HOME SERVICES GALLERY ABOUT US CONTACT US BLOG Call Today: 303-942-1386 Spring Checklist for Your Roof WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON FEBRUARY 24, 2021. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT After a long winter full of snow and ice, your roof might come through a little worse for wear. You might have only superficial damage, or you may need to replace the whole thing. Check these spots for signs of damage and determine what you need to do to keep the roof over your head safe, dry, and sturdy for the rest of the year to come. CONTINUE READING Tips to Refresh Your Roof Without Replacing It WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON JANUARY 18, 2021. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Most roofs last decades with good care and maintenance, but they eventually require replacement. However, you don’t have to replace every aging or damaged roof. In some cases, you may refresh the roof and regain its original glory. With careful execution, the refresh may cost you less than the replacement. Below are some tips to help you with the refresh. CONTINUE READING Choosing the Best Roof Tiles for an Eco-Friendly Home WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON JANUARY 13, 2021. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Homeowners can take many steps to make their homes more environmentally friendly, from installing solar panels to recycling their waste water. However, a home to be truly eco-friendly, the building itself should be made from green, energy efficient materials. This includes the roof over your head, and a damaged roof made from unsuitable materials can undermine your attempts to protect the environment. If you need to have your home’s roof replaced or if you are constructing a new home and need to choose a suitable roofing material, conventional roof tiles can be a surprisingly eco-friendly choice. By choosing roof tiles made from the right materials, you can reduce your home’s energy consumption and carbon footprint in a number of ways. Which Types Of Roof Tiles Are Eco-Friendly? Roof tiles can be made from a variety of different materials, and some are definitely more eco-friendly than others. The following, commonly used roof tiles are environmentally conscious choices that also come with a range of practical benefits. Clay Tiles Traditional clay tiles have been used to protect homes from the elements for hundreds of years and have always been prized for their ability to keep homes cool during hot weather. Clay roof tiles have excellent heat insulation properties and will help prevent unwanted heat transfer through your roof and attic space. Fitting them to your roof can lower your reliance on air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps. This effect is enhanced if you choose clay tiles made from white or pale-colored clay. Light-colored roof tiles will reflect a substantial portion of light and heat energy from the sun, instead of absorbing it. This can be particularly useful for keeping the upper stories and attic spaces of your home cool during the summer months. Unlike other types of roof tiles, clay tiles are made from organic materials and contain very little synthetic, non-biodegradable material. They are also durable and long-lasting, and a well maintained clay tile roof will last for decades before it needs to be replaced. This makes clay tiles highly sustainable, and adding them to your home will not have a significant effect on its overall embodied energy and carbon. These advantages don’t come without cost, and clay tiles can be expensive when compared to concrete roof tiles or asphalt shingles. However, their attractive looks and overall desirability can add substantial value to your home, and you may find that fitting a clay tile roof increases your home’s selling price by more than you paid for the tiles themselves. Concrete Tiles Clay tiles may be tough, but they can be vulnerable to heavy impacts caused by falling tree branches, large hailstones, or toppling chimney pots. If you are looking for eco-friendly roof tiles that can stand up to any kind of punishment, concrete tiles could be right up your alley. Like clay tiles, concrete tiles are also made from predominately organic materials, such as sand, cement, and aggregate. If you choose colored concrete tiles, they can be pigmented using natural, iron oxide-based dyes, minimizing the synthetic content of the tiles as much as possible. Concrete tiles rival clay tiles when it comes to their heat insulation properties and can trap warm air in your home during colder weather, as well as keep the sun’s heat out during summer. They are also recyclable, and when your concrete tiles reach the end of their long lives, they can be crushed and reused as road filler, or made into cement to form the basis of new concrete tiles. If you are interested in fitting concrete tiles to your roof, bear in mind that they are rather heavy. Your existing roof trusses may require reinforcement or replacement to bear the additional load, which can add to installation costs. However, concrete tiles are often considerably cheaper than other types of roof tile, so they can still be a cost-effective option if your roof does require reinforcement. If you have any more questions about how to choose an environmentally friendly roofing material, contact the tile and shingle experts at Golden Spike Roofing. 3 Shake Alternative Roofing Advantages When Compared to Natural Wood WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON NOVEMBER 16, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Natural wood shake roofs offer homeowners many benefits. This roof type is attractive, provides great home insulation, and, when cared for properly, can last several decades. However, before you install a roof of natural wood, you should learn about shake alternative roofing and the many advantages of this roof type. Shake alternative roof shingles look just like natural wood shakes yet are made from environmentally friendly synthetic materials. This roof material offers all of the advantages of a natural wood roof with few of the disadvantages. CONTINUE READING Factors That Determine Roof Pitch WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON JULY 28, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT If you want to install a roof, you must determine the roof’s pitch, or steepness, before the roofing contractor commences work. Below are some factors to guide you in pitch selection. CONTINUE READING