The Holidays are not easy for anyone. While some perform a mad dash to find the perfect gifts, get them shipped on time, prepare the house, and of course, the Holiday meal, others still, have no Holiday meal. Instead they may be struggling just to pay the bills, let alone buy a single present, or even a Thanksgiving turkey.

And it is stories like this ? approximately 20 percent of Americans relate to not being able to afford food at some point in the past year, according to a 2012 Gallup Poll ? that inspired a joint effort between ASAP roofing, Meridian Health Center and ACS Lift Food Bank in Denver, Colorado.

a

Hope they?re hungry!

Meridian Health Center began the effort by soliciting donations from several stores across the community. Several stores, including Walmart, sold turkeys, stuffing, gravy and all the trimmings at a steep discount. All said and done, 130 full dinners where collected, and with the help of ASAP roofing, delivered on a flatbed trailer to the ACS food bank where they can be prepared.

But ASAP roofing wasn?t done there. According to Kirk McCoy, the company?s CEO, ?It?s just something we feel we have a responsibility to do ? to help those in need, whether it means replacing a roof before winter sets in, repairing siding and windows so the home will be warm, or feeding those who can?t afford a nice Thanksgiving dinner.?

Since the company?s inception, they have contributed to many community efforts, includingalocal food drives, Habitat for Humanity, and improved environmental roofing practices ? they supported the recent legislation that included upgraded LEED standards for Federal buildings and substantial renovation projects, as well as the Green Buildings Council and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Looking forward, the company plans to continue advocating for best roofing practices, as well as stellar customer service ? even when it means delivering Holiday meals.

For more information on ASAP roofing, just visit http://asaproofing.com/

For more information on green roofing programs, just visit:

Green Roof Legislation, Policies and Tax Incentives ? Green Walls & Green Roofs ? Plant Connection

Written byaNick Dorotik

nick@asap-claims.com

Re-roofing your home is a huge investment, and one that, especially exposed to the harsh Colorado elements, should not be taken lightly. But for many people, choosing environmentally friendly and sustainable materials is also of significant importance. Although the most popular roofing material, asphalt shingles, is also the least sustainable, there are several other alternatives when it comes to making your roof greener. So let?s take a look at some of the common roofing materials, and their sustainability.
Metal:aDurable and attractive, metal roofs, such as steel or aluminum, unfortunately have a high energy cost to produce. However, on the positive side, they can be easily recycled, and typically contain a high recycled content. Choices include steel and light-weight aluminum. Slate:aAlthough many people find slate very beautiful, and are drawn to it?s durability, the price is often a deterrent. If slate is your roof of choice, it can be made greener by minimizing transportation distance (it is very heavy to transport), or checking for used slate through your local salvage yard.
Clay tile:aLike slate, clay tiles, or terra cotta, clay tiles are both durable and expensive. Again, like slate minimize environmental impact by minimizing transport cost, or checking for salvaged clay tiles in your area.
Wood shakes:aCedar is the most common composite of this potentially very sustainable option. Shakes produced locally and without chemical additives or preservatives are an especially sustainable choice.Asphalt shingles:

As mentioned above, both the most popular and least sustainable, asphalt shingles also do not rate high in durability, and due to their dark color, can lead to heat gain. On a positive note, asphalt shingles can be produced with some recycled material, depending on the manufacturer.

A mixture of cement and cellulose fiber, fiber cement is obviously much lighter than cement, but also can be made with recycled fiber material, making them more sustainable than traditional concrete tiles. Additionally, their lighter weight reduces the environmental transportation impact. Lastly, fiber cement is both weather- and fire-resistant.

Recycled roofing materials:aAn attractive option due to their durability, plastic and rubber can be recycled and formed to emulate wood shakes or slate. This option, however, is not as widely available as many others, so transporting to your local area may be a concern.

By Nick Dorotik

nick@asaproofing.com

One of the biggest expenses a business will run into is the cost of energy.a In fact most businesses just assume that the cost of energy is an always present expense.a This idea is so prevalent that the IRS actually has it as an itemized deduction.a One interesting question posed on Reddit asked how much electricity would be created if major retailers used solar panels on their roofs.a Based on research provided by the federal government and current tax laws, it appears that going solar for businesses not only reduces long terms costs greatly, but can also provide an additional source of energy and revenue for the entire company.

Total Energy Collection Potential

Total Energy Collection PotentialIn order to determine whether or not going solar in Bryan roofing would be an economically prudent decision, we must first calculate the total possibility of energy yield.a Using Walmart as an example, around 1/3rd of the roof area can be used for the solar installation.a Obstacles such as skylights, beams, etc., will also influence the amount of surface area that can be used.a According to Walmart, over 4600 stores exist in the US today.a Different locations have different roof square areas.a So in order to deduce the total amount of usable surface area, we multiply the surface area of each location by the number of locations.a Then we add all of the square footage of all locations (location types) and multiply by 1/3rd.a

Each panel will generate around 250 watts (adjusted average)/20 square feet. Bryan roofing is right on average due to the geographic location of Bryan, TX.a The estimated power output would be around 5 GW.a Using this ration and equation, a simple multiplication deduces that approximately 6.25TWh/year will be generated.a This is enough energy to power over half a million homes, remove 625 billion cars off the road, or provide between .02-.55% of the total energy consumption in the US.

Of course there are other factors that affect the amount of energy collected like geographic location, angle of solar installation, total square footage available, energy production rates, and installation materials used.

Real World Example

It appears that some businesses do see the upside of investing in solar installations for their operations.a One firm out of Hawaii actually installation a solar installation on a Walmart there and was able install a system of 1800 panels.a The entire system eliminated a monthly energy bill of approximately $250,000.00 or $3 million/ year.a This completely offset the costs of the installation and original investment, quickly bringing a great ROI.

A Scalable Future

As technology continues to improve, the efficiency of solar installations will only increase, saving more money over time for new solar installations.aa Not only will the efficiencies allow for more energy to be produced, but also make it even more affordable for smaller businesses.a Returns on investment for small businesses take longer because they typically have smaller useable areas to mount solar panels.a Bryan roofing contractor.

Additionally, the tax benefits to small businesses for implementing an energy efficient solution can help offset early costs as they can be proportionately more important to the small business than the large ones.a Be sure to check with your municipalities, both Bryan, TX and College Station, TX, to find out what tax savings your business could also enjoy.a Schulte Roofing is a local Bryan roofing contractor with 18 years of expertise in residential, commercial, and solar roofing.

No one wants to deal with roof leaks but they are the most common roofing repairs. Knowing the causes of roof leaks can help you stay ahead of the problem and repair it before it becomes an even bigger problem. Our infographic will help you in identifying the common causes of roof leaks and ready you for the costs to have repairs done. Remember when you are looking to have your roof repaired or other aany roofing needs to call Able Roof for a quote.