The Marketing Power Of Youtube

Everyday, millions of people jump on YouTube to find videos on just about everything you could possibly imagine. Many of these are not all that professional. In fact, most are done by people purely for entertainment purposes.

I recently came across a video which features some very talented kids playing Bluegrass like you’ve never heard. It is incredible. At the time I am writing this article, they have well over 395,000 views! What’s even more amazing is that they have no website, no contact info, no nothing. I’m thinking, “What a Waste!”

What’s my point? Very simple – you, as an entrepreneur, need to be tapping into the potential of marketing your business online through YouTube or other video sites. Let me give you another example. A couple of weeks ago, I spotted a leak in my attic during a heavy downpour. I could tell where the leak was coming from – the main ridge vent. My curiosity was sparked, so I jumped on the web, went to YouTube and looked up “leaky ridge vents”.

My search produced a number of videos done by one professional roofer, who gave a series of video tips of what to look for when inspecting your roof. I spent over 30 minutes just watching these videos because they were so informative. At the end of his video, the roofer’s website address would appear letting people know where they can find him if they need a free estimate. This one simple strategy on his part separated him from so many other competitors. He did something remarkably different. From these videos, you got the feeling that this person was a real expert; not some fly-by-night operation.

As an entrepreneur, you could immediately start producing helpful videos for potential customers. Even if your business is not online, you can still benefit greatly. A weekly email to your customers that provides them with a video “tip of the week” can go a long way to building credibility and trust with your customers. The great news is that it doesn’t have to be expensive to produce. If you don’t have a video camera already, you can get one fairly inexpensively. The new Flip cameras are great for producing YouTube videos, and they’re easy to use.

You can use a simple and free video editing program like Windows Movie Maker to add a caption of your website address into the video at the end. YouTube allows you to even create your own channel, which allows sub
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scribers to sign up for updates on your latest videos. Video marketing is a great way to promote your business, and provide a great service to your customers. They will remember you for it.

By: J R Taylor

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jonathan Taylor is president of Strategic Marketing Practices in Knoxville, TN.
You can get his Free report, “The Referral Card Sales System- 5 Referral Secrets that Will Bring You an Endless Amount of New Referrals in Any Economy” at www.JonathanTaylorBlog.com

Ask This Old House installs a Solar Star attic fan

The Soffit Vent, along with the Ridge vent, and maybe some of the insulation that goes between the roof rafters to help draw air from the soffit vent to the ridge vent to help the roof “breath” But the fan is still cool in a way. …

Disadvantages to Ridge Vent in Hurricanes | eHow.co.uk

In a hurricane, unprotected ridge vents leave the roof vulnerable to winds which could shear it from the structure. These vents can be covered, just … read more at: www.ehow.co.uk …

On the Level: Ridge vent should provide perfectly good ventilation …

I was told by the roofer that I did not need this fan since they would be installing a ridge vent, and that the ridge vent and the small gable vents would be sufficient for airflow in the attic. …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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When we build the roofs of our houses and buildings, we keep a few things in mind like the strength and durability of the roofs so that in the extreme weather conditions, the roof stays intact and out of any trouble and hence keeps us trouble free and satisfied. There is another thing that needs to be addressed is that our chosen roof does not cause any harm to the rest of the building. Though ordinary metal roofed building can be caused harm due to the extreme weather conditions it faces but that can be prevented by using the vented ridge roofing.

Peace of Mind with Vented Ridge Metal Roofing

Vented ridge metal roofing can help you stay care free from your roof-problems in number of ways. For one, it lets your building roof breath properly due to the vented ridges which results in proper sanitation of the water from your roof. It also protects your roof from other extreme weather conditions like hailstorm, extensive heat, and snow.

Usually vented ridge metal roofing is placed on the top of the roof so that the proper ventilation is ensured but these requirements can change as there might be other requirements for a different type of the building and different structure of the roof.

The vented ridge metal roofing does not absorb the heat in summer as other metal roofs do and in winter it keeps the warmth of the building locked inside the building.

Professional Contractors should be consulted

In order to get the vented ridge metal roofing fitted properly, professional roof-makers and contractors should be hired as they guarantee the quality as well as the accuracy of the work in a delicate job like this which can not be achieved by any homeowner himself. Professional workers can install the ridge vents accurately so the proper amount of air passes through the roof and it stays dry which ultimately results in the increased lifetime of the metal roof.

Check your roof for damage and rust every year and apply non corrosive paint to the roof so that its life is maximized.

As a last word, it should be said that the vented ridge metal roof increases the expected life of the roof having all the qualities in ordinary metal roofs have with their own qualities, which ensures that the home and building owners stay out of trouble for years.

You can also find more info on metal roofing system and good metal roof. Homeroofinghelp.com is a comprehensive resource to known about metal roofing.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wade_Robins

The World’s Deepest Vent

A search for new hydrothermal vent sites along the 110-kilometer-long ridge, the expedition featured the first use of Nereus in “autonomous,” or free-swimming, mode. Image credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution …

Attic Ventilation help… Ridge, Power, whirly? – Self Help Forums

Your thoughts are right about a power vent mixing with a ridge vent. As long as your area above the outside walls below the roof deck between the attic and soffit are is ensured to be open for air flow you have a good ventilation system …

When do I need to use a ridge vent and/or soffit vents?

I’m building a shed and the plans that I have calls for putting in a ridge vent and a soffit vent. Do I really need to put these in?? I thought vents were for better air circulation… and are a necessity for an air conditioned building… …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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Beat The Heat And Survive The Summer

The “Dog Days” of summer are almost upon us and record temperatures are sweeping the country. Unfortunately we have the highest number of elderly and medically fragile people in history, and an aging infrastructure that is feeling the strain of heavy electrical use as our senior citizens struggle to stay cool.

