roof flashing brooklyn
By Construction • Do It Yourself • Management • Roofing • Tips and Tricks 13,738 Comments

Proper Roof Flashing

One of the largest causes of leaks in roofing in Brooklyn and Queens that we see are the areas where the roof intersects with walls, skylights, pipes, vents, and more. These penetration points can cause a world of problems if cheap materials or improper flashing methods are used to seal off these intersections. It’s important that as a homeowner you know the correct way of getting it done when it comes time to replace your roof, so you can ensure it gets handled properly.

Ice and Water Shield

It’s important to install a leakproof barrier directly onto the roof deck and slightly up the intersection as a last line of defense in case water get’s beneath the flashing. Many contractors still use tar paper, which can still cause leaks where the nail penetrates the paper. We choose to use GAF’s Ice and Water Shield in these vulnerable points to make sure it’s sealed properly and the wood below is protected. It is self sealing like a run flat tire, so when a nail goes through, it seals around the nail not allowing any water to pass through to the wood.

Aluminum Flashing

On most intersection, with the exception of vent pipes, the intersecting point is protected by a bent piece of aluminum called an aluminum flash. This sits right into the intersection so that if water get’s between the shingle and the intersection, it doesn’t go directly to the wood. Where the flashing goes up the wall, it can be sealed into harder surfaces like brick, or tucked underneath for softer materials like vinyl siding.

Pipe Collars

When a vent pipe is coming out of the roof, we must use a pipe collar to flash it properly since aluminum won’t fit around a small round intersection. Many roofing contractors will use a rubber pipe collar. Over time, like all rubber, it becomes dry rotted and cracks, allowing water to get through. At Five Borough, we opt to use a pipe collar made of Neoprene, the same material used for wet suits. It won’t wear out and crack over time, ensuring you’re pipes are sealed up properly from the start.

Shingles/Cap Sheet

Once the intersection is covered with ice and water shield and proper flashing, then the shingles are cut to go right into the intersection where the aluminum flash is bent. The shingles are installed as they usually are, with nails securing them on top, and a tar strip sealing it to the row below on the bottom.

By Do It Yourself • General Information • Tips and Tricks • Windows 15,022 Comments

What To Look For in a Energy Efficient Window Replacements

In Queens and Brooklyn NY, the buildings are old, the winters are cold, and energy bills are through the roof. Any homeowner knows that from December to March, we cringe when that National Grid letter comes in the mail. Any way you can save energy during the winters is a win, and one of the best ways you can do that is by going with energy efficient window replacements.

With so many options out there, it can seem overwhelming when you sit down and start window shopping. What features should you be looking for that will help you save money? This article will educate you on what to look for in a window and what questions to ask your contractor.

Window Frame

The frame of your window can come with mechanically fastened corners or welded corners. Cheap windows come with fastened corners that are held together with screws, which over time come loose. This will make it difficult to open the window, but more importantly, will create openings where cold air can come into the house. Also, many windows come with foam-injected frames, meaning they fill the hollow cavity of the frame with a high R-value foam that insulates and blocks out noise pollution.

Window Glass

When it comes to glass, you have many choices to make as a homeowner. There’s double pane, triple pane, low E, argon gas filled, and much more. Obviously a triple pane will insulate better than a double pane, but it’s not always a practical option. A window gets very heavy with 3 panes of glass, and they’re expensive as well. Many window manufacturers are building windows with argon gas sealed in-between the window panes. Argon is an extremely heavy and dense gas, preventing any air from transferring from the outside to the inside. This is a good option to look for in an energy efficient window.

Meeting Rails

Usually, the meeting rails aren’t on the top of your priority list when window shopping, but they have a huge impact on the longevity of the window. Most people have experienced a window where the locks on the meeting rails don’t meet up, and the window doesn’t lock. Over time, vinyl will sag and the meeting rails are no longer flush against one another. Not only does it pose a security threat because you can’t lock them, but it creates a large gap where cold air comes swirling into the house. The best way to prevent this is to find a window that has metal reinforced meeting rails as opposed to hollow vinyl. This will help the window maintain its structural integrity over time, ensuring the meeting rails are always tight against one another and no cold air is leaking in.

Window Installation

This is by far the most important part of the window. You can buy the most energy efficient window in the world, but if it’s not installed properly, it will be just as drafty as a $100 window. Five Borough uses an expandable foam with a high R-value to seal the small gap between the window frame and the house frame. This seals up the entire perimeter of the window so no air can leak in. Many contractors will use caulk, which will dry & crack over time, creating space for cold air to make its way in.

These are the some of the more important factors when looking at energy efficiency. Be sure to ask the right questions and make sure the window replacement company you hire uses the right materials and best practices when installing windows in your home. If you’re in Queens or Brooklyn, be sure to call Five Borough for a window estimate!

By fiveboro General Information • Management • Roofing • Tips and Tricks 1,118 Comments

Roofing 101: Ice Dams – Cause and Effect

Happy New Year from the roofers at Five Borough Remodeling! Winter has finally reared its head in Queens and Brooklyn NY, and with it comes a long list of preventative measures homeowners must take to protect themselves against the bitter cold. When it comes to winters in NY, one thing homeowners must consider is the affect ice dams can have on their roof.

What is an ice damn? Simply put, an ice dam occurs when a layer of thick ice builds up along the eaves of your roof, effectively causing a “dam” whereby water cannot pass. If you’ve ever driven by a house in Queens or Brooklyn and noticed a thick layer of snow and ice along the edge of the roof, and the rest of the roof is melted and visible from the street, that would be an ice dam. Many don’t realize that this can have potentially damaging effects to your home, but before we get into those, let’s look at what causes ice dams.

Cause: Poor Attic Insulation: Most roofers will tell you that the root cause of ice dams is poor insulation, and they wouldn’t be wrong in saying that. When you’re attic isn’t insulated properly, heat from your home escapes into the attic, which will heat the plywood of your roof and melt the snow above it. Eventually that water makes its way past the exterior wall and over your soffit, where there’s no more indoor heat to keep it from refreezing. There it will refreeze above the soffit, creating an ice layer along the edge of the roof.

Cause: Poor Roof Ventilation: What many roofers will neglect to tell you is that ventilation plays a big role in all of this as well. When a roof is ventilated properly, it can air out any excess heat that gets trapped in the attic during the winter, preventing the melting from occurring in the first place. This will ensure the snow will melt evenly on the roof, and not only on the top where it will refreeze along the edges.

Ideally, your attic should be the same temperature as the outside of the home at all times during the year, even in the summer. However, an overwhelming percentage of roofs do not have proper ventilation, which causes excessive heat during the summers and ice damming during the winters.

Effects: Ultimately, an ice dam will prevent water from draining off the roof. It’s called a dam for a reason: water will end up sitting right behind it instead of draining off the edge. Any roofer will tell you that where water sits, it will eventually permeate and leak through. Now think about what sits directly below the edges of your roof: your wall cavity. If you’re lucky it may just rot out the plywood along the edge of the roof, but if neglected over time it will make it’s way down into your wall cavity, which can cause your drywall to become not so dry, and it can even lead to mold or electrical fires in severe cases.

Solution: Preventing ice dams is very simple. Check your attic insulation to make sure you’re at least at an R-value of at least R38, or about 13” of fiberglass insulation from your drywall ceiling to the top of your attic insulation. If you’re at any less, call up Five Borough to come and lay down some extra insulation so your keeping heat in. That will not only prevent ice dams, but save you valuable heating dollars during the winter. While we’re there, we’ll check to see if your roof is vented properly, which will help you save energy and be more comfortable in the home year round. Give us a call if you have any questions!