Chimney Cricket not Jiminy Cricket Installation

There are time when we receive calls at Allen and Deans about leaking chimneys.  In most instances the metal flashing has rusted or corroded allowing water to enter.  However, there are times when the chimney is positioned at the eave (bottom of the roof) and there is no cricket.  Rain water flowing down the roof hits the back of the chimney.  Over a long period of time, water will begin to infiltrate or penetrate in or around the metal flashing, which is the last line of defense for the chimney.  This is usually the case in older homes here in Raleigh.

Here is a photo of a brick chimney we worked on recently. Note how wide the chimney is.  It almost serves as a dam for water as the water runs directly into the back wall.

Add some pine straw or leaves behind the chimney and you can easily see how water and moisture can stay behind the chimney and not flow away to the sides and off the roof.

A cricket is nothing more than a wooden structure consisting of 2"x4" lumber for the base structure and 7/16" OSB for the angled platform.

The last photo is the cricket completed with "ice and water shield", new metal step and counter flashing and new, 3-tab, self-sealing shingles.

Now when it rains, the water is safely directed to either the right side or the left of the chimney falling harmlessly into the gutters below.

Roof Damage from Storm

From time to time, we encounter roof repairs in Raleigh from storms.  In this case, we were asked to repair a pavillion or shelter roof damaged from the tornado earlier this year.  Here you can see what we were faced with.  As you can see there was damage to the decking (sheathing), fascia board on both the eaves and rakes, trim, drip edge and the shingles.

Here is a picture of the roof repair upon completion. It features a GAF Royal Sovereign, Autumn Brown shingle.

Bradford Creek Golf Course

We recently had the opportunity to work with The Parks and Recreation Department of The City of Greenville..  The clubhouse roof at Bradford Creek Golf Course was severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Irene, earlier this summer.

The project featured a CertainTeed LandMark 30 architectural shingle.

Here is a photo prior to the start of the project.

Here are some photos after the roof was installed.

Roof Deck (Sheathing) Overlays

Due to the tornado we experienced in Raleigh earlier this year, Allen and Deans has had the opportunity to repair or replace many older roofs. In several cases, the roofs on these homes were over 40 years old.

When inspecting and measuring these roofs I could not help but notice numerous "soft" spots, especially between the rafters. In some extreme instances, you could hear the plywood sheathing starting to crack from the weight of my step.

Upon further inspection we discovered the following:
1) The plywood sheathing was only 3/8" thick instead of 1/2"
2) The rafters were 24" OC instead of 16" OC
3) There was no roof-top ventilation only gable-end vents

It has been demonstrated due to excessive heat build-up in the attic, combined with thin plywood sheathing and 24" OC rafters and time, plywood begins to show signs of stress and fatigue.

We discussed options with our client. It was decided to install a 7/16" OSB (Orient Strand Board) directly over the existing sheathing.

By directly nailing over the existing sheathing, there was no cost for labor to remove the original sheathing, nor was there any additional dump or landfill fees.

The roof structure is very secure and solid. It is now ready to accept new shingles in order to successfully complete the roof project.

Here is a post about our recent solar power roof ventilator (fan) installation. www.raleighroofcontractor.blogspot.com

(Almost) Free Roof Ventilation

Over the last 36 months, we have received a number of requests for roof ventilation. But these requests are not inquiring about ridge vent or even electric (power) roof ventilators. Clients now are inquiring about solar powered roof ventilators.

Earlier this week we had the opportunity to install a new Green Machine(tm)Solar Powered Vent by Master Flow for one of our clients.

We started by finding the center of the roof. We then removed the shingles and felt in the designated area. We took the plunge by cutting in the roof according to the unit's size as you can see below.

We then set the unit in place and proceeded to flash around the unit's base with new "ice and water shield" and new shingles. Upon completion, the installation looks like this.

So far clients have reported a noticeable reduction in their energy consumption costs as a result of the installation. Also, unlike an electric power ventilator, which will run for hours on end, using electricity in the process, this unit is passive.

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