We’re here to give you tips and tricks to help you beat the heat should you be susceptible to extreme temperatures, or should your power be out. Here’s a short list of suggestions:

1. Drink plenty of cool water to keep yourself hydrated and reduce your body’s core temperature. (Warm water won’t do this, and cold water might be a shock to sensitive systems.) Drink regularly, every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that are actually diuretic and rob your body of the water it desperately needs.

2. Eat small, light, non-spicy meals. Eating heavy meals cranks your metabolism and can raise your body temperature. Also, digestion robs you of energy. Since the heat is already robbing you of some energy, you don’t need to add to this drain by taxing the digestive system. However, don’t skip meals since it’s food that replenishes the electrolytes you lose through sweating and increased water consumption.

3. Some sources suggest you wear “light colored, loose fitting clothes.” However, that’s only if you’re going outside. If you go outside, go with that rule and also wear a loose fitting hat or carry an umbrella for shade. Forget the fashion rules, follow the heat rules. (By the way, royal blue and/or white are the best colors to wear for their heat reflective qualities. Ever wonder why most tarps and boat awnings are blue? This is why.) For indoors though, forget all those rules and go with the “bare as you dare” notion. The more exposed skin you have the more efficient your cooling-by-sweating process can work. Also, be sure to tie up long hair, and if you have a beard, consider shaving in order to remove all that facial insulation.

4. Though “bare as you dare” is the way to go indoors in limited AC, most of us would prefer to have good air conditioning. If yours is out, or if power sources are uncertain, go someplace that has AC like the mall or other places that don’t mind people coming in and hanging aro
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und a while. Also, you can “AC pool” with friends just like you’d car pool. Go to a friend’s house who has a good AC system.

5. Failing to find another source of AC, and considering that the power might be out, here are a couple more tips. First, stand-alone floor unit air conditioners aren’t that expensive and can run off regular household current without the need for the special 220 volt outlets. This means that they can be operated using the smaller gas-powered electric generators. Can’t afford a generator? You can probably afford a power inverter which can sometimes be found for under twenty dollars. They plug into your car’s cigarette lighter and, using an extension cord, can power an appliance like your stand-alone AC, or at least some fans. Speaking of your car, if nothing else, if your car has AC you can ride around during the hottest hours of the day, providing you can afford today’s gas prices. If absolutely nothing else, go to your nearest “dollar store” and see if they have any of those little battery-powered fans.

6. Can’t afford a stand-alone AC but you have a generator? Your generator or power inverter can also power your fridge and/or freezer where you should have two-liter plastic bottles full of water filling up every empty space in both the fridge and freezer parts. Having cold water is a great thing. You drink cool water and use cold water to soak towels to wrap around your neck, wrists, and ankles where the veins and arteries are closest to the surface. This is one of the best ways to reduce your body temperature. Also, setting up a few of the frozen two-liter bottles in front of a fan can blow a nice cool breeze your way. (Write us at info@disasterprep101.com and we’ll email you instructions for a homemade AC unit that uses these two-liter plastic bottles.)

7. Now that we’ve talked about keeping you cool in the heat, let’s backtrack a bit and talk about reducing the heat you might experience. Naturally, the first rule is “block the sun.” Do what you can to reduce the sunlight that hits your house or comes in through the windows. Keep the shades drawn, and you might even consider hanging a white sheet or blue tarp as an outside awning on the side(s) of the house that catch the most sun. These tarps are also effective if placed on the roof as they’ll reflect the sun’s rays.

8. Next in cooling the house come ventilation and insulation. If you have an attic, and the power is on, you should have a vent fan that keeps air flowing through the attic. Along with that, we suggest you have roof vent turbines, or a ridge vent (your home supply store can tell you all about these). In extremely hot weather, you might set a garden sprinkler on your roof and let it run for the hottest couple of hours of the day provided your area is not on water restriction. As for “insulation” one way to insulate parts of the house is to close off seldom-used rooms (especially those on the sunny side of the house), and close off their AC vents if any. This blocks heat and also reduces the area that your limited AC has to cool.

While we’re here, we’d be remiss in our duties if we failed to give you the symptoms of sunstroke and heat exhaustion, both of which require medical attention:

Heat Exhaustion: Symptoms include heavy sweating, and skin may be pale, cool, or flushed. The victim will also exhibit a weak pulse, with fainting, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.

Sun Stroke (sometimes called heat stroke): Symptoms are high body temperature, hot, dry, red, skin (usually with no sweating), rapid shallow breathing, and a weak pulse. Sun stroke is the more dangerous of the two.

The most immediate first aid for either of these is to get the victim into a cool spot, and reduce their body temperature with ice-cold wet towels around the neck, wrist, and ankles. You can also put them in a bathtub of cool water. Don’t use cold water in the tub as that will shock the system. Regardless of your first aid measures, you should seek immediate med
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ical assistance.

Remember, hot weather is nothing to ignore, even if you’re not among the elderly or medically fragile. Heat can affect everyone. Play it safe, stay cool, avoid exertion, and stay healthy. Also, when considering heat safety, don’t forget your pets.

By: Paul Purcell -

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant and is the author of “Disaster Prep 101” (www.disasterprep101.com.) Copyright 2006 Paul Purcell. Permission is granted to reprint this article provided all portions stay intact.

