develop leaks.

It is important to get all these questions answered prior to purchase to avoid being blindsided by roofing costs on top of the cost of buying a house and the expenses involved with moving. If you have already bought the property, you should still take steps to get to know your roof. We will address these steps and the options you may have in the next post.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Oct17

Roofing Blog

Are you Looking for a Roofing Contractor?

With the recent damage from storms like Hurricane Ian, many homeowners in Florida are looking for a roofing contractor to repair storm damage to their roofs or to replace aging roofs with higher quality new roofs that can stand up to future storms. Times like these can lead to chaos in the roofing business with endless calls and increasingly filled schedules. In this chaos often unscrupulous contractors enter the field and take advantage of desperate customers with promises of cheap, quick repairs or replacements. These promises are most often scams that collect deposits with no intention of doing the work or do a shoddy job and then disappear. For this reason this is a good time to remind homeowners how to select a contractor. Here are some aspects to consider when choosing your next roofing contractor.

Go Local

When looking for a contractor it always pays to go local. When searching for a contractor, whether in the newspaper or online, do some research. Check to see if the contractor has a local office, whether that office is actually present in the physical location (take a drive), and how long it has been there. Out of town contractors are not always scammers, but even if they are legitimate, it is hard to hold them to account. They may offer a warranty, and then never return your calls. They might set up a short lived local office but then disappear in a few months. When you go local, you know exactly where to find your contractor if you run into any problems. If they have been around for years, then it is a good bet that they will continue to be there for the foreseeable future. If you have a question about the work they do or need to contact them about a warranty repair, then they will be there for you.

Quality

It may be obvious, but it still warrants saying that quality work takes time. Anyone who has roofing damage will be desperate to have that fixed as soon as possible. It can get frustrating when waitlists after a storm start stretching from weeks to months. In these circumstances people get desperate and settle for anyone who promises to get the job done on the spot or within the next week or some such timeline. However, there is a reason that contractors end up with long waitlists–it is because many people trust them. A contractor who does low quality work will not have any return customers and will have a clear schedule. They will also prioritize quality work over fast work. A complex repair can take a day or more, and so the schedule begins to drag out. Beware any contractor who is not busy after a storm or promises to complete complex work in record time. Yes, it can get frustrating to wait, but quality work is worth waiting for.

Background

It is important to check on the background of your contractor. Are they licensed in the state of Florida and fully insured? It is illegal to perform roofing work without these qualifications. How long have they been around? The stability of a business is an important qualification. Check their website, google reviews, and other social media. What have their customers said about them in the past? Better yet, check with a friend, coworker, or neighbor who has recently had work done on their roof. Which contractor did they use? What was their experience like?

Quality, established contractors will always offer you a free estimate. For this reason it is in your best interest to call several contractors (after researching them) and get several estimates. This will allow you to compare prices, timelines, and the overall customer experience before making your choice. Beware of anyone who significantly underbids all other offers. Estimates take into account material and labor costs–it is impossible to defer either or both to any significant extent without cutting corners.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Oct5

Roofing Blog

What to Do After a Storm

Just a few days ago, Hurricane Ian passed across Florida causing great harm, loss of life, and tremendous destruction. We hope that all of you and your families are safe. We also would like to help you in the rebuilding efforts that must follow. Thus, this is a good time to discuss what actions to take immediately following a hurricane or tropical storm to begin returning your life and your property to normal. Hurricanes like Ian cause immense property damage mainly through flooding and winds. Here are some actions to take that will begin to repair the damage.

Evaluation

Once you are safe and the storm has passed, first, it is important to identify and document any damage that your property may have suffered. A simple inspection of the property is all that is required, first on the interior and then the exterior. During this be careful of any debris that may have fallen during the storm, branches that may be on the tipping point of collapse, and of course downed power lines. Do not approach power lines, even if you think they do not carry a live current. For power lines and the restoration of power, call your local electrical company. Yard debris can be removed by hand in most cases, however, be careful of downed trees–these may require professional removal for the sake of safety. Before calling any tree removal company or any contractor, make sure to make notes and take photos of any damage that has occurred. Look especially at siding damage, roof damage (missing shingles or shingles on the ground), gutter damage, and damages to pool enclosures or any exterior structures like sheds. If you do find damage, take your own photos of it first. If you see debris on your roof, take photos of it before removing anything. This may pay off for you in the long run.

