Overland Park Roofing Contractor Eclipse Roofing, inc. Earns Coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award for the sixth consecutive year. Award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service Eclipse Roofing, inc. has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies. “Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List. Eclipse Roofing, Inc. is a residential roofing company that specializes in pitched roof applications. We work all over the Kansas City metro area on existing and new construction homes. Jeff Pendergraft started Eclipse Roofing, Inc. in January 2003 after working for four years in the roofing industry for another local company.  Eclipse Roofing has built its reputation on a consistent referral business of satisfied customers. We have received the Super Service Award from Angie’s List for five of the last six years. Jeff lives in Overland Park with his wife Mindi and three children, Audrey, Hank and Ruby. Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines. Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List,but members can find the 2010 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

  Angie’s List collects consumer reviews on local contractors and doctors in more than 500 service categories. Currently, more than 1 million consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them make the best hiring decisions. Members get unlimited access to local ratings via Internet or phone, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List magazine and help from the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Take a quick tour of Angie’s List and view the latest Angie’s List news.

To hire a good roofing contractor in 66204, 66207, 66210, 66212, and 66213, contact Eclipse Roofing today!

GAF Announces Groundbreaking Lifetime

Limited Warranty On All Of Its Laminated

Roofing Shingles

Homeowners To Benefit From Multiple Decades Increase In Warranted Performance*

WAYNE, NJ (1/2011) – GAF, North America’s largest roofing and ventilation manufacturer, is announcing groundbreaking changes to its laminated shingle warranties.  Effective January 1, 2011, every GAF laminated shingle, including all Timberline^®shingles—the #1-selling shingles in North America—will be covered by a lifetime ltd. warranty when installed on single family residences (see ltd. warranty for complete coverage and restrictions).  GAF will no longer offer any laminated shingles with just a 30-year or 40-year warranty, a first for any roofing manufacturer.

This revolutionary change has been made possible by GAF’s Advanced Protection^™ technology, which was first introduced in 2007.  This innovative shingle technology has resulted in shingles that offer improved performance, including superior durability and wind resistance.  GAF is so confident in the performance of its Advanced Protection^™ shingles that it has decided to make this unprecedented improvement in its warranties.

“As a company, we are committed to advanced quality, industry-leading expertise, and solutions that make our customers’ lives simple — which is what this warranty upgrade is all about,” stated Bob Tafaro, President and CEO of GAF. “Contractors will benefit from knowing that they can stand with confidence behind every installation of GAF laminated shingles.  Homeowners will benefit from knowing that their installed shingles are warranted for a lifetime, adding significant value to their home.”

GAF has also upgraded the coverage of its Golden Pledge^® and System Plus limited warranties, which are offered exclusively by its GAF-certified contractors.

“We are especially excited to announce this warranty upgrade, given that 2011 is GAF’s 125th anniversary as a company. At a time when Americans are facing so much uncertainty about the future, you can be sure that GAF will be there decades from now to stand by the performance of our roofing products.  This warranty upgrade will reinforce both our leadership position in the industry and our promise of excellence to our customers,” said Tafaro.

Complete details about these changes, including certificates confirming coverage and explaining the new terms which contractors can use with homeowners, can be found at www.gaf.com/upgrade.

*See www.gaf.com for specific warranty terms and conditions

Below this post is a great article about preventing ice dams. I wanted to also talk about a couple of other ways you can deal with ice dams if the items in the previous post are not in your budget.

Roof de-icing kits can come in handy with roof areas that are chronic ice dam problems. There are certain cases where the architectural design of a roof does not allow for good positive drainage. Often times a complex roof design will leave you with areas where the snow and ice build-up becomes trapped. If this section of your roof faces North or East it can take days and sometimes weeks before it melts off. This is a good place to use a roof and gutter de-icing kit. This product is basically a heating chord or element that runs inside the gutter and in a zig-zag pattern on the roof. The only draw back is that you must have an outside electrical outlet to plug it into. I would not recommend this for the entire perimeter of your roof but it is effective in those problem areas. I have a couple of customers who have installed this product and have reported that it works great. I have included a couple of pictures that I have taken of the de-icing kits being sold at Home Depot and Lowes.

Jeff Pendergraft/Eclipse Roofing, inc.

I found this article on Certainteeds website regarding how to prevent ice damming. Jeff Pendergraft

What Are Ice Dams?