Attic power vent warning:

Fan blades are extremely sharp! When doing any type of maintenance work around it, make sure that power supply to the motor has been turned off! Most of those vents are controlled by a heat or humidity sensing switch, and can become active/cause injury while you’re performing cleaning.

Humming, muffled noise coming from above the ceiling during the summer is most likely an attic power vent, working hard to pull out hot air from under the roof (attic power vent should be placed close to the roof ridge – top, or installed as a gable vent).

The most common installations include adjustable thermostat and in some cases humidistat, which activates an attic power vent motor accordingly with your preferences (once set, it operates automatically responding to temperature or/and humidity changes).

There are also some devices preset by the manufacturer (usually between 85F – 100F), and attic power vents with no sensor at all, controlled by on/off switch mounted in various location (usually close to the attic entrance).

For the attic power vent to serve its purpose properly, and save instead of wasting your money, certain requirements have to be met:

There must be other, adequate number (or more likely square footage area) of ventilation ports installed in lower section of the roof.

Those ports are called:

• soffit vents, if your house roof has an overhang, which extends beyond the house exterior wall
• or gable vents – located at the attic area, commonly on the exterior wall where the two planes of a sloping roof join, forming a triangle

There’s a possibility, that type of your roof allows only for installation of vents on its surface – good examples are hip roofs on many of the Chicago style Georgian type homes, which have no overhang/soffits.

In such case, if the attic power vent has been installed in upper section of the roof, passive vents should be placed not less than 1/3 of the distance between the roof bottom edge and top (ridge). Hip / ridge vent system can be also installed, or vented drip edge mounted along the roof edges.

For the attic power vent to perform efficiently, the attic floor, and all penetrations between the attic and living area of your house should be properly insulated and sealed.

Any gaps, holes, and lack or inadequate number of attic vents will cause attic power vent to create a vacuum, and remove AC cooled air from the house. In some properties, there’s an open duct (or two) between the attic and utility room, which provides combustion air for gas burning appliances – it must remain open on both sides.

• Make sure that the attic power vent, or its opening is protected with wire mesh / screen. Vents are usually equipped with wire mesh that wraps exterior of the fan blades housing, and prevents rodents from accessing attic area. If that screen becomes damaged and you decide to install one from the attic side, be prepared to clean it often – the birds often build nests inside the fan, especially during the cold season.

Also, some of the larger animals are strong enough to penetrate this obstacle, in the process damaging fan blades. Therefore, it’s a good idea to examine your attic periodically – be careful, most attics have no flooring installed, and walking on framing is difficult / if possible, examine fan condition from attic access point.

Before installing a new attic power vent in your house attic area, make sure you properly calculate square footage area – vent calculator. If installed fan is too small, it will have to operate much longer, to move the same amount of air through the attic.

• Adjusting thermostat too low might cause fan to run constantly during hot summer – try to set the temperature dial to a 100 -110 degrees Fahrenheit.

The fan should start automatically as soon as the attic temperature rises above the preset setting, and cuts off when the attic is cooled down to approximately 10% below the thermostat setting.

Go Green and try low voltage, solar battery operated power vent – saves money on installation, very quiet, but approximately 3 times as expensive, as a regular attic power vent.

For more valuable information from Dariusz Rudnicki, on how to maintain your real estate property, correct most common problems, and prevent serious disasters by doing repairs the right way, please visit http://www.checkthishouse.com

Dariusz is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this business for over eleven years, crawling through the areas you’d newer expect that even exist in your house… just to let you know that everything is working properly… or not. If you have some attic ventilation, or any home maintenance related questions, you can always ask him for help.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dariusz_Rudnicki

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Depending on your house interior and roof framing design, cathedral ceiling ventilation can be treated as an independent or attic ventilation related condition.

Majority of problems with cathedral ceilings develop in structures where the ceiling framing, and roof framing are the same. What it means, that there’s no accessible attic between the ceiling and roof surface, only narrow, rafter / truss space which should be partially filled with insulation.

In some homes, there is a partial attic, and you can see / look into the ceiling structure from accessible part. “Safer” (from the cathedral ceiling ventilation point of view) types of vaulted ceilings are the ones, which have a separate from roof framing structure, which allows air to circulate more freely.

But let’s talk about this first type. Depending on severity of the cathedral ceiling ventilation problem, you may, or may not see its consequences for a long time.

Some of the conditions, you’d be noticing are:

• roof surface deformation above the cathedral ceiling section of your house,
• moisture stains on the cathedral ceiling surface,
• moisture dripping from recessed light fixtures or electrical boxes on the cathedral ceiling,
• moisture / water stains stains along the top section of the window located in the wall supporting lower end of cathedral ceiling,
• dark stains (also known as ghost marks).

All of the above conditions are curable, but depending on the extent of damage, it might get expensive (lack of proper attic ventilation is a main cause of mold growth and ice damming). Basic principle for cathedral ceiling ventilation is pretty much the same as for any attic with a “twist” to it.

To prevent possibility of moisture condensation, you need constant air movement between the bottom and top of the roof, through the space between rafters / above the insulation layer installed on top of the finished ceiling. “Twist” is for extreme conditions, which in regular attic are easier to spot, and much cheaper to correct.

1. Insulation – if properly installed between the rafters, on top of the ceiling material (drywall, plaster, paneling sheets, etc.), there should be approximately 2″ of space left above it. This space allows air to flow between the bottom and top of the roof.

Ideal installation would include vent chutes / baffles, secured to roof decking, which ensures proper insulation spacing and undisturbed air flow (critical in cold climates).

