Whats the deal with these Solar Attic Fans?

Solar attic fans help keep your attic cool all year round by keeping heat and moisture build-up to a minimum. Like other solar-powered devices, a solar-powered fan also saves you money on energy costs, extends the life of your roof, and helps you do your part to preserve the environment.

No Wiring, No Switches, No Worries
Solar attic fan utilizes the sun's energy to eliminate heat and moisture from your attic. As long as the sun exists, the attic fan costs nothing to operate, since it depends solely on solar panels to generate energy to run it. By using a solar-powered attic fan you can help the environment and save money on your energy bill all at the same time.

Summer Time
During hot summer days, the temperature of the typical attic is higher than 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat and moisture from attic then infiltrate your house, causing your air conditioning to work harder.

Winter Time
During cold winter days, the heated air from the attic melts snow that accumulates on the roof. The next time the temperature outside drops, the resulting water becomes ice allowing moisture to remain in the attic and cause problems such as mildew and dry rot.

All Year Long
Moisture enters your attic through everyday activities such as shower and cooking and becomes trapped. This can encourage the growth of mold, as well as cause serious damage to your roof.
Why Solar Powered Attic Fan are better than electric attic fan?
An electric fan has a thermostat that triggers the fan to start only when the temperature of attic goes beyond 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Then after that, it has to run for some time for the temperature to drop below 110 degrees, so during especially hot summer days, an electric fan can burn quite a bit of energy.
Solar-powered attic fans use energy derived directly from sunlight to operate instead, so they work all day long to keep the air circulating and the attic cool. Keeping your attic properly cooled and ventilated in turn decreases the burden on your air conditioning when the temperature rises, saving even more money and energy.
Solar attic fans also increase the durability of your roof by reducing moisture build-up in your home from everyday activity, and like other solar-powered devices, solar-powered attic fans work quietly. Furthermore, you don't need an electrician or any city permits to install them.
These fans are available for every type of roof under the sun, including gable, pitch, and flat variety. You can also use them to improve ventilation in your garage, RV, or barn.
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Why is gutter cleaning important?

Why is Gutter Cleaning Important?
Your (Gutter/Downspout) system was designed to catch the (maximum) flow of water from your roof. If your gutters are clogged, the water has nowhere to go except either (over) your gutters or (underneath) your facia board (roof line). It will find it's way around or in your foundation or inner walls not to mention windows. We can't begin to tell you how may people hire roofers and make unnecessary calls (ONLY) to receive a report of your gutters need to be cleaned out.
Downspout opening is very important!
Many companies will clean out your gutters. But unfortunately they don't even bother with your downspouts. Which is only doing 50% of your job. Your (Downspouts) are designed to take the water (Safely) away from your property's dwelling. If your (Downspouts) are not properly opened and flowing, the water will back up find it's way over or underneath your gutter system. It will find its way inside. And we (ALL) have watched enough news reports on flooded basements and internal water damage.How Often Should I clean out my gutter?

It is important to do this (2) times pr. Yr.
SPRING SUMMER: (Preventative and General maintenance.) Very important. Especially if you skipped the (Late Fall) clean up and the (Spring and Summer) foliage accumulates. We also can use the water for flushing and do repairs if necessary.
LATE FALL: (General maintenance) This cleaning is (VITAL) to your property. Since the winters here are usually harsh, your gutters if not serviced (PROPERLY) will cause damage to your home. Since (ALL) trees shed their leaves and debris at this time of season it's important with rain and most notably the snow storms that (ALL) water needs to flow properly. Many people call us in the dead of winter with many problems of (Water damage) and (Ice damming) problems. This can be avoided if your Gutters and Downspouts are properly maintained.

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Commercial Roofing 101: TPO

TPO: Thermoplastic Olefin or Polyolefin
TPO membranes are single-ply roof membranes constructed from ethylene propylene rubber. They are designed to combine the durability of EPDM rubber with the proven performance of hot-air weldable seams. They have been tested as having excellent resistance to ozone, are algae-resistant, environmentally friendly and safe to install. The material's manufacturers are so confident in properly welded seams that the material is sometimes advertised as a monolithic (seamless) roof. Seam strengths are reportedly 3 to 4 times those of EPDM's adhesive and tape seams.

