Summer Roof Maintenance

The warm summer months bring their own challenges to your roof. Between the hot sun and severe weather that brings heavy rain, wind, and hail, the integrity of your roof could be at risk if proper maintenance does not occur. Your roof is one of the most important features of your home, so let Integrity Roofing, a top provider of roofing near you, inform you of the best maintenance practices for your roof this summer.

Check Your Attic Insulation

During the summer, your roof absorbs a lot of heat quickly. It can reach temperatures of exceeding 150 degrees. The more heat it receives from the sun, the more heat it emits into the air in your attic. Heat accumulation in the attic may be catastrophic to your roofing and limit the longevity of your roof if your ventilation is inadequate. Because of curled and fractured shingles, the heat might cause your roof to leak. As a result, attic insulation is essential for keeping moisture and heat out throughout the summer.

Look Out for Algae or Mold

Heat isn’t the only thing you have to worry about during the summer. You should also worry about how humidity and rain affect your roof. Both of these situations can be damaging to your roof since they foster the growth of moss and algae. Algae can cause roof degradation and eat away at your shingles over time, and even harm your gutters and roof if not properly maintained.

 

Moss, on the other hand, can cause your shingles to break and curl if it collects on your roof. By preventing water, moss can harm the roof deck and cause accumulation under the tiles. These issues, if left unchecked, can wreak havoc over time. Check your roof for mold, moss, or algae on a regular basis.

 

Roofing Services at Integrity

Time for a roof inspection? Check out the Integrity Roofing and Exteriors professionals in roofing near you today! Our team is happy to give you a quote for any repairs today. Contact us!

Signs Your Roof's Drainage is Poor

Certain problems with your roof are more obvious than others. Chances are, you’ll spot missing shingles or a leaky roof, but spotting issues like poor roof drainage is a little bit trickier until the problems snowball into something bigger. Here are the common signs that your roof is suffering from drainage issues. 

Your Gutters Are Clogged

Gutters drain water away from your roof, and if they aren’t properly draining, water can get backed up and cause roof damage. Dirty siding, damaged paint, or water pooling around the foundation are signs that your gutters are messed up. 

Eroding Soil

Soil erosion caused by insufficient roof drainage is usually easy to spot. The dirt washes away as water drains near your home, producing bald spots on the grass nearby. Check your downspouts first to ensure they aren't broken or missing.

Foundation Troubles

When water isn't channeled away from your house, it gathers near the structure and seeps into the soil, causing foundation difficulties. These difficulties might cause your home to sink over time, resulting in fractures in the walls that deepen with time. As the house settles, you may have problems closing doors. Moisture seeping into your basement or even basement flooding might be caused by foundation concerns.

Mildew in the Attic

Roof drainage concerns are often indicated by moisture leaking through the roof. If your attic smells like mildew or your upstairs insulation is damp, this could indicate a problem with roof ventilation or drainage. To avoid more roof damage or mold growth within your house, it's critical to find the source of the attic mildew as quickly as possible.

Roof Drainage with Integrity Roofing

Having trouble with your roof’s drainage? Have a roofing professional from Integrity Roofing and Exteriors come to take a look at your roof to see what’s going on. Contact us today!

What is a roofing square?

If you are about to get a local roof repair, you are most likely looking around a lot, doing research, and making a lot of calls. When researching it is not uncommon to see terms and jargon, you may have not heard of before. 

 

Learning all of these terms quickly can be daunting, especially when they are needed to really understand parts of your roofing estimate. 

 

One of the more important terms is “roof square''.” Seems simple enough, but what exactly is it?

 

Integrity Roofing and Exterior pride ourselves on not only providing the best roofing service but also the best roofing knowledge. Here we are going to go over these pieces of key terminology from the roofing industry. 

 

 Define Roofing Square 

 

There are quite a number of factors that will affect the cost of your new roof. The biggest factor is size, which is based on the measurement known as “roofing square.” 

 

Roofing squares are simply 100 square feet of a roof’s surface area broken down into 10x10 sections. The number of roofing squares will determine how much roofing materials and labor will cost. 