Contractors who misunderstand principles of proper attic ventilation, never use vent chutes, use more or thicker insulation than required, packing it tightly into the rafter space, blocking completely air flow, and causing… costly “headaches”.

2. Roof bottom vents – because each rafter space is like a small, individual attic, it needs fresh air feed, which in most cases comes from roof overhang – soffit. With a variety of roof soffit designs, it is hard to suggest any particular type of vent, but continues one would probably cover all possibilities and ensure that each rafter space will receive fresh air. If there’s no overhang / soffit, “vented drip edge” can be utilized.

3. Roof top vents – depending on how your vaulted ceiling ends, different types of vents would be required: – if it goes all the way to the roof top / ridge / peak, where other side of cathedral ceiling starts, the only type of vent that should be installed is a ridge vent.

Some roofers prefer static roof louver vents, and if installed between every two rafters, it will do the job – but it doesn’t look nice, especially when you have a long ridge line.

If your cathedral ceiling vents into an open attic, any type of a properly installed vent will do, as long as it provides adequate output.

For more valuable information from Dariusz Rudnicki, on how to maintain your real estate property, correct most common problems, and prevent serious disasters by doing repairs the right way, please visit http://www.checkthishouse.com

Dariusz is a licensed Illinois home inspector who has been in this business for over eleven years, crawling through the areas you’d newer expect that even exist in your house… just to let you know that everything is working properly… or not. If you have some house attic ventilation, or any home maintenance related questions, you can always ask him for help.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dariusz_Rudnicki

No soffit venting

Structure has only a ridge vent that is visible only from the exterior and can not be verified as there is no attic or attic access. Even though there is no attic, should not the space between the roof and the ceiling be vented and …

Ridge Vent Not Performing – Roofing – DIY Home Improvement …

Last fall we had our roof replaced and after doing some research we decided to eliminate our attic fan and install ridge vents. The contractor made extra vent cut outs in the eves for better flow. I.

Xtractor Vent XLP Turbo Ridge Vent Now Meets Miami-Dade County …

Xtractor Vent XLP Turbo ridge vent now meets Miami-Dade County product approval and Florida Building Code approval.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Technorati Tags: ridge vent

Roof Ventilation Are Of Many Types Learn About It

When the roof is the most important part of the house. It can prevent rain, snow, of course, Mother Nature dishes. Without them, we have a cold – literally. Build or buy an apartment, it is important to ensure good conditions for the roof. The roof of the most important there is adequate ventilation.

Problems can occur

Poor ventilation provide moisture, and eventually leads to the roof structure. We must also ensure that adequate ventilation of the roof to increase roof life and contribute to the safety of all at home. In addition, temperature and humidity to increase the cooling costs, energy costs. Moisture can cause ice dams, and other issues, such as rot fungi.

Different types of roof ventilation and roof vents

There are many roof ventilators that are available in a variety of dormers and turbines. The most important thing is to keep the practical options that should be taken to ventilation. A good ventilation system is composed of two types of valves:

Intake.

These vents allow fresh air into the house.

Vent.

Allow air to leave the house.

Bleeding from the system, both the intake and exhaust valves installed. Installed correctly through the house, fresh air ventilation system, while others are sent to the outdoor air.

Call the Professional

To live according to their own professional area of the law a contractor can give you the information necessary to open a different roof, but also easier to go home. For certain types of roof vents better than others on the roof of the structure and style can be. The cathedral’s roof, for example, needs a ridge vent, in order to provide adequate ventilation, and some of the houses and to improve the turbine vent, this is free air circulation.

Different types of roof ventilation and roof longevity

When the growth of the roof of the surrounding buildings, the ventilation of life. This can save a tremendous future, not to buy a new roof. If your house is well ventilated, humid air does not go anywhere. Since the sit in, it will damage the time. Although it does not appear to the emergence of the first occurrence of the damage, and to increase without proper ventilation, Engineering, the
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roof, the deterioration of family structure.

By: windwb

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

In today’s world where pollution is on the rise, we make sure that you can breathe pure fresh air. Our efforts are based around roof ventilation, industrial roof ventilation. We are Suppliers & Dealers of Wind Ventilators,Hybrid Ventilators,Turbine Ventilators. We are known as Hurricane Turbine Ventilator Dealers and Suppliers and are located in Pune Maharashtra India

Shingling or roofing a house is a major undertaking for a homeowner and extreme caution is required. This said, a Do-It-Yourselfer homeowner can shingle or roof their own home with a little knowledge and the right tools.

Required Tools

In order to roof a house properly and safely the following tools are needed: Ladders, Roof Jacks, Hammer, Carpenters Knife, Chalk Line, and preferably a compressor or nail gun.

Estimating Materials

Typically the roof is measured in squares, where a “square” represents 100 square feet. There are eighty shingles in one square. However, when you go to your local home improvement store shingles are usually sold in bundles. Usually three bundles equal one square, however this can vary slightly pending the shingle style.

Measure the area of your roof (length x width) and divide by 100 to get the number of squares required. Then multiply this number by three to get the number of bundles of shingles required for the job. Add an additional 10-15% for spare, leaning toward the 15% if your roof has hips and valleys.

Drip edge, ice and water shield, asphalt paper, flashing, roofing nails, and hip and ridge vents will also be required. The Drip edge comes in various lengths. Measure the outside perimeter of the roof to calculate the drip edge required. The ice and water shield, asphalt paper and flashing come in roles. Use your roof square area calculation for determining your asphalt paper requirements. Typically only one or two courses of ice and water shield is required along the bottom/eave of the roof and in the valleys. Calculate 2 times the length of the roof and valleys to estimate the amount of ice and water shield required.