Dangers Your Tree Represents to Your Roof WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON JULY 20, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Trees are a popular landscape addition because they’re attractive. Many people in Colorado also appreciate the shade the trees convey on sunny days, which can help cut down on cooling costs. However, a tree that’s too close to the house or that overhangs it can present dangers to your roof. Below are some of those dangers. Moss Growth Moss thrives in damp, dark areas. It can grow on and between roofing shingles. It’s unsightly at best, which can affect your house’s property value. At worst, it’s responsible for accelerating the deterioration of your shingles. Moss holds moisture against the roof. The moisture can expand during a freeze and pry up the shingles. Moss is more common on the north side of a roof because it receives less sun. The presence of trees exacerbates the situation. The canopy and trunk might keep that portion of the roof in perpetual shade, which provides ideal growing conditions for the moss. Likewise, if moisture works under the shingles, it can promote mold growth, which also deteriorates the roof. Tree Debris The most common issue related to trees that overhang a roof is that they drop debris in the form of leaves, needles, twigs, and buds. On their own, these don’t cause much damage. However, as they stay on the roof, they, too, trap moisture against the surface. So, you have another source of excess moisture to accelerate the deterioration of your roof. Eventually, the debris gets washed off of the roof, typically during the next rainstorm. The water cascades into the gutters, as it’s meant to do, but this watershed brings with it the detritus of the tree debris. Gutters aren’t set up to funnel debris, so the debris typically clogs them. When you have clogged gutters, the rainwater can wash back up onto your roof and cause more moisture damage. Falling Limbs The other common issue that occurs because of overhanging trees is considerably larger than dropped leaves — overhanging trees can drop the whole limb. When that situation occurs, the limb can cause considerable damage. Part of your roof can even collapse if the branch is large enough. At bare minimum, the branch is sure to damage some shingles and perhaps fascia. Trees can drop limbs onto your roof for different reasons. If the area has experienced severe winds recently, a big branch can break and either fly onto your roof or drop later. A dying tree is more prone to dropping branches. Likewise, Colorado often sees wet spring snow after trees have started budding. The wet snow weighs down on branches, which can cause them to snap and fall. Toppled Dead Tree Speaking of dead trees, any tree that’s near your house can succumb to disease or infestation. Some common pests in Colorado are pine beetles and spruce bark beetles. Both are decay species that can cause disease in your tree, which eventually leads to death. A dead or dying tree is more likely to drop branches onto your roof. Even worse, though, it may topple over in the next windstorm. The tree will do a lot of damage if it hits your house as it topples over. Keep a close eye on trees that are near your house to prevent this danger. Animal Access A tree that overhangs or is just near the house presents another danger many homeowners don’t think about. The tree provides a convenient ladder for animals such as raccoons, squirrels, and even rats. They can use the overhanging limbs to get access to your roof. Once there, they can take up residence or get into your attic. They might damage the shingles with their teeth or claws. Birds don’t need overhanging branches to get onto your roof — they’re more likely to just fly up there. However, they can roost or build their nests on the branches that overhang the roof. Bird droppings are acidic. If a large amount of droppings top your roof, the uric acid can weaken roof tar and asphalt shingles. The droppings can also discolor the roof. Contact Golden Spike Roofing if you discover any of these types of tree-related damage on your roof. 7 Signs Your Roof Needs Repair WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON JULY 20, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Roof damage is a severe problem that can affect the structural integrity of any building. Unfortunately, some homeowners don’t know when it’s time to repair or make adjustments on their roofs. If you don’t identify early signs of damage and act accordingly, you may end up with a completely ruined roof. Here are clear signs that your roof needs attention. CONTINUE READING Can Your Roofing Issues Wait? WRITTEN BY GOLDEN SPIKE ON MAY 21, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Once you spot the signs of damage to your roof, how much time do you have to spare? Should you call a roofing specialist today, or can it wait for a few weeks? You may have many questions about your roof and how quickly to react when you notice the signs that something may be wrong. You are most likely not a roofing specialist, and that’s okay. This article will show you why you should act quickly rather than delay assistance. CONTINUE READING 4 Details to Discuss When You Get a New Roof WRITTEN BY WENDY ON MAY 21, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT Roof replacement is a big project. While it might only take a couple of days, the replacement involves the removal of the old roof and installation of the new roof — and all its parts. In fact, your roof consists of a lot more than just shingles. Reputable roofers will bring up any additions they believe are necessary for your project. However, you may find it helpful to research these four roof details before you meet with your contractor. CONTINUE READING House Styles That Shake Alternative Shingles Would Complement WRITTEN BY WENDY ON MAY 13, 2020. POSTED IN BLOG. LEAVE A COMMENT At one time, wooden shingles were the standard. The two common styles are smooth shingles and their rustic counterpart, the shake. Fabricators use special crafting tools to split lumber to make shakes, a process that leaves the shingle looking rough-hewn. Because some homeowners don’t want the upkeep of real wood roofing, manufacturers have started making shake alternative shingles out of other materials such as asphalt and composite. While shake alternative roofs would look handsome on any house, the roofing would especially complement certain architectural styles. CONTINUE READING 1 2 © 2021 All Rights Reserved.