TPO is highly resistant to tears, impacts, and punctures with good flexibility to allow for building movement. TPO's are available in white, light gray, and black with thicknesses of either 45 mils (.045") or 60 mils (.060"). The width of the membrane depends on the manufacturer but they usually come in widths of six to six-and-a-half feet and are one-hundred feet in length.
TPO membranes are installed fully-adhered, mechanically-attached or ballasted. Fully-adhered means that the roof is "glued" to the substrate using a special adhesive. What actually happens is the glue creates a chemical bond with the membrane. Ballasted simply means the membrane is loose laid over the top of the roof, sealed at all penetrations and around the perimeter, and then a ballast is put on it to hold it in place. Ballast usually consists of smooth, round, river rock 2" - 3" in diameter and is applied at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 pounds per roof square (100 sq. ft.). Sometimes concrete pavers are used in their place. These average 20 pounds per square foot. Mechanically-attached membranes are those that use some type of special screw-type fastener to secure it. The type of fastener will depend on the type of substrate but all fasteners are generally screw-type fasteners.
Properly installed TPO roof systems have service lives ranging from about 10 to 20 years, depending on the type of installation. Full removal of the existing roof, the amount of slope the roof has, weather conditions, as well as several other criteria contribute to the longevity of a roof's service life. Typically, if you remove an old roof down to the deck before installing a new one, then the new roof will last longer. Also, the steeper the slope and the less severe the weather conditions, the longer a roof will last. High winds and hail can do a roof in rather quickly.

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What exactly is EPDM?

EPDM: Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (or Terpolymer which is simply a product consisting of three distinct monomers). EPDM is classified as a Thermoset material which means it is either fully-cured prior to being installed or that it cures during natural weathering after installation. EPDM roofs are single-ply membranes meaning there is only one ply of roofing material, not multiple plies laminated together.
EPDM has been in use on roofs in the USA since the 1960's and is one of the most common types of low-slope roofing materials. This is because it is relatively inexpensive, simple to install, and fairly clean to work with when compared to conventional built-up roofs. There aren't the odors and fumes that accompany built-up roofs which appeals to many property owners and managers.
EPDM is a rubber material whose principal components consist of the compounds ethylene and propylene. A flexible rubber matrix forms when a small amount of diene is added to the mix. EPDM is available reinforced or unreinforced with both commonly used; it's also available in either a cured (vulcanized) or uncured (non-vulcanized) state. Vulcanized EPDM is the most common with non-vulcanized often used for flashing purposes.
EPDM membrane thickness ranges from thirty mils (0.030" - which I've never seen used for roofing) to one-hundred mils (0.100") with the most common thicknesses being forty-five mils (0.045") and sixty mils (0.060"). There are three standard application procedures: (1) fully-adhered; (2) mechanically-fastened; (3) loose-laid. Fully-adhered EPDM uses water-based or solvent-based adhesives to adhere the rubber to the substrate. Mechanically-fastened EPDM is attached by manufacturer-approved mechanical means to the substrate, and loose-laid membranes are secured only at the perimeters and any penetrations, then a ballast of round river rock or concrete pavers is used to hold the materials in place. River rock is usually installed at a rate of 1000 - 1200 pounds per roof square (100 square feet) and the pavers generally weigh approximately 20 pounds per square foot. Structural integrity is important with loose-laid ballasted roof systems. The seams of all systems are sealed using either an adhesive or a splice tape. Splice tapes have tested with a higher tear-strength.
How Long Do They Last?As with most roofs, EPDM rubber roofs have varying lifespans that depend on numerous criteria. These include environmental conditions such as what type of building (factory or church), how much foot traffic the roof gets, how much water remains on the roof after a rain, and how long it take that water to evaporate. Not to mention geographical location. Roofs in mild climates will outlast roofs in harsher climates. Of course, one of the most important factors in a roof's life expectancy is quality of workmanship. If the roof is not properly installed, then its lifespan will be shortened.
Properly install EPDM rubber roofs should last between 12 and 25 years.

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