In about two hours from now the first rain and wind from Hurricane Irene will be here in Northern Virginia; its going to make a mess.

If you haven’t done so already you have a little time to make sure your gutters are cleared.

Move your lawn furniture in the garage or stack it tightly together and bind it with a rope, bring in anything that can go flying.

Plants in pots will be safest placed against the wall on the ground. Plastic kids toys can easily go flying and break your windows or your neighbors so get them inside too.

When the storm really gets going some of you are going to have roof leaks. When faced with a stream of water dropping out of the ceiling you must resist the urge to go up on your roof to see why.

Don’t Go Up on Your Roof!!!

Relax, everything can be fixed.

Move everything you can away from the the drip and put out some buckets, pots or plastic sheeting to catch the water. You can come up with new and creative ways to catch the water- remember the Mouse Trap board game? Chances are really good that the power is going out and you wont have anything else to do anyway; so have fun with it. Ok, it’s not going to be fun, it’s going to be a miserable couple days, but my point is that there is nothing worth getting hurt over.

My job as a roofer is dangerous on a good day, a panicked homeowner trying to fix their roof in a gale with plastic from their dry cleaning is a recipe for utter disaster. Let it leak, its not worth getting hurt over. Drywall, paint and plaster are all relatively cheap and can easily be replaced; chances are you always hated the color in the dining room and this will be your chance to repaint and love it.

This will certainly be a tough 24 hours; when Hurricanes pass through they are almost always followed by a few days of beautiful weather. The forecast for Sunday through next week shows clear sunny skies; plenty of time for me to fix your roof.

If you have damage to you roof call 703-299-8888 or

email tom@lyonscontracting.com

or text to 571-830-0634

and I’ll be out ASAP after the storm passes.

Bricks falling during earthquake damage car

We live in an area that has kept relatively still for a few hundred years; we just had quite a shake; there are going to be a few things to fix. If you feel the building or parts of it are unsafe then please use caution and don’t go in until a local building inspector has declared it to be safe.

These are things to look for at your house:

Inside the house:

1) Large cracks in ceilings or walls.

2) Doors that won’t open or close like they did this morning.

3) Cracks in tile floors.

Outside the house:

1) Look all around the window openings, especially if you have brick walls.

2) Look at the chimney- look for cracks or a tilt.

3) Look across the roof, check for vertical or horizontal cracks or pronounced buckling.

4) Gaps can open up in flashings at walls and chimneys.

5) Metal trim can buckle and split.

6) Falling bricks can make holes in any type of roof.

If you see any of the above you should call a roofer to secure your roof. We are supposed to get a huge amount of rain from hurricane Irene on Sunday, so please don’t delay.

If you can’t see your roof clearly from the ground you can call us to schedule an inspection.

If you need us call 703-299-8888 or email contact@lyonscontracting.com

Click on any picture to enlarge:

Here you can see the pitted and cracked shingles from the side porch.

First: Off with the old roof; once the old shingles are removed we inspect the roof deck for rotted or split boards.  Generally these houses are really solid, most of them have old growth 1×6 pine or sometime oak roof decks; the density of the boards resists rot even when the roof is neglected for years. This house needed a few deck boards replaced because of cracking and a little warping; so far these boards have had at least 18,000 roofing nails driven in and pulled out of them and they look like they can take 18,000 more.

old roof removed

When replacing a roof we have to act as if it’s going to rain any minute-even with bright blue skies, we work quickly to cover the house from rain. That’s why we focused on the main house roof first before working on the lower porch roofs.

The main house is covered first

Once the main house was waterproof I started on the lower porch, to add some curb appeal the Owner opted for a standing seam copper roof on the small front porch. When installing an accent roof like this symmetry and scale are of the utmost importance. I made these 16 oz copper panels in the shop, they divide the roof into five equal segments; if you look around you’ll see metal roofs that were installed from one end of the house to the other, without evenly dividing the roof you wind up with a full size panel on the left and a little skinny panel on the right. Asymmetrical layout can look ridiculous or it can be just a little off , bothering anyone looking at it-even if they don’t know why.

To keep the roof as compact and graceful as possible I turned the standing seam panels up the wall in one continuous seam, the technique takes time and practice but it looks perfect. The panel is never cut into, I fold pleats into the copper and then double lock the seams for a completely waterproof joint that requires no sealant or solder; its taken years to perfect this technique and no I won’t show you how to do it.

Double folded upstand in standing seam copper roof

At the end of one very long day we have a finished beautiful roof.

Charcoal Timberline shingles with a new standing seam copper roof

Timberline Charcoal with Standing seam copper roof front porch

If you have a house that needs a new roof or a boost in curb appeal give me a call; I’m sure we can figure something out.

PS: Check out Thumbtack, you can find all sorts of businesses there. You can read reviews and find just what you are looking for:
Roof repair and replacement

Thanks for reading,

Tom

703-299-8888

google-site-verification: google2ed6df93613f85fd.html

Click on any picture to enlarge:

Wind damaged shingle roof

The homeowner decided she didn’t want to see the front of her house looking even worse than it does with the missing shingles. The one new shingle from a previous repair (you can see it above the chimney) is glaringly obvious, based upon the age and probable plummet in curb appeal, my client decided to replace the roof.