Typically each shingle will require 4-6 roofing nails and flashing usually comes in 16″ wide roles or 6×6 or 8×8 square inch steps. Step flashing is typically used around chimneys, dormers and side wall junctions. Hip and Ridge vent will vary with local building codes, however a rough estimate would be to measure the length of your roof’s hip and ridges and take 75% of this figure for calculating the amount of vent required.

You should now be able to fairly accurately calculate the cost of material for roofing your home.

Installing the Drip Edge

Nail the Drip edge around the entire outside perimeter of the roof.

Apply the Ice and Water Shield Membrane and the Asphalt Paper

Apply the ice and water shield material such that it is flush with the drip edge. If the climate in your area has harsh winters and/or significant annual rainfall, add a second course of ice and water shield for added protection. You should also add the ice and water shield membrane in the valleys.

Next apply the asphalt paper to the entire roof, starting from the bottom and working towards the ridge. Make sure each course of asphalt paper overlaps the lower row by several inches (effectively shingling with the asphalt paper).

Install metal flashing

Install metal flashing in all of the valleys. Step flashing around chimneys and dormers will be added as the shingles are installed.

Installing the Shingles

Start the shingling at the bottom of the roof (or at the eaves). Lay a starter course such that the bottom edge of the shingle lines up flush with the drip edge. The starter strip is a “tabless” shingle that you make from the regular shingles using your carpenter’s knife.

Lay your next course of full shingles over the first course, staggering the starter joints from the first course to prevent water penetration.

Note: Sometimes you may want to start with a full or a partial shingle at one end. In either case, you want to try to avoid small shingle pieces at the far end of the roof. To prevent this, divide the length of the roof by the length of a full shingle and assess how much of a shingle length you want to start with. Ideally you do not want to have pieces smaller than 12″.

Use a Chalk Line

To ensure your shingle courses run straight use a chalk line. Measure the finished reveal on your shingles. Usually this is about 5 inches. Then make marks every 5 inches on the gable ends of the roof. Snap a chalk line between the gable ends at each pair of marks all the way up the roof. This will ensure that you shingles run true and straight as you progress up the roof with the courses.

Vertical lines should also be snapped every 3 to 6 feet to ensure your tabs maintain alignment.

Use of Roof Jacks

After 3 or 4 courses of shingles have been installed using ladders, roof jacks may be necessary to access the upper courses. Roof jacks are steel brackets that hold planks in position for you to stand on. The roof jacks should be securely nailed through the decking and into rafters to ensure that they will support your weight.

Shingling Valleys, Chimneys, Skylights and Dormers, and Step Flashing

Shingling the valleys and installing flashing requires extra care. The shingles, typically coming from two intersecting courses when entering a valley, need to overlap each other such that no water penetration occurs.

Skylights, chimneys and dormers must be step flashed (step flashing is interleaved with each course of shingles) to ensure water is kept from penetrating the roof.

Adding the Ridge Vent and Caps

To complete the roofing project, ridge vents need to be installed. These are nailed to the top of the ridge and then capped.

The ridge cap prevents water from entering the home via the ridge vent, while still allowing the house to breath. The ridge cap is constructed out of individual shingle tabs that have their unfinished corners cut off at 45 degree angles. Each modified shingle tab, is nailed such that it overlaps the previous piece as you work your way down the length of the ridge vent.

For more help on Shingling Your Home’s Roof, see HomeAdditionPlus.com’s Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet at http://www.homeadditionplus.com/Bid-Sheet-Ebook-info/Asphalt-Shingle-Roofing-Bid-Sheet.htm. The Asphalt Shingle Roofing Bid Sheet will help to ensure that your roof won’t end up with a blue tarp over it and a dumpster sitting in your yard for weeks as you wait for the roofing contractor to come back and finish roofing your home.

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Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more Home Improvement information visit: http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

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Attic ventilation is a critical component to maintaining even temperatures in your attic all year long. In the summer it saves on the life of your shingles by keeping the boards cooler and decreases your cooling costs in the winter weather by diminishing the temperature difference which in turn prevents moisture build up in the form of condensation. Did you know that having a proper amount of attic ventilation is even required to enforce the warranty of most shingle manufacturers?? When it comes to mold the most import ventilation concerns occur in the winter. In the winter during the coldest months as we run our furnaces, hot air escapes into the cold unheated attic space. When the escaping hot air emerges into the cold attic it rises as heat always does. It seeks out the highest portions of the attic where it then coalesces against the cold boards of the roof. This hot- air-mass-meets-cold-surface phenomena results in a condition known as dew point, which creates moisture in the form of water droplets and ice crystals. The nails themselves also will contribute to this moisture problem as iron is a good conductor of temperature and will readily convey the biting chill of cold winter air directly inside the attic. The evidence of this, can be seen in the form of drips and of drip spots underneath the nails themselves.

Bathroom fans vented directly into the attic or Soffet areas rather than straight through the roof are also to blame for exacerbated moisture problems which lead to mold, wood- rot and health problems. The more adults showering in the house and the longer the showers the more moisture will enter an attic. In fact in some families the bathroom fans alone are the sole culprit responsible for major mold infestations!

If you want to eliminate attic mold permanently you NEED to get EQUAL amounts of Intake Air and Exhaust or Out-take Air into your Attic!