 

Simply put, the more squares that make up the work, the more the roof replacement will cost. 

 

The bulk of the price is also dependent on the type of roofing material you choose. Roof square does not mean square footage, this is a common misconception. To break a roof down into square feet, divide the cost per square by 100. For example, if a roof costs $500 per square, it will cost $5.00 per square foot. 

 

Calculating your roof’s square footage 

 

Here are three ways to calculate the square footage of your roof: 

 

  1. Your home footprint - The average person's stride is between 2 and 2.5 feet. You can simply count the steps you take around the length of your home, and step off the width of your home. After this simply multiply the length by the width, while this won’t be very accurate it will give you a rough idea of your home’s footprint. 
  2. Slope and complexity - When calculating square footage, you need to keep the steepness and complexity of your roof in mind, because this will change the number that you multiply the footprint of your home by. 
  3. Square footage calculator - To roughly estimate your roof’s square footage, you can use to equation: 

 

Length of home x width of home = footprint 

 

Footprint x slope and complexity = square footage of the roof. 

Do you have local roof repair questions? 

If you have any more questions do not hesitate to contact the roofing experts at Integrity Roofing. The most accurate measurement is allowing a roofing professional to take a look at your roof, and take care of all of the hard measurements for you! Contact us today!

How to Know When Your Porch Roof Needs Replaced

Most homeowners are on top of their game enough to know that their roof needs to be maintained and inspected. However, many of them forget about their porch roofs and how they also need to be maintained and inspected. Why? Well, it’s because they are more likely to notice roof damage that allows water to leak inside the home than they are to notice damage on the porch that happened as a result of the roof. Learn more about porch roofing from Integrity Roofing, your Harrisburg, IL roofing company.

Signs Your Porch Roof Needs to be Inspected

Damaged/Cracked Shingles

If the shingles on your porch roof are cracking or showing other signs of damage, this is a telltale sign that you need to schedule an inspection. It may not seem like a big deal, but damaged shingles leave your roof vulnerable and unable to function properly, leading to leaks, water damage, and more. 

Dips or Bulges

Visible dips and bulges in your porch roof are a clear sign that there is water damage present. As a result, an inspection should be scheduled to determine whether or not it needs to be repaired or replaced. If these issues are ignored, they will lead to additional damage.

Debris from Shingles in the Gutter

If you are finding a lot of debris from your shingles in the gutters, it is time to schedule an inspection. FInding large pieces of shingles in your gutters means that the shingles are damaged to the point of breakage and are not protecting your roof properly. 

 

IL Roofing Inspection With Integrity

Time to schedule a roofing inspection for your roof or porch roof? Give the professionals at Integrity a call. We offer free roofing inspections and quotes all across Southern Illinois. Contact the Integrity Roofing team today to learn more!

Getting your Roof Ready for Spring

The sun is coming out and local roofing companies are ready to get back to business. Now is the time to check how well your roof fared during the winter months. Winter can be a tough time for your home, so it is important to thoroughly inspect your roof afterward. There are plenty of things you can do as a homeowner to make your roof ready for spring! 

 

Local Roofing Tips: Clean your gutters 

Gutters are very important to clean and maintain. Make sure to clear any debris that may be on your roof. Make sure to also check your attic and walls for stains or dark spots, which could be a sign that your gutters are cracked or are not allowing water to flow freely. 

 

Checking your attic 

It is quite easy to do a quick scan of your attic without any professional help. Be sure to check your rafters, and ceiling for watermarks, black marks, mold, or mildew. Any of these signs could be an indication that your roof has a leak!

 

Trim back branches 

Much of the debris that damages your roof comes from trees. Make sure to survey your land and cut back any limbs that are falling on our roof or have the potential to do so. Once that's done, consider contacting one of your local roofing companies to ensure that np debris has caused significant damage to our roof. It is not recommended that you inspect your roof without professional help unless you are experienced in doing so. 