Rear roof with one new shingle

Step one: Tear off. After the old shingles were removed we replaced some rotted and cracked pieces of roof decking.

old shingles removed and rotted decking being replaced

Step two: We installed new drip edge and waterproof underlayment.

installing waterproof underlayment

Step three: We install new GAF Timberline shingles in Pewter Gray. We also installed new copper flashings on the chimney, new pipe collars on the plumbing vents, a new ridge vent and ridge caps. We also reset the satellite dish, cleaned and re nailed the gutters and flushed out the downspouts.

TImberline Pewter Gray shingle roof

Step four: Final clean up, we sweep the yard, the flower beds and the driveway with a magnetic nail bar (yellow handled bar) to pick up any bits of metal left behind. My goal is to leave nothing but a beautiful new roof behind.

GAF Timberline Pewter Gray shingle roof

There are about 165 more steps than what I’ve shown you here; but I’ve found that most homeowners don’t want to read about psi settings on the compressor or flashing techniques. However, if you want to hire a roofer who cares about compressor settings, european flashing techniques and making your house beautiful then you should call me; I promise I won’t bore you with all the details (unless you want me to).

Thanks for reading,

Tom

703-299-8888

The majority of the roof is a charcoal asphalt shingle, this area was the only one with metal. This portion of the roof has a very low slope, too low to replace the metal roof with shingles. This area is also invisible from the ground so there really wasn’t any reason to install another metal roof. My client chose TPO membrane, TPO is a bright white material that will perform perfectly in this application.

The pictures below will take you step by step through the job, click on any to enlarge.

We removed all of the old metal roofing and found that the roof decking was all in great shape. The panels you see being laid out is 1″ thick polyisocyanurate rigid insulation board; it has two functions, first it protects the roofing membrane from the rough bumpy roof deck and it also provides good R-value.

We fastened the insulation board with plates and screws, the round silver plates act almost like washers, giving more surface area for the center screw to clamp the insulation tightly to the roof.

insulation being fastened to the roof deck

TPO membrane comes in a variety of widths to suit most common applications. To keep seams to a minimum we chose a 10′ x 100′ roll of TPO; it is secured to the roof with screw and seam plates; these are smaller than the insulation plates but perform the exact same function.

TPO membrane being fastened to the roof

The second course of TPO is installed  and the overlap is welded with a hot air welder; once welded the seam is as strong as the field of the membrane. This seam requires no glue, no caulk or sealant and no maintenance.

The one and only seam in the roof

The edges of the roof are secured with drip edge, it’s an L shaped piece of painted aluminum that waterproofs the roof edge and secures the membrane at the perimeter. You can also see a TPO pipe flashing installed and welded to the membrane.

TPO pipe boot and drip edge

After the drip edge is installed we cover the fasteners with white TPO cover flashing. This entire roof system is designed to overlap and enclose all exposed fasteners, this will make a roof virtually maintenance free.

We use matching shingle ridge caps at the peak of the roof, this will look perfect from the street.

All done; this roof will provide good service for a least 20 years with minimal maintenance from the owner. The bright white membrane surface and insulation board will also keep the upper floor cooler in the summer and a little bit warmer in the winter.

completed TPO roof

Before: you can see the upper flat roof is covered in blisters and various peeling coatings.

The front has a small mansard  (learn more: François Mansart 1598–1666) which is a steeply sloped, almost wall like roof. This small roof section has three round louvered  vents made from tin set into asphalt shingles, the vents had missing and rusted through areas and were contributing to the leaks. The vents were probably original to the house but the asphalt shingles were probably installed 15 years ago when the original slate roof developed leaks.

Missing pieces had left the roof open to driving rain:

Since the house is registered all architectural elements need to be replaced exactly or with period specific materials. If you can see it from the street it has to look like a snapshot in time. The asphalt roof can be easily replaced with slate but the dormer vents were more of a challenge.

We removed one vent to bring back to the shop for precise measurement; of course we closed the hole in the roof.

After 3 months we had three new copper reproductions, these are identical in every way down to 1/16th of an inch to the originals. Since these are made from 16oz and 20oz copper they wont need paint and they’ll never rust.

Now the easy part: We replaced the old black flat roof with new White TPO over dense insulation board. This roof will make the upper floors of the house much more comfortable in the summer by reflecting most of the sun.

The mansard was covered with small 12×6 Buckingham slates; these slates will easily last 100+ years. Once the copper vents were set in place the whole job really came together. Eventually the copper louvers will turn to a bronze color, 10-15 years from now they will start to develop a green patina. In 100 years the roof will be replaced again, I hope the next roofer enjoys the job as much as I did.

You can click on any picture to enlarge it.

Thanks for reading,

Tom

703-299-8888

The picture below shows how a remodeling contractor installed a new skylight; instead of using proper and time proven techniques he smeared tar wherever he could. His work lasted about six months before the first leak occurred.