Building scientists have proven that using a balanced ventilation system that utilizes equal amounts incoming and out going air. Incoming air comes in from under the eves through vents cut in the underside of the roof overhangs which are called soffets. Proper soffet ventilation is essential to large amounts of incoming air needed for intake. Many attics were originally vented properly but have become packed with insulation along the way by an over-zealous insulation contractor or homeowner, in an attempt to actually stop air from coming in, sadly a common mistake. This mistake was very common in the 80′s and 90′s. There are two basic types of Soffet vents: either a contiguous vent or a individual vents which come in round and square varieties. I generally prefer to use 6 inch by 12 inch square vents because of the ease of installation and the low material cost. They work surprisingly well and offer a lot of surface area. They can be purchased easily in brown white and silver to match virtually any siding.

Out-take air, exhaust air ventilation can take 4 basic forms: Gable end vents, ridge vents, box vents or power vents. Of the four the ridge vent is to be preferred, due to its location at the highest point of the attic, namely the ridge. Because heat always rises it is passively efficient at exhausting large amounts of heated air without the use of electricity. Be sure to select a ridge vent without a complicated filter which can become clogged; I prefer the simple metal designs for their simplistic efficient design and operation. Box vents while older and more dated can be efficient if there is a sufficient number of them located across the surface. If your attic already has square, can, or box type vents but not enough of them, it can be a less expensive solution to an inadequate exhaust air problem. The reason is simple they are cheap and easy to install and like the square intake vents can be easily purchased in several colors to match any shingle. If you have a hip roof there may be insufficient ridge length to allow for sufficient out-take; box vents can be an ideal solution for this problem. Powered vents work well, but are dependent upon electricity for operation. This both costs money and is subject to wear and tear of moving parts. Additionally in the event of power outages can leave the attic over heated, for these reasons the author does not recommend them.

Beware of mixing two different kinds of ventilation!!!

By far one of the most common, and the most troubling ventilation mistakes is the mixed use of two completely different ventilation systems. For example mixing a ridge vent with a box vent or a previously installed power vent or gable end vents. What goes wrong is this: air always follows the path of least resistance and looks for the nearest opening , often the ridge will draft air from the box vents and short circuit the entire exhaust air systems, eliminating any chance of correcting the water/moisture issues. It can also bring unwanted weather snow debris etc into the attic because box vents and gable end vents were not meant to be intake vents, which can cause tremendous damage! So remember don’t mix two ventilation systems pick one and stick with it ensuring there is enough of whatever vent system you choose.

Is correcting my ventilation a cure for a mold problem in my attic?

Sadly NO, it is not a cure for mold but just for ventilation problems which create moisture issues. No matter who installs your ventilation system in the winter if you are running supplemental heat in your home your attic will be subject to some moisture from time to time during the coldest days. For this reason and several others it is a must to actually treat the mold with a system designed to remove it completely without leaving behind mold or poisonous heavy metals paints and chemicals that can make your family sick. Even dead mold can still affect your health and make your family sick. It is also a good idea to hire a mold contractor with a ventilation expert on staff, because hiring a roofing contractor and a mold contractor is always more expensive!

Did you know most contractors use toxic chemicals to kill mold which may contains carcinogens which are cancer causing agents?

In fact ,sadly, I have seen many many attic projects fail after so-called “professional treatments” ! That’s why we train other contractors from around the world in the efficient removal of mold using family-safe all natural products that are absolutely lethal to mold. For detailed diagrams and photos of ventilation projects feel free to visit us or call us directly!

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Charles Boday CMI, CMRC, CMLCC

http://www.safemoldsolutions.com

http://www.superdrybasement.com

Call Direct 1-800-948-4947

Charles Boday is a Certified Mold Inspector and a Certified Mold Contractor, and he is a graduate of the Certified Mold Inspector & Contractors Institute. He is also a member of the National Association of Mold Professionals He is also a certified Environmental Inspector. He is also a Certified Crystal Meth Lab Clean Up Contractor. He has extensive experience reviewing and investigating toxic type cases for law offices prior to the attorneys taking on cases for litigation. He has worked with some of the countries top scientists seeking alternative poison-free mold remediation techniques. He is state certified to teach the realtors’ continuing education course” Toxic Mold! What every realtor should know!” and is the author of the same. He is also a Certified Crystal Meth Lab Clean up contractor. He routinely works for Fanny Mae as well as many other top lenders like HSBC Household First Merit etc. repairing extreme mold damaged foreclosed properties.

He is also an experienced foundation waterproofer and structural repair analyst. He has developed multiple proprietary waterproofing techniques for both interior as well as exterior foundation systems. He has testified as an expert foundation witness and is the Author of the books: The Ultra Dry Basement: understanding and correcting foundation water problems and Ultra Bond Construction Techniques.

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A roofing vent helps pull out the hot air and moisture from your home. If you had an airtight home, well insulated, without one, you’d notice that mildew and mold would develop. It can ruin your home, especially the attic area where most hot air and moisture collects. If you have adequate ventilation in the roof, you lower your costs of cooling the house since it will allow the hot air to escape.

Roofing vents help to make your roof last longer also. Since the hot air escapes the attic area, there’s less chance of snow thawing and refreezing on the shingles of the house. This causes damage and eventually leaks in the roof.

There are two types of roofing vents. The first type is the passive option. The passive variety use only the air movement to work. Ridge, soffits, flat, pot and turbines are all examples of passive vents. The other is an active alternative that uses solar power or electricity to power them. These are the solar and exhaust fans.

There are a number of different designs of roofing vents from which to choose. Some of the traditional ones aren’t as effective as the manufacturer claims. For instance, a continuous ridge vent travels along the upper ridge of the roof. In some of the models, the hot air must go up and then travel downward to escape and transfer to the outside. If you know anything about hot air, you know it moves up. The movement toward the vent is perfectly logical, but if the design requires the air to move down again to escape, most probably the roofing vent is not as effective as the manufacturer would like you to believe.

