When your home is in need of a new roof, it can be a stressful endeavor. And this task can become even more work when you live in an area that is governed by a homeowners' association. HOA's can have a big impact on your roof - so when you are about to undergo a new roofing project, it's important to have your information gathered, forms filled out, and questions ready. When it comes to working with HOA's, you need to have your ducks in a row before you can begin.

The Function of an HOA

A Homeowners Association isn't simply an additional fee that you pay every month. It is a body that facilitates and maintains the covenant and by-laws that homeowners in a neighborhood have agreed upon.

An HOA's main function is to maintain and improve the properties under the association. This means that any changes that you would want to make to your property, in particular to the exterior, need to be approved by the association. The HOA can either allow, modify, or deny changes you wish to make. So it's important that you request permission and get approval on your project before you go to the next step.

If you were to proceed without permission, you can be punished in a variety of ways that may include fines and even legal actions.

Steps You Should Take

When you are planning to undertake a home improvement project, you should be sure to fully understand what you can and cannot do. HOA's have opinions and by-laws on most big project you could work on within your home, which is why you have to be diligent before undertaking a major endeavor.

For example, read any literature you've ever gotten that covers exactly how your HOA functions. Then, get in touch with your association to find out if there is any paperwork you need to fill out. You might need to complete a request form, and if you drag your feet on filling it out, your roof must wait. When filling out forms, be sure to provide as much information as possible to help move the process along quickly and without questions or clarifications.

What You Can and Cannot Get

Because HOA's have to approve any decisions you make about the exterior of your home, don't be surprised if you are limited in the design choices you make for your projects. Of course, not all HOA's are the same. So when you want to get a new roof be sure to ask the association if you have any freedom in your design choices.

Roofing gives homeowners a tempting array of options, from cedar shake roofs, to metal roofs, and slate roofs. However, the association may only allow a single type and style of roof in order to maintain a similar overall appearance within the neighborhood. Knowing these limitations ahead of time will save you time and money.

Finding the Right Contractor

Through the entire process, it's also important to find a contractor that has worked with HOA's before. They should not only be familiar with the policies, but also have an understanding of the timeline.

Additionally, if they have previously completed work within homeowners associations, they will be able to advise you on how to proceed through the steps you need to take. That includes giving you tips on what to say when you're filling out forms, and simply understanding the pace and formalities that come with working within a homeowners association.

When getting a new roof within a homeowners association, here's the best theory to go by: it's better to ask for permission than forgiveness.

Getting a new roof is a major project that is stressful in its own right. But if you have an HOA, that stress only increases, as you must besure to follow the right protocols to build a compliant roof. To decrease your stress levels and ensure that the process goes as smoothly as glass, finding a skilled contractor with previous HOA project experience is your best bet. To learn more, please contact us.

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Advanced metal roofing technology that has sprung up over the last few decades includes reflective paints to increase energy efficiency, solar shingles that actually captures the sun?s energy and convert it into electrical energy, and metal roof components that interlock. Metal roofing on a home, in a way, can resemble a knight in armor ? metal roofing provides armor both to the home as well as its occupants.

Storms have historically and continually caught many off-guard. On the summer morning of August 29, 2005, the Gulf Coast was struck with a category 3 hurricane. Winds blew between 100 and 140 mph, stretching up to 400 miles across. The impact from these winds infiltrated levees and caused severe flooding in many areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. This storm became known as ?Hurricane Katrina.?

A Metal Roof is Like a Personal Suit of Armor

Whether or not your home is off the Gulf Coast, in Florida, Cape Cod, or any coastal area in New England, it is important to have a roof that can protect your home. You may not live in an area prone to hurricanes, but who knows if it eventually will be? Your home needs a personal suit of armor. Metal roofing is hurricane rated up to 120 mph. One of the reasons this system is so resistant to wind is because the panels interlock. Metal roofing is very light weight, and with the roofs ability to interlock to itself on all four sides, this system will withstand numerous environmental situations, such as: hurricane winds, heavy snow, and rain.

Hurricane Katrina

Interlocking Roofing Panels

Though New England has not been hit with many hurricanes lately, who can predict when one will eventually have a significant impact in this area? Consider that anywhere with reasonably high winds or the possibility of any potential hurricane is present, you can benefit from a metal roof to protect your home from that potential impact. Know that if the roof suffers from a hurricane, your home will suffer too. This is not to be played off as something minor ? in the worst case, a hurricane could completely destroy your home. It is smart to learn from your own mistakes, but it is even wiser to learn from others. You do not need to learn after your home is already destroyed. Look at the damages faced by the hurricanes in Louisiana and Florida, for example. Most of the roofs that remained throughout those storms were the ones with aluminum metal roofing with panels that interlock ? these homes were protected by their own personal suit of armor.

Environmental Friendliness

Metal roofing is the most environmentally friendly roofing option for most homes. Choosing aluminum over asphalt makes you a part of the solution, not the problem. Did you know that over 95% of the base metal for aluminum metal roofing is actually from recycled aluminum? Roughly 20 billion pounds of asphalt is dumped into US landfills every year. Unlike asphalt, this material is very advanced metal roofing technology. Metal roofing material does not use oil as its base resource. One may ask that if asphalt shingles need to be stripped anyway for the installation of metal roofing, aren?t we still contributing to the landfills? Wrong. As a matter of fact, in many situations, metal roofing can be installed over existing asphalt shingles without stripping them.

