Missing Roof Shingles

Making The Most Of Cold And Snowy South Shore Days: Where To Sled and Skate

Winter 2024 Update: Check Out This New South Shore Skating Rink!

Since we wrote the blog post below, South Shore residents have had the good fortune to have a new place to skate outdoors in the Quincy Center ice skating rink located near General’s Bridge. Be sure to check it out with friends & family this winter!

As we write this post, it’s looking to be a cold weekend ahead here on Boston’s South Shore; plus, it’s only early February, which means there’s still likely going to be plenty of days ahead this year fit for outdoors ice skating and/or sledding.

The above inspired our South Shore roofing company to share our list of great places to skate or sled on the South Shore — the place our residential roofing contractors call home! Check out these places to “play” outdoors on South Shore winter days!

Where To Ice Skate On The South Shore (Outdoors)

Where To Sled On The South Shore

Be Safe When It Comes To Outdoors Ice Skating and Sledding

Inspired to head out for skating or sledding? Be sure your children bring and wear their helmets, thick gloves or mittens, and hats. And, make sure an adult will be accompanying and watching them throughout their skating or sledding activities! And, keep in mind that safety experts recommend that children sled feet-first!

If ice skating is in the plans for your South Shore winter play day, make sure an adult checks the ice before children skate on it. Ice that has open water patches is a “no go” for skating — it’s just not safe. Look for outdoors ice skating spots where ice has a dark blue color vs. white or grey, since dark blue ice is safer!

Lastly, be sure to pack some hot drinks, like hot cocoa, or hot cider, in thermoses to warm everyone up and keep them hydrated!

This is an illustrated, cartoon-like drawing showing a family enjoying a winter day sledding and skating outdoors. The image shows two boys who are sledding on a hill that is nearby a pond. One boy has fallen off his sled and is lying in the snow, but not hurt. Pictured on the pond ice skating are a mother with a boy and girl. This image is shared to support our south shore roofing contractors' blog post about great places to ice skate and sled on Boston's South Shore.

Play It Safe When It Comes To Your Home And Roof This Winter

And, speaking of both playing and staying safe, be sure to “play it safe” and hire an expert when snow and ice are causing, or have potential to cause, damage to your home or roof due to ice dams. As we explain in this blog post about ice dams, ice dams can damage your home. So, learn what they are and why you should hire professional roofers like South Shore Roofing to help you treat and remove them.

Our Team Of Roofing Experts Is Always Here To Help

Whether you need help because of winter weather’s impact on your home and roof, or you want to start planning for a new roof installation or roof replacement this spring, reach out to the team of roofing experts at South Shore roofing today!

Spring Cleaning Checklist For Your New England Home

The days are getting longer, the temperatures are slowly rising, and the first flowers will soon be poking their heads out of the ground. Yes, while it may feel impossible and long-overdue, as it does every year without fail, spring will soon have arrived in New England and on Boston’s South Shore!

Like January and September, spring is a time for new beginnings. It’s time to clean out the old and make way for the new! In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about spring cleaning your house and your roof! So whether you’re a spring cleaning newbie and just learning the spring-cleaning ropes, or you’re looking for some extra tips related to your annual spring cleaning routine, read on!

Why Create and Follow A Spring Cleaning Checklist?

The best way to get your home clean for spring is by using a checklist. This will ensure that you don’t miss any essential areas and complete the job promptly (we’ve found having a checklist motivates one to complete tasks, so you receive the satisfaction of checking them off your list).

Whether you create and update your spring cleaning checklist via paper or an online document such as a Google sheet or Excel worksheet, some of the most common areas to focus on during home spring cleaning and incorporate in your checklist include:

  • Deep cleaning kitchens and pantries.
  • Giving all fixtures, surfaces, and objects in your home a good and thorough dusting
  • Scrubbing all bathroom surfaces from top to bottom
  • Cleaning all windows and windowsills – inside and out (depending on how far off the ground your windows are you may need to hire a professional window cleaner to do the outside work safely)
  • Cleaning your grout and tile, professionally, if possible, to preserve its longevity
  • Thoroughly dusting and washing baseboards and molding
  • Cleaning dirty spots off the wall and doorways and on or near light switch plates
  • Refreshing your entryway with new runners and welcome mats
  • Using touch-up paint where needed, or re-painting walls entirely
  • Cleaning your carpets and rugs with a carpet cleaner, or hiring a rug cleaning service
  • Inspecting the home for mold, cracks, and leaks. Learn why wet walls require immediate action.
  • This is also a great time for checking the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and replacing them, as needed.