 

Take a look at your shingles 

Make sure to walk around your home and make sure there are no curled, missing, loose, or damaged shingles. Depending on what you find, you might need to contact a professional for repairs. If you are unsure what you are looking for, you can contact one of your local roofing companies and have them inspect your roof for you. 

 

Have any more questions for local roofing companies? 

If you have any other questions or concerns, make sure to contact the roofing experts at Integrity Roofing today! We would be happy to help you with all of your roofing needs!

Metal Roof Replacement

Metal roofing has become increasingly popular over recent years. Many new homes are being built with metal roofs because of their longevity and the simplicity of maintaining them. With more and more metal roofs being used, there are some questions about them that many may be wondering, such as how do I know when it is time for a metal roof replacement. 

 

Warning Signs of Potential Repairs or Replacement

Even though metal roofs typically don’t develop as many issues as traditional shingled roofs do, there are still some telltale signs that the roof may be failing. These signs include rust, spots of damage, and leaks. If you notice any of these signs, it is best to contact a roofer as soon as possible for a recommendation on how to move forward.

 

Should I Repair or Replace?

Oftentimes, issues on a metal roof can be addressed through simple repairs. However, if the area of damage is too extensive, the correct solution is a full roof replacement. This is why it is important to take care of the small problems before they grow into a bigger issue. Luckily, metal roofs have a long lifespan when correctly installed, last around 40 years or longer, so as long as the installation was done properly, it is likely that repairs will be the answer over replacement. Just keep an eye out for small indications and be sure to check your roof following severe weather, as severe weather can wreak havoc on your roof.

 

Roof Replacement at Integrity

Need someone to come to take a look at your roof? The roofing experts at Integrity offer free inspections and would be happy to make sure that your roof is in good shape. Check out our full line of roofing services and give us a call today to schedule your inspection or get a quote.

How to Spot Hail Damage

When you think of a hail storm, you probably think about damage to your car or truck. But, did you know that it can cause significant damage to your roof? But, how do you figure out if your roof has been damaged by hail? Here is a guide on how to spot hail damage from the professionals at Integrity.

 

What affects how much hail damage I get?

There are a few different factors that affect how much damage your roof will sustain.

 

What does hail damage on my roof look like?

As mentioned earlier, the type of damage is determined by the material that your roof is made of. 

Asphalt Shingle Damage

Wood Shingles

 

What should I do if I have hail damage?

If you have damage on your roof from hail, call a professional to have it inspected and get an estimate for the repair. 

 

Trust the Team at Integrity

Has your roof sustained damage recent damage? Contact the team at Integrity Roofing to get a quote or schedule your roof repair today?

Fixing a Leaky Roof

Leaking roofs can get expensive if left untreated, luckily the experts at Integrity Roofing can help you fix roof leak fast and easily. If you have a roof leak, the good news is that most of these leaks can be repaired in only a few minutes. Rarely will you encounter a heavy-duty leak, but it does happen. 

 

How to find the and Fix Roof Leak 

 

When looking for the source of a leak start by standing outside and looking at your roof uphill from where the leak stains are. If you don’t know where the leak stains are you might have to get your roof inspected or inspect it yourself. Debris that has penetrated the roof is the most common cause of roof leaks. Another easy way to check is to go to your attic with a flashlight and check for spots on the ceiling. 

 

Fix Roof Leak: Small Leaks

 

Smaller leaks can be harder to pinpoint. This is because it is not uncommon for the water on the ceiling to show up quite a distance from the leak spot, due to how small it is. If your attic ceiling has a plastic barrier, push away the insulation, and search for stains on the plastic and around light fixtures. Another thing to look for is “shinners” which are simply nails that the carpenter nailed into the rafters rather than the farming, which could be a culprit for smaller leaks. 

 

Don’t rely on caulk! 

 

Caulk very rarely solves the problem more than temporarily, so even if you know exactly where the leak is, relying on caulk is probably not your best option. You should always attempt to fix a roof “mechanically” whenever possible. Repair things like flashings rather than using some sort of sealant. Use caulk for very small holes only when other repairs are simply not possible. 