Insurance

Once you have assessed the damage you should look up your property insurance information. Even if you don’t find any damage, this is a good time to check and make sure that you have a current property insurance policy. You should also know what kind of coverage the policy provides, whom to call to make a claim, and what your deductible is. Beware that most property insurance policies have separate hurricane and non-hurricane deductibles. Any named storm, even if it did not bring hurricane force winds to your area, including all tropical storms, are covered under the hurricane deductible. Hurricane deductibles are typically higher than deductibles for all other perils. Make sure that you know the difference. Additionally, look into flood insurance. Most typical property insurance policies do not cover flood damage. A separate flood insurance policy is required for this. Check to see if you have flood insurance and consider, as a Floridian, purchasing a flood insurance policy if you do not have one already.

If you have identified storm damage to your home, consider filing an insurance claim. If it is flood damage, you will need to file under your flood damage insurer. If it is wind damage, then it will be covered by your general property insurance policy. Remember, that your hurricane deductible will apply. To begin the process, you simply need to call the claims department of your insurer or go online. Most companies now have websites where you can file a claim. Remember, millions of people were affected by this storm, so waiting times, especially for phone calls, may be quite high at this time. Once you file a claim, an adjuster will come out to inspect and document the damage. If you need to do immediate repairs prior to the inspection, and in many cases the insurance company will expect you to, make sure to document the process from beginning to end with photos and receipts for any material purchased or labor hired. Provide copies of this documentation to your adjuster so that they can see the full scope of the damage.

Repairs

Once the damage is found, documented, and reported to the insurance carrier, it is time to make the repairs. Unless you are confident you can handle these yourself, it is time to call a contractor. When selecting a contractor there are some factors you will need to consider. First, always choose a reputable local contractor. Check their website, their reviews, and how long they have been in business. Make sure that they are licensed with the state of Florida and fully insured. Unfortunately, hurricane damage often attracts unscrupulous and sometimes even criminal elements who are either unqualified for the work or worse will take a deposit for work to be done and never show up again. Take care to avoid these. Finally, consider that wait times always increase in this period. Quality work takes time and quality contractors will be busy following a storm. It may also be helpful to get several opinions, as contractors most often provide free estimates.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Sep20

Roofing Blog

Famous Roofs: the Pantheon’s Concrete Dome

Roofing may often seem like a jargon-filled, technical, and tedious subject which people only take an interest in when it comes time to repair or replace their own roof, but that’s not alway the case. As we have tried to show with previous posts, it can be a fascinating part of history, literature, and art. A roof is an integral part of the architecture of a building and at times advances in roofing have led to significant advances in the field of architecture and to the construction of some fascinating buildings which have stood for hundreds of years and still survive to this day! In the next few posts we will cover some of these buildings, their history, and most importantly, their roofs!

The first on our list is a building that is about two thousand years old and still standing in the city of Rome in Italy today. This building was originally called the Pantheon and is still known mostly by that name; however, some hundred years after it was built it was turned into a church and renamed The Church of Saint Mary and the Martyrs, so it still goes by that name too. The original building was built a couple of decades before the current era, making it about two thousand and fifty years old, but that structure burnt down about a century later and was rebuilt before burning down again and being rebuilt a second time in the early 100s. It was called by the ancient Romans the Pantheon, which would translate in English to “All the Gods,” referring to the polytheistic pantheon of many gods that the Romans worshiped. Although the building had something to do with Roman deities, it was not strictly a temple. Its function is not easily defined, but that is not the main topic of this post, and for the majority of its life the building has and continues to serve as a Catholic church.

For us what is most interesting about the building is its architecture, which was incredibly innovative for its time and inspired many future buildings, such as the US capitol building in Washington D.C. The building is round (that is, in the shape of a circle) and fronted by a rectangular portico which is held up by a series of decorated columns. The portico is topped by a triangular pediment, which is typical of ancient Roman temple construction, but the interesting part is that the round main part of the building has a rotunda–an unreinforced domed roof of Roman concrete–the only one of its kind.

