Neoprene pipe jacks offer part-time components for a full-time roof. Avoid them! These will not last as long as any shingle made by any manufacturer, yet 90% of roofing jobs have these! Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEAP. A 'roofer' will charge at least $150 to come and replace ONE of these failed neoprene pipe jacks, so in the end, you won't save a dime by using them.

I've always used the two-piece lead pipe jacks on every job. They will last through multiple roofs. They cost seven times what the cheap rubber ones cost, but they last. 

I see these pieces of junk even on higher-end lifetime roofs! Not only do they wear out, but they are UGLY. Real roofers don't use this rubbish. Period.

Composition can be used on slopes less than 4/12 down to 2/12, but NOT lower than 2/12. ALL manufacturers require an ice and water shield peel-and-stick membrane on these applications. Otherwise part of their material warranty is void.

The only ice and water product that warrants the ‘Gasket Effect’ is made by Grace. Their product attaches to anything that penetrates it, so leaking and ice damming cannot occur. With this membrane, standard underlayment is not needed. There are cheaper ‘entry level’ membranes, but they can’t touch the performance of Grace Ice & Water Shield.

Solid roof decks are either 1X8 ship lap, which is 3/4" thick standard boards (rare) or plywood, usually 1/2" thick. Occasionally you'll see 3/8" plywood (BAD IDEA!) or perhaps 5/8", which is much stronger than half-inch.

Thicker plywood is a benefit in high wind areas because the fasteners have more wood to bite into; thus more 'holding power'. The half-inch CDX is usually 4-ply, but 5-ply is available and is significantly stronger and should be used when spanning rafters. If putting plywood over 'skip' or 'spaced' sheathing boards (which is used on a wood shake roof), then the 4-ply is fine.

Plywood is graded as having an A, B, C, or D side. AC should be used at open visible overhangs with the A side down. An alternative to this is CCPTS, which means two 'C' sides with one side (PTS) plugged (with little football shaped patches) and touch sanded. Standard 'CDX' plywood translates to a 'C' side and a 'D' side, with the 'X' meaning exterior glue.

Avoid OSB (wafer board)! Unfortunately, many ‘roofers’ do use it. Why? BECAUSE IT IS CHEAP. IT IS RUBBISH. OSB can swell with moisture and is not nearly as strong as real plywood. If you are using plywood spanning just rafters with no spaced sheathing, then upgrade either to a 5-ply 1/2" CDX or 5/8” CDX. DO IT RIGHT!

Hidden continuous ridge vent came on the scene about 25 years ago. The keyword here is 'continuous'. With continuous ridge vent, ventilation is more even and dead spots are virtually eliminated.

Ridge vent is 2 1/2 times more efficient than standard vents. The roof also looks cleaner because all those ‘box’ or ‘mushroom’ vents have been eliminated.

This product comes in multiple brands and styles. The best ones have a baffle to ward off wind-driven rain, along with a fiberglass screen inside to prevent bug invasion. This product is a very good bang for the buck.

Ventilation with proper air flow is crucial to any roof system. There are certain ratios for soffits to ridge.

Box or 'mushroom' vents are typical, but a hidden continuous ridge vent is much more efficient. With a ridge vent, the roof also looks 'cleaner' and works better because many protrusions and possible water entry points are eliminated.

For proper ventilation, you need openings at the overhangs as well as at the peak.

Soffits have multiple options.

• Use metal screens that come in a variety of colors and sizes;
• Or for narrow soffitts, use these round screens, which also come in various sizes. Just drill a hole with a hole saw and push the screen. They have tabs that prevent the screen from wiggling out.

If you do not have soffits, you can use special vents called 'stealth' vents that go near the bottom edge of the roof. These are either painted metal or granule coated.

Newer homes 30 years old or less usually don't require any repairs unless the roof has been leaking quite a while. Homes that are between 35 years old and up usually require at least some repairs. The older the building, the more repairs that are likely necessary.

Careful examination of the roof can reveal that at least some repair work is needed; however, It is difficult to exactly judge how much repairs are required until the roofing is removed (another reason to never put additional layers on a roof).

Surprises are possible. Roofing is not a perfect science. An experienced roofer and an inexperienced roofer may be looking at the same thing, but they do not (see) the same thing. Tearoff is always the best way to go.

It is cheaper in the long-run to do repairs during the re-roofing process than it is to return after-the-fact and dig into the structure.

Paint blistering on the walls	Moldy plywood (above left) Fan not connected (above right)
Mold-covered, warped plywood	Water entry via diffusion
Closeup of the new fan	4" 'flapper' exhaust vents with  clamped connection tube

This repair job in Rock Creek demonstrates water 'diffusion,' the process in which water molecules pass through most materials, including concrete, lumber, plywood, sheetrock, etc. For 7 years, two bathroom fans caused diffusion by pumping moisture into the homeowner's attic, creating hundreds of gallons of moisture intrusion into the attic.

In this case, connection tubes from fans to vents existed, but were knocked down. The owner believes the insulation guys may have knocked down the connection tubes, and he just didn't notice (neither did they!).

Read more and view more photos in our Hall of Shame under "Water Diffusion Problems." 

Below are ten steps property owners can take to extend the life of their roof (you'll also find this article on the checklists page):

1. Trim back tree branches that scrape against or overhang the roof. Keep branches away from the chimney to avoid fire hazard and to allow draft for proper chimney operation.
    
2. Check for curled, damaged, loose, or missing shingles.
    
3. Check the underside of the lower edge of roof sheathing for water stains, cracking, and any other visible damage.
    
4. Examine all flashing and the flashing around chimneys, vent stacks, roof edges, dormers, and skylights.
    
5. Make sure that the chimney cover (cap), if present, is in good condition and that it is tall enough to prevent the build-up of creosote.
    
6. Check vents and louvers for free air movement. Clean screens and remove bird nests, spiders, insects, and dust.
    
7. If there are wind turbines on the roof, be sure they spin freely and check ball bearings if any exist. Clear gable vents of bird's nests and other obstructions.
    
8. Check for damaged gutters, downspouts, hangers, and strainers. If needed, clean out gutters and downspouts. Make certain they are free of leaks and rust.
    
9. Check the condition of the paint on gutters.
    
10. Examine television guy wires and support straps (not many of these anymore).

Even heavy concrete tiles can blow off in high wind. These roofers should have used ‘hurricane clips‘ and also nailed each tile. For composition shingles, there are several ways to battle high winds: Extra nails; ring shank roofing nails; hand sealing to name a few.

Just noticed on a contractors’ website that they were boasting about working all day on a roof in winter while it was snowing and how happy the homeowner was when he came home to find the job completed.

What the owner and apparently the ‘roofer’ didn’t realize is that putting on shingles in freezing temperatures is not something a (Professional) roofer does. Why? Because shingles freeze and become brittle. They fracture when handled. Nail guns shatter the material around the nail shaft. In other words the unknowing homeowner is the one that got shafted. I wouldn't let this happen to you!

A few contractor websites justify roofing in freezing temperatures by saying "Roofers have bills to pay year 'round" or "all it takes is a little extra care in handling the shingles." I believe all credibility goes out the window (and the roof) with those statements.

Bottom line: DO NOT have composition shingles or membrane or shakes installed in freezing temperatures. Metal roofing is OK, but even then I would hesitate. I'm not selling roofing jobs, so I can be completely honest here.