This doesn’t mean that all continuous ride versions are ineffective. You have to look at the design thoroughly before you make your selection. Simply make certain that the air pattern for the vent does not require any of the hot air to travel down.

There are other types of roofing vents to consider. Some of them have moving parts to aid in the circulation of the air in the attic. Of these types, the three most popular are the solar powered roof vent, powered roof vent fans and the turbine vent. In addition, you have the static traditional mushroom vents sometimes called pot vents.

On big advantage of the turbine vent is that it works with no outside power but can do its job 24 hours a day. Unlike the solar powered that often has limitations; the wind powers the turbine vent. It doesn’t require a lot of wind to work and even a slight breeze causes the vent to move and circulate the air.

Most people find that using a number of different types helps to prevent heat build up in the summer and prevents the formation of ice dams in the winter. Not only that, a good ventilation system also prevents the hazard of mold and mildew in the house. You owe it to your family to look for the most practical and effective systems. Sometimes, that means you simply use more than one style of roofing vent.

I write about roofing vents at http://www.toproofingsite.com.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allen_Taigom

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Most likely, your attic is one part of your home you very seldom think about. Out of sight, out of mind. Unfortunately, NOT thinking about your attic, and especially how it is ventilated, can be a costly mistake. If your attic isn’t properly ventilated, you can find your energy bills increasing drastically, especially during the warmer months. Allowing heat trapped in your attic to escape efficiently can do a great deal to cool your entire home. Unfortunately, too many people make some pretty basic mistakes when it comes to ventilating their attic. Here are some things you should and shouldn’t do.

DO take a close look at the condition of your existing soffit vents. These are the holes in the bottom of your attic that draw the air in. A great many homeowners will find that these vents have never once been inspected, let alone cleaned. Often, vents will have been painted over or are clogged in some other way. They can be easily cleaned with a nylon car wheel brush. Also make sure that the hole behind the vent is large enough to be effective. Sometimes vents are installed and closer inspection shows that there is no hole behind them at all! Once your soffit vents are clear, exhaust vents that may have been working poorly or not at all may start working right away, since they once again have air moving through them.

DO think about installing a radiant barrier. A properly ventilated attic will do a lot to decrease the air temperatures within, but the roof itself can still absorb a great deal of heat. A radiant barrier will maximize efficiency by minimizing surface temperature of the attic insulation

DON’T get carried away with installing a large number of vents all over your roof. The whole point of attic ventilation is to pull air in from below and expel it through the top. Too many vents will pull air away from each other, rather than from the whole attic. The area near the vents will be well-ventilated, but the rest will remain stagnant. The stronger vent will dominate, possibly turning any others near it into intake vents, which of course defeats the purpose of having them there in the first place.

Also, DON’T mix and match your vents. Since a variety of vents are available- wind turbines, power fans, ridge vents, or static vents- many homeowners think using all of them is best. Again, since the strongest vents will pull the most air out, the weaker ones could pull it in. For example: a power fan installed next to a ridge vent will just pull air in through the ridge vent rather than the lower soffit vents.

This leads to the big DO of attic ventilation: pick one type of exhaust vent and go with it. Make sure all of these vents are installed near the top of your roof and within a few feet of each other. If your soffit vents are functioning properly, air should flow freely into your attic from below, and right out the top.

Attic ventilation doesn’t need to be complicated. Just remember that hot air rises, and providing it with properly placed vents means it can do what it was meant to do more efficiently, leaving your attic cooler in the summer and drier in the winter.

Ed Fritz is the owner of http://www.AtticFoil.com. His passion is to help homeowners make their homes more comfortable and energy efficient. He has helped literally thousands of customers by sharing his first hand experiences in the realm of attic insulation, attic ventilation and the proper uses of radiant barrier foil. For more http://www.radiantbarrierguru.com

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The Most Common Mistakes When Installing A Whole House Fan.

Problem Number One:
Heading down to to the local hardware store and purchasing a whole house attic fan without doing the proper research first is the biggest mistake a home owner can make when installing a whole house fan. If you assume that you have the right size fan, the best manufacturer, or all of the information you need in order to install the whole house attic fan yourself, chances are you will have to hire someone to correct your do-it-yourself mistakes.

Solution Number One:
Hire a reputable electrician who has a good reputation for installing whole house attic fans. Even though the project is relatively small, there can be a lot more to it than just cutting the vent opening and turning the fan on. A good electric services company will know: What size fan to use, Whether or not you have adequate attic ventilation, Where to place the fan intake opening, When is the best time to use the fan to maximize its benefit.

Problem Number Two:
Installing a house fan without the correct equipment, right insulation, and proper placement of the main intake vent is a terrible mistake.

Solution Number Two:
A electrical contractor will always recommend a fan that comes with built in insulation. When it is cold, it is really important that the fan, the house fan housing, the vent opening, and the attic vents have the correct insulation so that you are not losing money by escaping warming air. Also, a good licensed electrician will know that the fan has to be installed in a location that permits maximum airflow starting at the windows and into the attic.

Big Problem Number Three:
Buying the most inexpensive house fan off the shelf is definitely a really big mistake. Whole house fans are not expensive at all when compared to HVAC. The off the shelf models are not insulated, have generic fan motors, and are quite loud. The last thing you want is to hear what sounds like a squeeky plane taking off inside your house, or a squeaky fan motor every time the whole house fan is activated.