Reflective Capability

A metal roof will keep your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The reason is that metal roofing has radiant heat reflection, meaning the heat from the sun will reflect off of the roof, keeping the home cooler. Because of this, the excessive use of air conditioning during hot summer days will be drastically reduced. How does this affect the environment? The production of electricity used for air conditioning causes smog and pollution.

With a metal roof, you will not be producing as much electricity. However, the dead airspace between the metal roofing and roof deck provides great insulation. The metal gets hot, but the heat will not transfer into the house. In addition, your house will be able to retain heat much better during the winter. Most commonly, metal roofing with shinier metallic surfaces or milder colors are better at reflecting the radiant heat. Though, keep in mind that aluminum metal roofing will have natural emissivity, regardless. Special reflective paints, originally developed for military applications, have made great strides in increasing the reflectivity of metal roofs and is probably the most advanced metal roof technology to impact the market in recent years.

Besides the very environmentally friendly benefits of this roofing, metal roofing generally interfaces very nicely with solar panels. All of these benefits from a metal roof can actually fit into ?cool roof? criteria, which means that in certain states, homeowners may be eligible for tax benefits. This said, here are a few frequently asked questions and misconceptions about metal roofing:

Isn?t metal roofing a new industry?

False. Although metal roofing seems to be gaining a lot of recent popularity, it has been widely used since the early 1800s. Even so, with many modern architects implementing metal roofing, homeowners figure their traditional home will not match with a metal roof. This, as well, is untrue. These products have become very advanced. Metal roofing comes in a variety of different styles and colors, such as the common ?shake? style that mimics a wood shingle. Find out which metal roofing product suits your criteria.

Can?t Most Contractors Install a Metal Roof?

Absolutely not. In fact, you should steer clear from any roofing contractor that claims to install metal roofs but does not specialize in the field. Installing metal roofs is not an easy task. The craftsmanship is very specialized and advanced. Metal roofing requires many installation and bending techniques that only a specialized and experienced metal roofer exhibits. A common problem in this field is that many people receive an array of quotes for a metal roof, from a multitude of contractors and conclude by choosing the lowest price bidder. This usually leads to continual difficulties and problems due to a faulty installation which can ruin the promise of a ?lifetime roof? with a plethora of repairs ? often eventually adding up to the price that the reputable metal roofing contractor originally quoted, or more. In some cases, contractors have unknowingly installed agricultural metal roofing on homes, which later have had to be re-roofed with an architectural product. Save yourself the trouble; work with a reputable metal roofing contractor.

Metal roofing is too expensive!

It can be expensive, yes. But, like many investments, it will pay off. Along with the many environmental benefits and reducing your electric bills, a metal roof will increase the value of the home, and actually make the homeowner eligible for many tax benefits. Along with ?cool roof? criteria in certain states, the wind and fire resistance of metal roofing, insurance companies will give discounts.

I live in a high wind area. Isn?t this a dangerous place for a metal roof?

As outlined earlier, the opposite is the case. There are many building codes that a roof must abide by in certain areas; hurricane regions in particular. Also, because the systems will generally interlock, metal roofing will be able to withstand high winds and prevent water from leaking in to the home. Remember, this roof is that of a suit of armor.

Metal roofing actually lasts long?

You will never have to re-roof again; because this industry has drastically advanced, metal roofing systems are expected to last up to 100 years. Because of the long term investment, the environmental benefits, and the incredibly specialized manufacturing and installation process, your roof will last you a lifetime.

Conclusion

Do yourself and Mother Nature a favor and get a metal roof. You will both protect the environment and protect yourself from the environment with this efficient shield of armor. Metal roofing has a come a long way, and you can make your home go a long way as well.

June 6th, 2012 ? A massive hailstorm hits Colorado Springs and South Denver causing flooding andasubstantial hail damage to roofs, cars, homes and businesses. The storm started with dark clouds and brewed into a destructive force. With how dry Colorado has been, rain is normally welcomed, but it seemed to fall all at once. Places like Colorado Springs and South Denver had road closures and flooding on the roads. The Rain was promptly followed by a ravaging hail storm that quickly made it look like winter, the ground in many areas being coated in white hail.

Details of the storm

Hail from theastormaamounted to nearly 8 inches deep in some areas. The storm also featured torrential rains, high wind speeds, and up to 5 recorded tornado touch-downs.

Damages

There were few structures that escaped damage in the areas affected by this powerful and dynamic storm, including both residential andacommercialastructures, vehicles, municipal buildings and more. The estimated cost of the damages as of July, 2012 is right at $321.1 million, placing it among the most costly Colorado storms since 1984.

All at once

The whole year has been pretty dry so with this storm it brought all the rain and hail all at once.aUnfortunatelyathis left many people with damaged cars, homes, businesses, roofs and much more. The hail was not quite marble sized and wrecked havoc on many roofs. If you were affected by the storm here are some ways for checking for damage.

Checking for Roof Damage

For a large number of businesses and homes the roof damage is very clear, for others they might not see the signs of roof damage until it might be too late to get it fixed. Start at your downspouts and check for a large amount of black or dark deposits of minerals. This can be a sign of roof damage. Second you ashould check your gutters and see if they have dents and dings in them, if they do they is a good chance your roof has also been damaged you should get an inspection.

The most obvious but harder to look for are the signs of leaks andadiscolorationain your home?s ceiling. This could be a sign of a leak and roof damage. Lastly would be to actually get onto you roof and look it over, check on your shingles and make sure they aren?t damaged or missing. The signs of a damaged shingle can beasomethingaas simple as dimples in the shingles themselves. If you find any of these signs you should have an inspection and estimate to prevent further damage. Roof repairs are a lot less costly then a roof replacement.

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