Whether you like the classic look of slate or the long life of metal, when it’s time for a new roof, there’s something for everyone.
Photo: savannahroofandgutter.com; daviddarling.info; roof101.com
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Listen to BOB VILA ON ROOFING OPTIONS, or read the text below:
If it’s time to replace your home’s siding and you’re looking for an alternative to wood or vinyl, it’s worth looking at fiber-cement siding.
Photo: builddirect.com
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Listen to BOB VILA ON SIDING OPTIONS or read the text below:
Despite what the three little pigs might say, even the hardiest of brick buildings will require repair and restoration at some point.
Photo: farmersbranchfoundationrepair.com
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Florida might be the hurricane capital of the U.S., but every region has its perils: storms, wildfires, floods and ice. The way we build our homes and prepare for them can make all the difference when they strike.
Metal ties secure down roof in "Reviewing the Work Involved in Building a Hurricane-Resistant Home: Storm-Ready Design" Season 16 Episode 4
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Listen to BOB VILA ON STORM READY ROOFS, or read the text below:
Green roof systems and roof gardens look great in an urban landscape, but they’re not just for cities anymore. They’re worth a look anywhere cooling costs or flooding from stormwater runoff are a problem.
Photo: blog.myneighborscontractor.com
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Listen to BOB VILA ON GREEN ROOFS, or read text below: Read the rest of this entry »
When it comes to keeping your home cool this summer, your roof—not your air conditioning system—IS YOUR first line of defense.
Photo: greenupgrader.com
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Listen to BOB VILA ON COOL ROOFS, or read text below:
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I’ve said many times that the most important decisions we made in the construction of our home were around the things you never see: the blown-in insulation, the PEX plumbing, the argon gas between the panes of our high-efficiency windows, etc.
We thought about and planned for a lot of things like that during the pre-construction phase of our home-building adventure. And of course, there were things we missed. One of the most important: pop-up drain emitters.
Of all the siding materials you could use on your home, cedar shingles are one of the most attractive and long lasting.
familyhandyman.com
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Listen to BOB VILA ON REMOVING OLD SHINGLES, or read text below:
You can get several years’ worth of grime off your deck and siding in minutes with a pressure washer. Whether you buy it or rent it, it’s a great tool to have.
utahpowerwashing.com
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It’s a complete mystery to me how this could have happened to my roof in Florida. There are no palm trees around to drop a coconut and nobody’s been up on the roof, but somehow two tiles are broken.
No use pondering the cause. The good news is that when we re-roofed the house we kept about 50 left-over tiles for just this type of eventuality. (Something I highly recommend whether you choose asphalt shingles, wood shakes, or tiles.) By code, all of these flat cement tiles are “fastened mechanically” which means they’re screwed down into the plywood roof sheathing. This is to prevent them from flying off in a hurricane.
The repair is simple enough but requires the type of ladder that few homeowners keep around. Sliding the new tile into place and securing with construction adhesive and a couple of screws is easy—the hard part is getting up there.
For more on roofing, check out these articles, slideshows and videos:
Asphalt Shingles: A Showcase of Roofing Styles, Colors and Options
