When you rely on your home to provide you with comfort and shelter, you can't take any risks with its ability to keep water outdoors where it belongs. Great roofing is instrumental in the fight against the elements, because it helps to create the kind of environment you need to keep your home and family safe. Unfortunately, there are many homes that don't have strong, reliable roofs, which can cause problems in the long run. On this website, check out excellent ways to spot roofing problems and resolve them quickly. After all, your home is your most valuable asset, so protect it now.
Asphalt shingle roofs can be quiet durable if you get the installation right. For example, the design and installation of an asphalt shingle roof should include protective features for specific parts of the roof. Below are some of these protective features.
Felt Paper
Roofing felt is a material that roofing contractors install on the roof deck. The felt material sits between the deck and the asphalt shingles. The main purpose of the felt is to prevent water penetration through the roof. The felt material is the last line of defense against roof leaks.
Here are some of the secondary benefits of roofing felt:
- Improving the fire-resistance nature of the roof
- Protecting the roof and house against weather damage in the absence of shingles (for example, during shingle replacement)
- Protecting the roof deck from accidental damage during roofing repair
Felt materials differ in thickness and layers. Your roofing contractor will advise you on the best felt for your roof.
Drip Edge
The drip edge is a strip of metal that the contractor fits over the eave edges of the roof. The main function of the drip edge is to direct water flow into the gutters. Without a good drip edge, roof water can easily damage the fascia (among other roof components). The drip edge also seals small gaps between the decking and fascia, gaps that can allow water into the roof.
A good drip edge should be noncorrosive since it will be in constant contact with water. Aluminum is a suitable and common material for a drip edge.
Ridge Vents
Every roof requires adequate ventilation to allow stale, humid, and heated air to escape the house. Otherwise, the roof would suffer from moisture and temperature damage. Inadequate ventilation is also a common trigger for inadequate heating and cooling. Ridge vents help to ventilate the house.
Ridge vents are raised vents that sit on the ridges of the roof, which are usually the highest points on the roof. This positioning makes sense since heated air rises, which means most of the warm air end up just under the roof ridges. The roofing contractor will cover the vents with shingles, but shingles are not airtight, so the stale air and moisture will still escape the roof.
Once a professional install your asphalt shingle roof, all you have to do to ensure its durability is to maintain the roof properly. Take care of roofing issues, such as curling shingles, as soon as you spot them to avoid serious problems.