After; I repaired the skylight with new aluminum flashings and replaced all of the tar contaminated shingles. The roof looks better, the skylight doesn’t leak and my metal flashings will keep on doing their job for as long as the roof shingles will last.

Flashing and waterproofing skylights isn’t difficult if you have the skill and the tools, I’ve installed at least 600 skylights in the past 14 years; none have leaked yet. Avoid anyone who says they can stop your leak with caulk or roof cement; it won’t last.

If your skylight is leaking give us a call

Thanks for reading

703-299-8888

Northern Virginia has had some incredibly high winds over the past week, some in excess of 80 mph. The same winds that knock down trees and power lines can send a few of your roof shingles sailing away as well; don’t panic its usually an easy fix.

If you find a few shingle tabs in your yard step back a bit and look at the color; does it match your roof ? Look up at the roof, especially at the ridge line; see any bumps that weren’t there before?  Ridge vents and furnace flues can sometimes get loose in high winds, they should all look straight.

This furnace flue got pushed over in the wind; you can see how the corner of the flashing was pulled up.

Wind reaches its highest speed at the edges of a solid object (like an airplane wing); the most common place for shingles to be damaged is at the ridge/peak of the roof.

missing shingles

Sometimes the missing shingles can be hard to see.

creased shingle tab

This shingle tab bent back and over in the wind; asphalt shingles aren’t flexible, they only bend back once, the second time a shingle bends back it cracks off and flies away.

If you suspect that your roof has taken a beating in the winds you can call us anytime, we will go up  and inspect for damage. We will take pictures of the damage (if any) and let you know the level of urgency for any repairs. Call us now 703-299-8888.

Thanks,

Tom

We measure the length and width of your chimney and the slope of your roof. The flashings are custom made in our sheet metal shop for your chimney. Depending on the type of roof we can make the flashings from zinc, copper, stainless steel, aluminum and lead coated copper; they can also be painted any color you wish.  We can fabricate flashings of any size no matter how big or small your chimney or skylight.

Once the flashings are made they are sent out to the project with all other necessary materials. The pictures below show the old flashing and shingles being removed, some rotted wood being replaced and finally the installation of waterproof underlayment.

The old flashing is rusted through tin

new piece of 1x6 roof decking where the other had rotted

Installing waterproof underlayment around the chimney

Most elements on a slate or shingle roof are installed from the bottom up, here we start by installing the lowest flashing called the apron.

Installing the copper apron flashing

Next we install step flashings, step flashing are small “L” shaped pieces of metal that are laced in to each course of shingles as they climb up the side of the chimney.

Step flashings are installed in each course of shingles

This is the most critical piece of the entire assembly, the pan flashing does most of the work in shedding water. We form our pan flashings with a rounded bottom edge (vs. a sharp fold) to keep this area dry; creased or square folded metal can hold water which leads to corrosion and leakage. All of the seams we use are double locked and are completely waterproof, no matter what nature throws at this house the chimney will not leak.

Copper pan flashing being installed behind the chimney

The pieces that cover the step flashing along the sides of the chimney are called counter-flashings, here it is being trimmed to fit beneath the pan and over the apron flashing.

Counter flashing being installed on the chimney sides

The final step is applying a bead of high quality sealant to the joint between the new flashings and the masonry.

Completed copper chimney flashing repair

This roof will be good for another five years, when replacement of the roof becomes necessary our flashings can be reused. If your chimney or skylight is leaking we have a bulletproof solution, call any time and we will be on our way.

Tom 703-299-8888

P.S. If you are out our of our service area we can make and ship a complete skylight or chimney flashing kit to you. All you need to tell us is the measurements of the chimney or skylight and the slope of your roof and we can have it on the way to you in a day or two. Just call 703-299-8888

Step one: we remove all the existing roofing and check the plywood roof deck for any rot.

Because this roof has a deep soffit we needed to install 72″ of ice and water shield to protect against ice dams. The lighter gray material close to the edge is the ice and water shield; its a self adhering membrane bonds to the plywood roof deck, once in place it acts like a waterproof liner in the event of harsh winter weather. Now the snow ice can pile up more than 25″ high (very unlikely) and my clients will be safe and dry in their home.

Once the drip edge, ice and water shield and felt paper are installed we can begin to install the shingles.

We cut back the roof decking to allow for a ridge vent, this will remove the hot moist air from the attic.

Matching caps over the ridge vent allow it to disappear. You may be able to notice that the caps look like they are hovering a half an inch over the peak of the roof, that is the airspace that the ridge vent requires to exhaust the attic.

New 16oz copper flashing was fabricated for the chimney, this will keep one of the most vulnerable points in the roof watertight.

Final cleanup, and we’re on our way to the next house . This roof is now ready to face the worst possible weather conditions.

There are a lot more steps than this; I just wanted to highlight the really important ones here. If your roof suffered through last winter you should take action now, I can come up with a plan for your house that will make snow something to look forward to instead of dreading.

Call me at 703-299-8888

Tom