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Roofing contractors express skepticism, and some shingle makers seem cautious. Still, the insurance industry has charged forward promoting impact-resistant (IR) shingles to stave off hail damage.
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New labor laws announced in December went into effect in February, tightening the restrictions on individuals under the age of 18 working on or near roofs.
Seen mostly in commercial applications now, “green” roofing systems have the potential to revolutionize residential roofing. Cities like Seattle and Chicago are starting to specify the systems, which create rooftop vegetation, on city-and government-owned buildings.
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All across the country, roofing companies have seen materials prices go up, up, up. An April story in The Philadelphia Inquirer found that the wholesale price of nails in 50-pound quantities had jumped from $13.95 to $20.95 and that the 4x8 sheet of plywood that cost $8.32 in 2003 now cost $17.92.
How well three-tab shingles hold up over time depends to some degree on the patterns used to lay them. Although many customers prefer to see the cutouts aligned on the roof, this directs runoff into channels that erode the shingle surface.
Originally developed to protect against ice damming (a phenomenon caused mainly by poor roof insulation in northern climates), self-adhesive underlayments and substrates are becoming popular as industry experts and contractors embrace self-stick products for all kinds of roofs.
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In 1997 when Beldon Roofing Company dropped its remodeling component, owner Michael D. Beldon wasn't sorry to see it go.
In New Hampshire, Tom Avalone, whose company, Cobb Hill Construction, does both residential and commercial construction, occasionally gets requests from homeowners for low-slope roofs.
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This month's new roofing products, (MonierLifetile, Trimline Building Products, Georgia-Pacific, Tamko Roofing Products, etc.