The inspired engineering of the unreinforced dome, which distributes and lowers its weight, has enabled the structure to withstand the test of time, appropriation of portions of its construction materials for other purposes, and countless regime changes and conflicts that have shaken the city of Rome over the last two millennia. At the bottom the dome rests on a 21 foot thick drum wall interspaced with eight barrel vaults which bear the downward thrust of the dome. In this area the dome is as thick as the drum wall and made of concrete with travertine aggregate. Travertine is a type of limestone which is fairly dense and heavy. To lighten the weight of the load, the aggregate in the concrete used to create the roof was changed higher up. Above the travertine layer the thickness of the dome tapers down and the aggregate is made up of terracotta tile fragments. Finally, at the top the aggregate consists of tufa and pumice stone pieces. These stones are very porous and light, making them ideal for reducing the weight of the dome at the top. The thickness of the dome also tapers down to 3.9 feet at the very top.

Another element that strengthens the domed roof is that it does not meet up at an apex at the top. Instead, a portion of the roof is missing to form an oculus that is 28.4 feet in diameter. Although all these numbers seem fairly arbitrary, the measurements make much more sense in the ancient Roman measurement of a foot. In those terms, the rotunda has a diameter of 150 Roman feet and the oculus is 30 Roman feet in diameter. The oculus is left completely open to the elements, but since the interior flooring is made of various forms of sectioned marble to create a decorative pattern it stands up very well to the elements.

As an ancient marvel, the Pantheon is open daily to tourists outside of the times when Catholic mass is held in the church. Outside of the architecture, there are many other fascinating facts about the structure, such as its decorative program, its use to entomb significant figures in Italian history, and its continuous use throughout its history.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Sep9

Roofing Blog

Roofing Repair: Choice of Contractor

With all the rains we have been having lately, you may find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to repair a roof leak. Although some homeowners decide to tackle this problem themselves, it is always a good idea to get professional help when dealing with a system as complicated and integral to the structure as the roof. To help you with getting the process started and choosing a contractor, we would like to remind you of the reasons Florida’s Best Roofing should be at the top of your list.

Service and Experience

We are a local company with over 15 years of experience in the roofing business. Our employees are trained roofing professionals with decades combined experience in roofing. We have specialists in roof repairs, new roofs, and roof replacements. They are proficient in handling shingle, tile, metal, and flat roofs. They work rapidly without sacrificing quality and will be happy to answer any questions you may have during the process.

Our office staff is well-informed, organized, and has a reputation for excellent customer service. They will assist you through the entire process in a speedy and efficient manner. Our office, located at 1 Enterprise Dr. in Bunnell, FL, is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call (386) 263-7906 or stop by in person. We have color samples of tile, shingle, and metal materials at the office which can assist you in choosing the right material and color for your roof, and our office staff will be happy to answer questions and provide input.

Versatility

Unlike some other contractors, we are experienced and proficient in handling all roofing types. We routinely work with asphalt shingle, tile, metal, and flat roofing materials. We will work with you to choose the best materials for your roof and accommodate all your needs. Our experts handle roof repairs, roof replacements, and new roofs for both residential and business properties. Roof size or complexity is never an impediment and our experience allows us to proficiently repair or replace any roof.

No Pre-Payments or Deposits

We pride ourselves on a stream-lined, no fuss process. We provide free estimates and collect no pre-payments or deposits. You will absolutely never be asked to pay anything until we agree on a price and sign a contract. We make the utmost effort to accommodate each customer’s schedule. Our employees operate quickly and efficiently to achieve quality results. Payment for repairs is due only after the repairs have been completed to customer satisfaction. Payment for new roofs and roof replacements is due only after the roof has been completed and passes inspection from the corresponding city or county building office. (Due to the uniqueness of material of each roof, concrete and clay tile roof replacements and new roofs require a payment of half of the final cost upon ordering of the material).

