Building Roofs That Can Withstand Storms In Washington
A necessary consideration when selecting a roof for homes in Washington is the tear resistance factor, or shear factor. This is the force required to tear or shear the roofing material measured in pounds per square inch, or PSI. This technical term essentially means the higher the force required to tear or sheer the roofing, the higher the quality of the roofing material.
The popular roofing material is composition shingles. Composition shingles get this name because they are composed of several materials that are bonded together. The process begins with a fiberglass matt that is covered with tar and then filler material is added for strength. The colored granules are added for appearance, but also to protect the shingle from ultra violet rays. This roofing when manufactured according to the strict standards of the American Society for Testing Materials Standard D3462 is very tear resistant. However, compliance with this standard does not necessarily imply a quality product, but it is the best indicator of quality.
The underlayment is an important part of a tear resistant roof. Underlayment’s made of synthetic felts that are extremely tear resistant can withstand storms in the Washington state.
Tear resistance is largely determined by how the shingles are installed. The proper number of fasteners and their location are critical to the performance of the roof. Spacing the fasteners
requires that they are placed through two layers of shingles within the 2 inch headlap. The distance between fasteners is also critical to achieving tear resistance.
The cedar shingle and cedar shake are Northwest roofing favorites; they just seem to be part of the architecture. However, over the past ten years these roofing materials have declined in popularity. There are several reasons for this, and chief among them are cost, short life of the roof, and they are not the most resistant to tear force.
A metal roof is a safe and efficient type of roofing. They last a long time and maintain an attractive appearance depending on the quality of the metal.
Low slope or flat roofs are all ‘membrane roofs’. The membranes are tarred or glued together to make a solid one piece membrane that water cannot enter as it becomes one continuous piece after application. With a few exceptions any roof with a slope of less the 2/12 which simply means less than a 2 “drop in a 12” horizontal run requires a membrane roof. Installing a membrane roof requires a roofing contractor with the skill and experience to install a membrane roof because heat from a torch is required to seal the seams.
It is important to choose a roofing contractor who knows tear resistant factors and sells the ASTM approved products.
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2 thoughts on “Building Roofs That Can Withstand Storms In Washington”
Roofs is one of the most important part of the house it shelters for all seasons just imagine a house without roof it would be very awkward. We need to have a roof that can withstand storms or the heat of the sun in order to protect us.
I am sure that the composition shingles on homes and structures in Washington are always put to the test given the local weather conditions. Although it can become a bit of a headache, but every homeowner should do their research on the materials that are purchased and learn the specs of the shingles. Every shingle manufactured will have a wind resistance factor and if the contractor that is chosen is certified with the manufacturer and knows how to install the shingles according to spec, then the home owner will not be held responsible if a storm with weaker wind power tears off shingles made to up hold the wind. Metal roofs would be great except that every rain drop will be heard that hits the metal roof.