Ice dams are formed when heat from the inside of a home escapes into the attic and warms the roof decking during the winter. This heat, combined with heat from the sun, can melt snow on the roof. Melting snow on the upper roof and in the valleys then runs down toward the eaves as water. When it reaches the cold eaves and gutters it refreezes. The continual thaw and re-freeze process creates ice dams. The result

is water backing up under the roof shingles or behind fascia boards where it can soak through the roof decking or wall sheathing, causing damage to attics, ceilings and walls.

Ice Dam Defense

There are three ways to defend against the damage ice dams cause: insulation, ventilation and water-proofing shingle underlayment. All three work together. Insulation keeps heat from escaping from your home’s living space into your attic. Ventilation removes the heat and helps keep the roof deck evenly cool to help prevent snow from melting on the roof. Finally, waterproofing shingle underlayment is laid across the roof before roof shingles are applied.

With existing roofs, waterproofing shingle underlayment is only an option if you remove the existing shingles or are building a new addition. Regardless, increasing the insulation R-value in the attic is always possible and ventilation can usually be added to your attic easily.

Insulation

An attic insulated to today’s energy standards with fiberglass insulation minimizes heat escape through the ceiling, virtually eliminating the possibility of snow melting and refreezing at the base of the roof.

If your home was built before 1980, chances are it needs more attic insulation. The amount of insulation your house should have will vary depending on where you live, how your house is built and many other factors including your lifestyle. Insulation levels are recommended by geographic zones and are stated in R-values. R-value is the resistance to heat flow of a material. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.

Ventilation

The second thing to look for in your attic is the amount of ventilation that you have. It is important to have ventilation in the attic so any heat lost from the interior of the home is drawn up and out of the attic. Adequate attic ventilation will help the roof deck stay cool. Another benefit of having your attic ventilated is that it allows for moisture that rises into the attic from things such as bathing, cooking and the laundry to escape.

There are two common ways to ensure that excess moisture or heat can escape to the outside. One way is to use a power or mechanical ventilation system. The other way is through a natural, or static, ventilation system. A power ventilator is an electric powered fan installed at the roof or gable that runs by a thermostat or humidistat when the attic needs ventilation. Natural or static ventilation systems consist of simple vent or covered openings in your attic. These are typically ridge vents, gable, eave, or roof vents. Many ventilation experts agree that externally baffled ridge vents combined with vented soffits are a very effective method for ventilating an attic. Where older construction doesn’t permit ridge and soffit ventilation, powered fans can be a good alternative.

A properly designed ventilation system must have both intake vents in the soffit or in the eaves at the lower part of the attic, as well as exhaust ventilation, such as ridge vents, high in the attic at or near the ridge.

Cooler, dryer outside air typically enters through eave vents near the attic floor, forcing existing moisture-laden or heated air out through vents placed high on the roof or gable.

By ensuring proper insulation and ventilation, you will run less risk of the formation of ice dams, and you will substantially reduce the likelihood of damaging your attic components.

Waterproofing

Underlayment

If you are building a new home, or reroofing an older home, you should also insist that waterproofing shingle underlayment be installed before your roof shingles are applied. As mentioned earlier, it is completely resistant to water and, as such, is a critical last line of defense against leaks, preventing backed up water from getting into your home wherever it is applied.

While shingle underlayment does not prevent the formation of ice dams, it will prevent backed up water from getting into the house. Discuss shingle underlayment placement with your builder or contractor. However, as a guide, CertainTeed recommends that it be applied: Under metal flashing and counter flashing at roof penetrations, sidewalls, etc. In areas where roof pitches change, in valleys and around chimneys. Along the eaves and at short cornice projections.

Special Cases

Many new homes feature cathedral or vaulted- ceiling roofs and skylights. Both present special cases for insulation that CertainTeed recommends you discuss carefully with your builder or contractor. Insulation manufacturers like CertainTeed have created high-performance fiber glass batts that

are designed specifically for cathedral ceilings to provide higher R-values per inch than standard fiber glass batts.

In the case of skylights, quality workmanship and attention to detail are important in preventing ice dams and condensation which often lead to leaks. To avoid problems, make sure your builder or contractor properly insulates around the skylight and uses a moisture retarder to prevent condensation. In addition, applying waterproofing shingle underlayment around the skylight opening is recommended.

Warranty

All shingle manufacturers exclude from warranty coverage leaks caused by water backup behind ice dams, which can form on the eaves of the roof. These leaks can be easily prevented. Proper ventilation will minimize the chances of ice dam formation, and waterproofing shingle underlayment, properly installed, can prevent leaks in spite of ice dam formation and can also prevent leaks from wind-driven rain.