Solution Number Three:
Purchase a quality fan that has good reviews and low maintenance. A quick search on several consumer goods review web
1000
sites will steer you in the right direction. Also, consult with your reputable electrician. They might carry a certain brand of whole house fan that they trust and that has a great reputation for being a quality product. Definitely do not go with a brand that has no history of past performance or good reviews by lots of people.

Mistake Number Four: (And this one is huge!)
Having a house fan installed that is too large for the home is one of the biggest mistakes a home owner can make. If there is not proper attic ventilation, a house fan that is too large will quite possibly draw all of the hot air up from the house and into the attic, and then push that hot air back down into the living space through the ceiling lights, electrical outlets, HVAC vents, small cracks, wall switches. In fact, a fan that is too large for the dwelling will quite possibly make it warmer, not cooler.

Solution Number Four:
Before installing a whole house attic fan, consult with a electric services company and chose the model that is right for the home. If you don„ôt have enough attic ventilation, there are some simple steps that can be taken to provide that ventilation. A ridge vent, gable vent, soffit vent, and whirly gig are all inexpensive options for attic ventilation. A good licensed electrician will also work with a licensed carpenter who can usually add the correct attic ventilation in a about a day if there is not any in place.

Usually, a smaller fan will cool a house more efficiently than a larger fan, which is more often than not overkill. The goal with a fan is balanced air flow. With constant movement of air throughout the dwelling, it will stay cooler with less energy needed. Also, a smaller whole house fan means less installation work, which is always a bonus.

Mistake Number Five:
Turning on the house fan with the windows closed can cause a potentially hazardous. The whole house attic fan works by drawing cooler air in from the exterior of the house through the open windows and pushing the warm air up into the attic where it escapes through the attic vents. If you close the windows, there is a possibility that air will be pulled from the diverter that is on top of the water heater or boiler. What this means is that poisonous carbon monoxide can be pushed into the living space, creating a potentially fatal situation.

Solution Number Five:
Open those windows before switching on the whole house attic fan! The whole house attic fan is not there to re-circulate bad stale air throughout the house. Its primary function is to cool the dwelling, and provide a less expensive cooling solution than HVAC. In fact, a well installed whole house attic fan can cool an averaged sized house for a tenth of the cost of air conditioning.

By: Don Carter

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

By Don Carter and a licensed Clearwater electrician and electrician Los Angeles. For more information on a whole house fan , visit Vozzcom Electric West Florida 13584 49th St N #20 , Clearwater , FL 33762 (727) 209-0171

Problem With Attic Ventilation | Ask the Contractor

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In the summer, improperly vented attics can cause high energy bills and premature aging of your roof material. In the winter it can cause moisture to accumulate in your attic and lead to mildew and even mold problems. If you ask ten different roofing contractors about roof ventilation you will most likely get ten different answers. And chances are, not one of those contractors can tell you which ventilation seminars they have attended. Their opinions are loosely formed around hearsay.

Some common ventilation myths that misinformed contractors are guilty of spreading are:

-You can add ridge vent to the existing ventilation system. No.

Mixing different types of vents can cause indefinable draft patterns that interrupt the free flow of air. The different vent types can actually cancel each other out. The existing turbines or low profile vent holes should be covered if ridge vent is going to be installed.

-Installing low profile vents on both sides of a roof peak doubles the exhaust. No.

If you place the vents across the ridge from one another, one side will act as an intake for the other and actually push the warm air beneath them down against the attic floor (living space ceiling).

- Power vents are the best thing out there. No.

Power vents are heat activated with a thermostat and generally do not work to move air in the coldest months of winter, allowing moisture to accumulate. The thermostats in the power vents are very temperamental, and usually break within the first two years. They require an electrician to install and they run off of your electricity, which makes them an ongoing cost. On the other hand, solar powered vents are superior products by far, and they posses none of the negative traits of the traditional power vents when installed correctly.

- More ventilation is better. Not necessarily.

Too much attic ventilation can suck the conditioned air from the living area and become counter productive. The ratio accepted by the UBC, FHA, and SBCCI (major building code agencies) is 1/300, however 1/150 is recommended for warmer year round climates. That is, one square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic floor space. This number is then divided evenly between the intake and exhaust. By this formula, a 2000 square foot attic needs thirteen square feet of ventilation (2000/150). This number needs to be divided by two, 6.5 square feet for intake and 6.5 for exhaust. For reference, one wind turbine or four feet of ridge vent is worth one square foot of exhaust. Two soffit vents are worth one square foot of intake. For a 2000 square foot attic you would need thirteen soffit vents and 26 feet of ridge vent, or 7 turbines.

The most important thing to remember is that without air intake, the roof vents are worthless. If you do not have any soffit ventilation, call a trusted local contractor for an estimate. If you do have soffit vents, make sure they are clear of dirt and insulation. If you have special circumstances such as cathedral ceilings or open cornices you should ask a qualified roofing contractor for a more creative solution. You can also have more specific ventilation questions answered in the homeowner’s forum at http://www.hailandwind.com/

Author’s Credentials:
Greg Cannon earned his Navy Achievement Medal and commendations from the White House, and two Fleet Admirals in just four short years of service in the U.S. Navy. He attended Angelo State University with a major in real estate finance, and holds nine construction trade certifications including Solar Photovoltaic and Certified Building Analyst. Mr. Cannon has worked as an independent insurance adjuster in the past, and keeps his insurance adjuster’s license current in order to better serve his customers as a storm damage repair contractor. You can visit Greg Cannon’s web site, which divulges contractor and insurance company secrets in the forum at http://www.hailandwind.com/

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