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Roof Membranes

When someone tells you he’s working to “keep a roof over his head,” the phrase instantly reminds us of a basic human need — safe shelter from the elements. And that’s exactly what a roof will do, providing it’s appropriately designed and installed.

Roofing is at the same time an important visual and functional part of a house. Like siding and windows, roofing is highly visible because there’s so much of it. So homeowners often spend a lot of time weighing the relative merits of asphalt shingles over metal roofing or one of the many other options now on the market. All the old standbys are still available, if you can afford them or are permitted by code to use them— cedar shakes, slate, copper standing seam, and tile. Now there also are synthetic alternatives made to look like the real thing. All of these options come with different price tags, and service lives of various lengths.

As houses are built to ever-stricter energy codes, there are other issues to consider:  controlling the movement of moisture and limiting thermal bridging. These are two potential problems that no builder can afford to overlook. The rules are certainly changing.

Most everyone in the trades has spent some time on a roof. It’s also a job many homeowners feel they can tackle, at least on a shed-sized project. But roofing is a specialty, just like framing or finish carpentry. If you want the skinny on how to install a vent boot, weave a valley, or put down a waterproof roofing membrane, you might as well start with solid advice from Fine Homebuilding’s roofing specialists. Come on up and we’ll have a look.

  • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams

    Wood-fiber panels, blown cellulose, and a taped air barrier help solve the comfort and ice-dam problems common with Cape-style houses.

  • Make Roof Penetrations Watertight

    Learn how to make penetrations in a roof membrane, such as pipes or vent stacks, watertight in this step-by-step process.

  • Replacing PVC With an EPDM Membrane on a Flat Roof

    A redesigned Yankee gutter and a well-executed rubber roof ready a midcentury home for its next century.

  • Bubbles in Membrane Under Metal Roof

    Bubbles in roof membrane may not affect the appearance of the roof, but it could affect the underlayment performance.

  • Looking Out for Future Roofers

    When building new or re-roofing and re-siding at the same time, think ahead to the next reroof and make step flashing easier to remove and replace.

  • Create a Dry Space Under Your Deck

    See 4 options for redirecting rainwater so that you can create storage or living spaces below an elevated porch or deck.

  • Installing Cedar Shakes

    Use these modern methods and materials to create a timeless and durable wood roof.

  • Insulation for an Airtight House

    From the foundation to the attic, efficient materials and installation techniques yield just 0.4 air changes per hour.

  • Fascia-to-Roof Seal

    Before the ice-dam protection membrane is applied, we seal the roof sheathing to the fascia.

  • How to Install Drip Edge When Replacing a Roof

    A pro roofing contractor shows how to install these crucial water-management details before the shingles go on.

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Fine Homebuilding

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