Roof Spring Cleaning

Just as you need to clean your home in the spring, you also need to clean off your roof. This is especially important if you live in an area like Massachusetts that sees a lot of rain or snow. After all, the winter weather can do a lot of damage, and it’s important to get ahead of any potential problems. A dirty roof can lead to all sorts of issues, such as leaks and water damage.

There are many different things that you can do to get your South Shore roof ready for spring. However, here are a few of the most important ones:

  • Inspect the Roof for Damage: Take a look at your roof for any damage that may have occurred over the winter. We suggest you do this by looking up at your roof vs. climbing up on your roof – we don’t want anyone to slip or fall, unnecessarily. Sometimes, it means standing far back in your driveway or yard, so that you can look at your roof from a distance. If you notice an area of your roof that looks like it’s been damaged and needs fixing, give our South Shore roofing contractors a call and we can access whether you need our services related to residential roof repair or roof replacement. Check out these warning signs it may be time to replace your roof.
  • Clear Debris from Gutters: If you can do it safely yourself, make sure to clear out all the debris from your gutters. This will help ensure that rain water can flow freely and not cause any damage.

Need more spring cleaning ideas and inspiration? Check out last year’s spring cleaning hacks blog post: https://www.southshoreroofers.com/tag/spring-cleaning/

How Our South Shore Roofing Experts Can Help

Don’t risk getting up on your roof to try to mend yourself any damage that you may see. Both being up on the roof, and trying to fix the roof yourself, could lead to undesirable consequences. One of the professional roofers on the South Shore Roofing team can inspect the roof and determine what needs to be done to fix it. They can also provide advice on how to prevent future damage. If you’re looking for a reliable and experienced roofing company, be sure to contact South Shore Roofers! We have been providing quality roofing services for many years, and we’re seasoned roofing contractors who’ve helped many South Shore businesses and families get their home roof or business/commercial roof ready for spring. So, reach out today!

 

 

 

8 Steps To Keep Your Home and Family Merry & Safe This Winter and Holiday Season

Because of the restrictions and limitations that COVID19 placed on the 2020 holiday season, we’re all particularly excited about holiday home decorating safety celebrating the holidays in 2021, right? As South Shore roofing contractors, we’re seeing and hearing from local friends, family, and customers that they plan to go all out with holiday shopping, home get-togethers (even if they keep them small or stick to just family based on their pandemic comfort level), and decorating the inside and outside of their homes.

We think you’ll agree that, with all that “stepped-up” holiday activity, it’s more important than ever that we all do all we can to protect our South Shore homes and families, by putting the following measures in place:

Hanukkah Holiday SafetyThe team of roofing experts at our South Shore roofing company is always available to talk with you about any of the following & more!: attic ventilation, attic air circulation; roof moisture, wall moisture, or ceiling moisture; ice dam prevention, ice dam removal; new home roof installation; and home roof replacement. Never hesistate to reach out to see if we can be of service related to home safety measures or home challenges.

 

 

We wish all our readers a safe and happy holiday season and winter!

 

A SIMPLE GUIDE FOR GETTING YOUR HOME & YARD READY FOR SUMMER

We’ve pulled together ideas below for making both the outside and inside of your home summer-ready because who doesn’t want to be, and isn’t ready for, summer?

Using Your Outdoors Space For Summer Hosting & More!

Are you eager to host a barbeque or graduation party? What about all those reunions and landmark birthdays that had to go uncelebrated? Do you find yourself missing those casual weekend fires and family badminton matches in the backyard? Now that we can safely gather with friends, and family, it’s time to get your yard and house (yes, including your roof!) ready for summer gatherings. 

Here’s how to get started:

First, read these articles from last season about making your patio space super cozy and about why summer is a great time to get your roof replaced. 

Now that you have some decoration and renovation ideas, you can think about how you want to use your space. Do you want to host fantastic meals for your friends in a chic dining space? Do you want to have a weekly backyard volleyball tournament for your neighborhood? Are you interested in an outdoor workspace where you can field Zoom calls and reply to emails while enjoying the sun? 

What you want to do with your space will determine next steps. For instance, if great conversation and fine dining is your priority, you can focus on your patio or porch space. If you want to host outdoor sports events, then you can make sure you have all the right equipment, good storage space for that equipment, and a hydration station. If you want to work from home outside, you’ll need a supportive chair and table in the shade or with an umbrella you can open up for sunny days.