Insurance Services

We work with you and your insurance company. If your roof was damaged by wind, hail, wind-driven debris, lightning, or any other perils covered under your property insurance policy, and you file an insurance claim, we will assist you with the process and work with you and your insurance company’s timeline. If you are unsure if the damage to your roof warrants an insurance claim, we will come out to do a free inspection and advise you on the appropriate steps to take. When you work with us, our experts will meet with your insurance adjuster to identify the damages to your roof. They will review your insurance company’s response to your claim and supplement it, if necessary, again free of charge. We will be with you through every step of the process until you are satisfied with the outcome. There are no extra charges or pre-payments for this process beyond the cost of your roof replacement.

Labor Warranty

We provide a ten year labor warranty on any new roof or roof replacement. This warranty comes in addition to shingle, tile, and metal manufacturers’ warranties. The manufacturers’ warranties cover any issues that appear in the roofing material, such as factory defects, which arise before the end of the material’s life expectancy. This is why manufacturers’ warranties vary in duration from 15 to 20 to 30 or 40 years depending on the material.

Our 10 year labor warranty instead covers the workmanship of the roof. If your roof leaks, or you find any other problem with the roof during this ten year period, call us and we will send out one of our experienced roofing experts to assess the issue and fix it without charge provided that it falls under the warranty. If the problem turns out to be related to the material manufacturer, we will guide you through that warranty recovery process.

Additionally, we provide a one year labor warranty on any roof repairs. If we repair your roof and a problem arises in the same area within the year, we will come out and service your roof for no charge.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Aug20

Roofing Blog

Summer Fun: Tales of Roofing Across Time Part V

As promised in the last post, here we will continue looking at various less well known roofing techniques used throughout the world and across history. In the last post we covered three of the most ancient types of roofs and how they were adapted from available technologies and suited to versatile environments: wattle and daub, thatch, and clay tile. Here, as previously mentioned, we will continue to discuss ancient roofing techniques, perhaps less well known and widely spread than the three discussed in the last post.

Because in the end there are always some fundamental engineering concepts that must be utilized for basic construction techniques, many ancient methods are similar to one another to the extent that they can be interpreted as variations of the same basic concepts. For instance, across the world, different techniques existed comparable to wattle and daub with slightly differing components that changed with what was locally available. Pug and pine, mud and stud, pierrotage, columbage, bajarreque, and jacal are all examples of this. Pug and pine were used in the early days of colonization of South Australia. Timbers of a local tree, termed pine, were spaced out at regular intervals and the gaps sealed with pug, a clay and grass mixture. Mud and stud was a construction method once popular in parts of England and consisted of ash studs spaced out and connected by cross beams at the top and bottom. The structure was then daubed with mud, straw, hair, and dung.

Pierrotage and columbage were very similar construction techniques used in eighteenth century Louisiana and surrounding southern states. Pierrotage infilled half-timbering with diagonal braces with a mix of lime mortar clay and small stone aggregate. In the columbage technique, the mix is instead made of spanish moss or grass and clay. In the bajarreque technique, the dry and pulpy fibrous material left after crushing sugarcane or sorghum is used as the wattle and daubed with a mix of clay and straw. It was popular in geographic areas where those two plants are grown. Finally, jacal is a fairly basic construction technique, another variation on wattle and daub, used in the southwestern United States. Closely spaced sticks or poles are interwoven with small branches and covered in mud or adobe clay that is left to dry.

Perhaps the most ancient style of construction, mudbrick has been used across the world, starting in the middle east, for over ten thousand years. In mudbrick construction bricks are made of loam, mud, sand, and water and dried in the sun or (for about the last six thousand years) fired in a kiln. Rice husks or straw are mixed in as binding material before firing or baking. Mudbricks were used for the entirety of a dwelling or other edifice, just as most of the wattle and daub style methods mentioned above. Mudbrick in areas of Spanish influence is called adobe and is often associated with areas once colonized by Spain in the Western hemisphere. Mudbrick or adobe is used to build exterior and interior walls as well as flat roofs. In many regions where this style of construction was utilized in the past (and sometimes in the present as well) flat roofs were very convenient for use as sleeping areas during the hot months of the year when interior air conditioning was not yet invented or not easily available as the interior would have been too hot.