 

Have more questions? 

 

If you have any more questions regarding a fix roof leak solution. Contact the experts at Integrity Roofing and Exteriors today! Our team would be happy to help you solve all your roof leak problems! 

 

How to Clean and Maintain Your Gutters

Ready to ensure your gutters are up to par? Do right the first time, whether you just had a gutters installation or have had your gutters for years, Integrity Roofing can help you ensure that they are always in the best condition. 

 

Gutters ensure your landscaping and siding are protected from runoff and water damage. This also avoids damage to the foundation of your home. However, when your gutters get clogged with debris, water can creep under your roof, and eventually infiltrate the foundation. Clogged gutters can also cause ice dams in the wintertime, resulting in damaged gutters and the need for another gutters installation. This is why it is so important that your gutters be cleaned in the fall. At the very least, you should be cleaning your gutters, once a year. 

 

How to clean your gutters Installation

 

  1. Ensure that the ladder you are using is sturdy and extendable. Always place the ladder on a sturdy surface as well. Make sure to have a helper around in case something is dropped or a different problem occurs with the ladder. 
  2. Dress properly. Wear long-sleeved shirts when possible, and use sturdy pants, and gloves. Cleaning gutters can get messy, and you surely don’t want to injure your hands. 
  3. Remove the debris from the gutters using a plastic scoop or shovel. Gutter scoops can be found relatively cheap at your local hardware store. A sandbox shovel will also work fine. Make sure it is plastic instead of metal to avoid gutter damage. 
  4. Make sure you have a tarp underneath your workspace to catch any falling debris. 
  5. Once all of the debris is removed from your gutters, you should use your garden hose to clean the gutters and downspouts and clear out any remaining debris. This will also allow you to check your gutters for leaks. 
  6. Once your gutters are clean, you can repair any loose or damaged metal, either by mounting a gutter hanger or hiring a gutter repair person.
  7. Once you know what needs to be done, in order to do it properly. Gutter repair does not have to be that much of a hassle. Just make sure to put it on your to-do list once a year. 
  8. Don’t forget about wintertime! If it is fall, make sure your gutters and roof are winterized before it gets cold. 

 

Have more questions? 

 

If you have any more questions regarding roofing or gutters, do not hesitate to contact the roofing experts at Integrity Roofing and Exteriors today!

What to Know Before Installing Solar Panels on Your Roof

Across the United States, homeowners and roofing specialist alike are continuing to upgrade their homes with solar panels. Many people know about all of the incredible benefits solar panels can bring to the home, but always have trouble finding if they are truly right for them and their home. That is why the experts at Integrity Roofing put together this blog about the main things you should be considering before getting solar panels installed. 

 

Does your roof need to be repaired by a roofing specialist? 

 

Before you can even consider installing solar panels, your roof needs to be in good condition. A roofing specialist can inspect and repair your roof, as well as let you know if you are eligible for solar panels. Another thing to consider is the warranty on your roof to your solar panel warranty. If your solar panels are on a 20-year warranty, and your roof is on a 10 year, it may increase the cost of maintenance. 

 

What is your roof shape? 

 

Some roofs are sloped in a way that can’t support solar panels. Make sure your roof has enough space for the panels because if there isn’t you might not get the return on investment you wanted. 

 

Which direction does your roof face? 

 

Solar panel placement is very important. It is best that they are placed facing south, or west, depending on your location. The main thing to remember is to simply place them in a position that will generate the maximum amount of energy, and know this information before the installation begins. 

 

How much weight can your roof handle? 

 

Some roofs are not made to withstand a lot of weight. This is something that should be discussed with the original installers of your roof or simply a trustworthy roofing specialist. Some roofs can collapse when too much snow accumulates, so it can be understood that a heavy solar panel might have the same effect if the roof is not properly supported. 

 

Have more questions for our roofing specialist? 

 

If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to contact the roofing experts at Integrity Roofing and Exteriors today!