Quincha is another variation on the above discussed methods. It is a traditional construction method in areas of South America and the name is a word borrowed from the language of the Inca. In quincha, wood, cane, or giant reed is used to construct a stable, earthquake proof framework structure which is then covered with mud and plaster. Quincha is very versatile in the shapes that it can be used to create, from modest dwellings to spiraled cathedrals. As you can see, ancient roofing techniques are fundamentally similar but vary very widely based on local material availability and environmental hazards and requirements.

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Aug7

Roofing Blog

Summer Fun: Tales of Roofing Across Time Part IV

To round out our summer series on roofing tales from antiquity, in this post we will discuss how roofing developed across time from the examples we looked at in the last three posts to the modern roofs that are common today and which you might see on your own house and the houses of your neighbors.

Roofing styles throughout history varied widely based mainly on three factors: the available technologies, available supplies, and environmental requirements. Nowadays, as we have discussed in many previous posts, roofing technologies have become quite advanced, allowing a fairly inexpensive and light asphalt shingle roof to do a job equal to that of a tile or even slate roof. Additionally, in our modern global economy, barring occasional disruptions, it is possible for roofing manufacturers, and in turn roofing companies, to purchase materials from all across the world at relatively reasonable prices, that is, prices that do not make the materials cost-prohibitive. Environmental considerations continue to carry heavy weight, and thus result, for example, in varying building codes across the US, but their impact in our time is often mitigated by technological advancement.

In the past, for much of human history, people across the world were missing those technological and engineering advances as well as the global supply chain which would allow them to overlook or overcome local environmental factors as well as local supply availabilities in favor of something better–that is something longer lasting which allows a greater degree of protection (in roofing terms) against flooding, animal intrusions, and storm damage.

One of the most ancient roofing techniques (also used for walls), evidence of which can be found across the world for thousands of years, is wattle and daub. In this building technique a woven lattice of wooden strips, which is called a wattle, is daubed with a sticky moist mixture of clay, soil, and other locally available materials (such as sand, straw, and even animal dung). The daub is then allowed to dry. This creates an easy to make waterproofed construction which holds together well and can be easily repaired with the addition of more daub (a common method of upkeep for these sorts of structures). Wattle and daub gained its popularity from its versatility. Almost any place in the world has some kind of wood that can be used for wattle and a soil and clay mix with various aggregates that can be used to daub the wattle. While this technology is over six thousand years old, it is still used today in many parts of the world.

A related ancient roofing method is thatching. A thatch roof is similar to wattle and daub in that it is created from strips of vegetation, usually whatever is locally available, but in this case the vegetation is not daubed. Instead, strips of vegetation (such as straw, rush, heather, or palm fronds) are laid very closely together in many layers to create a water-tight surface which also traps air and provides great insulation. Again, this method is prized for its versatility and used particularly in tropical and temperate climates. Although it is usually associated with relatively cheap construction in developing countries, it can also be found on historic buildings in places such as Ireland or on (very expensive) modern homes with owners who desire a rustic look. While the materials for thatch roofing are widely available, the technique of how to lay them together is no longer widely taught and requires the rare expert who has been trained in the art.

Ceramic or tile roofing is another technique from antiquity which survives in many places and in many different ways to the modern day. Ceramic roofing is more localized in antiquity to areas where the earth produces certain kinds of clay that are suitable for making tiles. These clay tiles also have to be fired (or baked) at certain temperatures for certain amounts of time to get them to the prime state of hardness and durability without overbaking. This is a learned technology that developed thousands of years ago in China and the Middle East from where it spread around the world. Tile roofing, as we have discussed before, is prized for its durability. In the Mediterranean, for instance, it is common to find examples of tile roofs that were built hundreds of years ago and survive and function in the modern day with minimal upkeep. In modern construction, tile roofing is relatively expensive but prized for its long life expectancy and pleasing aesthetics. Modern construction has tempered the expense of tile as now tile roofs are frequently made of concrete tile, not ceramic. Concrete tile is less prone to shattering, which makes it easier to work with, and also it is easier and cheaper to manufacture.

There are plenty of other ancient roofing techniques which have not been covered in this post. If you want to know more, look out for our next post!

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Jul27

Roofing Blog

Summer Fun: Tales of Roofing Across Time Part III

Nowadays roofing construction and the roofing business can seem mundane and often quite a hassle for those who have to deal with roof repairs or roof replacement. While that, in fact, may have always been the case throughout history, roofing does play a key role in a few tales across time, from mythological, to historical, to mundane. This is the third post in a series where we will look at interesting ways that roofing has come up in ancient mythology and history while contextualizing these snapshots for those who may not be quite so familiar with tales from antiquity.

Bread and Circuses

You may have come across the phrase “bread and circuses” in the past but do you know where it originates? The phrase comes from an ancient Roman author called Juvenal who wrote satire in the form of poetry. Juvenal lived in Rome at the heyday of the Roman Empire at the end of the first century of the current era. He quite often, as much as he could with the government of the time, wrote political satire, criticizing the grandiose lifestyle and expenditures of the Emperor or the declining social and political freedoms in Rome as the Empire grew into itself. “Bread and circuses” refers to the grain dole (bread), which was the free distribution of grain by the emperor to those who qualified (kind of like food stamps). It also refers to entertainment “publically” funded by the emperor (circuses). The reason these are called circuses is that most of them took place at the race track, which the Romans called a circle, or circus in Latin. As part of his societal criticism Juvenal claimed that the Emperor (particularly Domitian) could get away with anything he wanted and retain the support of the people provided that he gave them “bread and circuses.”

Ancient Rome

The city at that time was a bustling metropolis with about a million inhabitants and one of, if not the largest, cities in the entire world. With the technological and engineering capabilities of that time putting some limits on infrastructure, Rome was a city of grand houses and villas for the wealthy and at the same time a city of small hovel-like crowded and not always safe apartments for the rest of society, which included the overwhelming majority of Romans. In addition to satirizing Rome’s political climate, Juvenal also commented on everyday life for the average individual in Rome, which gives us a window into what the city looked like, smelt like, and felt like.

As told by Juvenal, Rome was uncomfortable to live in, to say the least. The majority of Romans lived in apartment blocks made up of buildings several stories tall with multiple apartments on each floor and shared plumbing and kitchen facilities, kind of like a college dormitory. They were also built mainly of wood and fairly close together. This led to hazards such as frequent fire outbreaks, occasional collapse, and very narrow thoroughfares. The living facilities would likely have been cramped, dark, and fairly uncomfortable. Juvenal in describing these sort of accomodations refers to roofs explicitly twice, both in dangerous contexts. First, he says that those with apartments immediately below the roof–on more or less the attic floor–are the safest from fires as those tend to start on the bottom floor where the cooking facilities are. However, this also means they are the last to find out about fire, which poses a danger of its own. Elsewhere, Juvenal says that one of the dangers of walking about the city–in its narrow thoroughfares–is the stuff people dump out of their windows onto the street and, more importantly, the dangers of roofing tiles falling off of the roofs of these multi-story apartment buildings and straight onto the head!

Thankfully, outside of extreme weather circumstances, we are pretty safe in our modern homes both from flying roofing tiles (unlike Pyrrhus from the last post) and from window debris. Reading a text as old as Juvenal’s is fascinating both for the window it gives us into the past and for a renewed appreciation of the present, where tile stays put on roofs.

If you are interested in ancient tales, stay tuned for the next post!

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Jul12

Roofing Blog

Summer Fun: Tales of Roofing Across Time Part II

Nowadays roofing construction and the roofing business can seem mundane and often quite a hassle for those who have to deal with roof repairs or roof replacement. While that, in fact, may have always been the case throughout history, roofing does play a key role in a few tales across time, from mythological, to historical, to mundane. This is the second post in a series where we will look at interesting ways that roofing has come up in ancient mythology and history while contextualizing these snapshots for those who may not be quite so familiar with tales from antiquity.

Pyrrhus of Epirus

A roofing mishap gains historical significance in the life and death of Pyrrhus of Epirus. Pyrrhus is best known perhaps for the fact that his name becomes part of the phrase “Pyrrhic victory” and thus synonymous with a sort of mild failure. A Pyrrhic victory is essentially an empty victory in which the victor loses more in manpower and resources than they gain in the victory itself. Pyrrhus’ name becomes attached to this phrase due to his entanglements with the ancient Romans in a period when they were beginning to extend their control over the south of what would eventually become modern Italy.

Pyrrhic War: 281-275 BCE

Pyrrhus was a king of the Hellenistic period of ancient Greece, which is so called because after the campaigns and subsequent death of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, many small Greek kingdoms sprung up and began to rule over the eastern Mediterranean. Epirus was one of these kingdoms, and it was located on the western coast of the Greek peninsula, off of the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and fairly close to ancient Italy.

While the Hellenistic Greek kingdoms were ruling over the eastern Mediterranean, a new power began to rise in the west. The western Mediterranean had for centuries been dominated by Carthage, a colony of the Phoenicians in North Africa. However, beginning at the start of the 4^th century BCE a small town in central Italy began to grow. This town would eventually give its name to the Roman Empire and rule over most of Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia for centuries. At this time, however, Rome was expanding its influence to the south.

Rome jumped on the opportunity to expand their influence when Thurii, an independent city-state in southern Italy, requested Rome’s assistance in staving off raids from neighboring tribal communities. When Rome agreed and their assistance was effective, Croton, Rhegium, and Locri, three other independent city-states, followed Thurii’s example and concluded treaties with the Romans. This arrangement, however, spooked Tarentum, a neighboring state that wanted to remain independent. In 282 BCE Tarentum attacked a Roman navy ship which was sailing too close to its coast. In turn, the Romans marched to besiege the town of Tarentum. Tarentum appealed for help (with the promise of monetary recompense) to the east and found Pyrrhus.

Pyrrhus jumped on the chance to battle the Romans and make his mark in the west. His whole life he had emulated Alexander the Great, whose whirlwind conquest of Asia and subsequent death had taken place less than 50 years earlier. It was rumored that before he died Alexander was planning to take his conquests west and make Italy his next prize. Pyrrhus figured that he would take his mercenary army, hired by Tarentum, and complete that task.

Thus begin the events for which Pyrrhus would gain everlasting fame, although perhaps not in the way he imagined. Pyrrhus fought three battles with the Romans: Heraclea in 280 BCE, Ausculum in 279 BCE, and Beneventum in 275 BCE. The first two battles, Heraclea and Ausculum, were Pyrrhic victories. That is, Pyrrhus won the battles, but lost too many men and resources to capitalize on the victory. While Pyrrhus had to hire more mercenaries and import resources from Greece, the Romans simple levied more troops and re-formed their army. At Beneventum, after a break of several years, the Romans achieved what they would later claim was their victory against Pyrrhus. Although Pyrrhus and enough men survived that he could have fought on next year, he recognized the mire into which he had gotten himself and left Italy never to return. The Romans assumed control of the south.

So where is the roofing in this? Well, it has to do with the end of Pyrrhus’ life. After retreating from Italy, Pyrrhus continued fighting first in Macedon, then in Sparta, and finally in the Greek city of Argos, where he was cornered by an enemy soldier on the city street, and while fighting him, was killed by a roofing tile thrown from the rooftop of the nearby building by the mother of the soldier he was fighting!

If you are interested in ancient tales, stay tuned for the next post!

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Jun29

Roofing Blog

Summer Fun: Tales of Roofing Across Time Part I

Nowadays roofing construction and the roofing business can seem mundane and often quite a hassle for those who have to deal with roof repairs or roof replacement. While that, in fact, may have always been the case throughout history, roofing does play a key role in a few tales across time, from mythological, to historical, to mundane. In the next few posts we will look at interesting ways that roofing has come up in ancient mythology and history while contextualizing these snapshots for those who may not be quite so familiar with tales from antiquity.

The Odyssey

One of the world’s earliest works of literature is an epic poem in ancient Greek attributed to the fabled bard Homer. It is unclear whether an actual person named Homer existed who was associated with the poetry attributed to him, but two epic poems do survive from around 800-700 BCE that become foundational for world literature, particularly in Europe: the Iliad and the Odyssey. These two poems were part of what is called the Trojan cycle, which included several other narrative poems that no longer survive. They narrate events surrounding the Trojan War, a major event in Greek mythology. While the Iliad is a narrative of events surrounding the tenth year of the war, focusing on Achilles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, the Odyssey is a story of another hero’s wandering and return home after the war. Here we will address one particular, and very famous, episode in the Odyssey that involves roofs.

Aeaea

In book 10 (of 24) in the Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, tells a story about his travels when he is addressing the Phaeacians, a people who welcomed him toward the end of his 10 years of travels (during which he was trying to make it home after fighting on the Greek side in the Trojan War and being instrumental in capturing the city of Troy—he was the architect behind the plan of the Trojan horse). Participating in the ancient, revered art of storytelling, a major theme in the Odyssey, Odysseus tells about how in his travels he and his men accidentally landed on the island of Aeaea, ruled by Circe, after a series of unfortunate events that involved the likes of the Cyclops and the Laestrygonians—a mythological race of boulder wielding cannibals. In Greek mythology Circe was the daughter of the god Apollo and a witch. Odysseus sent half his men to explore the island, and Circe promptly turned them into pigs by feeding them magic food, allowing one to report back to Odysseus (a folktale motif—don’t eat food in mysterious places ruled by mysterious women). Odysseus sets out to rescue his men, and he is assisted by the god Hermes, who gives him a special flower (moly) that keeps Circe’s magical food from transforming Odysseus into a pig. When Odysseus confronts Circe, she tries to turn him into a pig anyway, but he threatens her with his sword, and she sleeps with him instead (that’s definitely how that works). Circe turns the pigs back into men, and Odysseus spends a year with her. They have a son, Telegonus, who in some versions of the myth (not the Odyssey) decades later kills his father. After a year, Odysseus decides to leave, but Circe tells him to go check out the Underworld first.

Elpenor

The night before the journey, Odysseus and his men are invited to a banquet by Circe, who now serves as their hostess. During this banquet, using her witchy powers, Circe advises Odysseus that in order to find his way back home to Ithaca (his goal), he must consult the famed prophet Tiresias. Unfortunately, at this point Tiresias is dead. Thus, Circe instructs Odysseus on how to reach a gateway to the Greek underworld, Hades, and how there to summon the shades of the dead, particularly Tiresias, in order to get his advice. Odysseus plans to set out on this fact-finding mission immediately the next morning. Yet, also during this banquet, Odysseus’ youngest comrade, Elpenor, gets very drunk and decides to spend the night sleeping on the roof of Circe’s house.

The next morning, setting out for their journey to the Underworld, Odysseus and his men notice that Elpenor is missing. Deciding that they do not have the time to search for him, they board their ship and sail to the west (the general direction of the underworld in ancient mythology across the world). Having reached the most western lands, beyond the limits of the world (in ancient Greek mythological understanding), Odysseus proceeds to dig a giant pit to the underworld with his sword—doubtless the best instrument for this—and then he conducts the ritual (involving libations of water, milk and honey, wine, and then animal blood) to summon the shades of the dead, including Tiresias.

Before he can speak to Tiresias, however, Odysseus is confronted by the shade of Elpenor. After a short conversation, Odysseus learns from Elpenor that unbeknownst to the rest of the men, Elpenor was not just missing, but dead. He woke up on the roof the morning after the banquet and, forgetting where he was, in his confusion, fell off the roof, breaking his neck. Elpenor begs Odysseus to return to Aeaea and bury his body, since otherwise he cannot enter the underworld and proceed with the afterlife. Odysseus agrees to do so, and in fact does just that after returning to Aeaea following his conversation with the other shades of the underworld, allowing Elpenor’s shade to pass into the underworld.

If you are interested in ancient tales, stay tuned for the next post!

If you have any questions about roofs, we would be happy to help you out. Florida’s Best Roofing, Inc. is a fully licensed (CCC 1325974) and insured, local roofing contractor with decades of experience. If you are interested in roof replacement or repair and you are in the Palm Coast, Flagler, or Volusia area, please give us a call at 386-263-7906 for a free estimate!

Author: Natalia

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