Other Summer Home & Yard Tasks

While they aren’t as fun or exciting as planning for summer activities, like those described above, key home maintenance tasks you should consider include:

  • Make sure your cooling system is functional before rather than during the first heat wave. HVAC maintenance can also keep humidity in your home down which increases the lifespan of your roof.
  • Visually inspect your roof for any damage that might have occurred during the winter such as missing shingles, exposed nails, wavy flashing, or detached gutters, and if you notice anything that needs tending to, give our roofing expert team at South Shore Roofers a call!
  • Put flower boxes in windows and plant some bright flowers. Bonus points for planting things that will flower in different months, so you have continual color throughout the warm months!
  • Clean your gutters to prevent flooding in your basement during any big rain storms. 
  • Trim branches away from your roof. This will prevent gutter clogging and potential damage from any falling branches. Focus on trimming diseased or dead branches hanging close to the roof.

Once you’ve designed your yard space to suit your needs and gotten your home and roof in order, it’s time to invite the friends and family over! Summer on the South Shore is a beautiful time of year. This is definitely the time to kick back, relax, and enjoy being with your people.

If you need help with replacing or repairing your roof this summer, South Shore Roofing will be there for you. You can get your free consultation today. The team would love to discuss your goals and work towards solutions with you. Have a great summer!

 

         

 

 

 

What Home and Business Owners Need to Know About Missing Roof Shingles

As New Englanders, we’re no strangers to storms. Wind, rain, sleet and ice can all leave a roof looking a little under the weather. After a storm blows through, you might notice a few asphalt shingles missing from your roof. Or maybe there is no storm, but you own a beautiful older home and some of the shingles are damaged or badly worn. You don’t think it’s a big deal, but then you start wondering. Will my roof leak? It’s definitely possible!

It’s important to get missing shingles replaced as soon as possible to prevent further damage and expenses down the line. Being proactive with your roof repair will save you hundreds of dollars and bring you peace of mind.

Why, Generally, a Missing Shingle is Cause for Concern

When shingles are missing it allows the wind to get between the roof deck and roof shingles causing the “non-missing” ones to lift and come unsealed. There is a one in three chance that the missing shingle sat above an open seam between the shingles below. The standard 3-tab shingles are installed side-by-side with each new row of shingles covering the top of the layer below and the side seams.

Shingles are installed in layers to wick water away from the wood underneath. Each layer is composed of 3-shingle sections that are laid next to each other, end to end. When roofers add new layers of shingles during installation, they stagger the seams so water can’t get in. If a shingle above a seam tears off, water can flow into the newly unprotected gap between the lower shingles, leading to rotted plywood and roof leaks.

Sometimes your missing shingle doesn’t reveal a seam, but your roof may still be in danger of leaking. The upper portion of the shingle has less protective mineral granules than the bottom. These granules protect the shingle from the sun. When the upper portion of the shingle is exposed, the UV rays might cause it to decay and the rest of the shingles will follow suit. This will eventually lead to leaking, water damage, and mold. No matter their placement on the roof, all missing shingles can lead to roof leaks. Generally, it’s best to address these issues as soon as possible.

The Details Behind Damage from Missing Shingles

  • Water: For a while, the felt paper below any missing shingles will shield your house from water damage. However, a missing asphalt shingle isn’t something you should leave unattended for too long. Left unfixed, you could be in danger, especially during heavy rain which can be common on Boston’s South Shore. Once under the shingles, water will rot the wood sheathing beneath. This can also harm your attic, ceiling joists, rafters, wall framing, and more. Rotting wood leads to structural instability in the home and seriously expensive damage. Leaking water is also a hazard because it leads to electrical issues and fire hazards when electrical systems are in close proximity to the leaking roof.
  • Mold: Mold and mildew can develop as a result of the moisture coming in through the damaged roof. Mold can ruin paint, walls, clothing, furniture, carpets, and rugs, not to mention cause health-related harm to people who have allergies or respiratory problems.
  • Ice: When the New England winter arrives, freezing water can lead to other issues. When the water which has entered the home freezes, it expands. This leads to cracks in the roof or framing of the house. It’s a slippery slope as the cracks allow more water to seep in – which makes the structure more unstable. You can read more about the impact of ice on roofs here, here, and here.
  • Increased Energy Bills: A roof with a hole in it is permeable. With a missing shingle, you will find it harder to keep your home warm or cold depending on the season and this will increase your energy bills.

How Our South Shore Roofing Company Can Help

As with many other home issues, it’s better to fix the problem of a missing asphalt shingle sooner rather than later. Our roofing contractor experts at South Shore Roofing can fix your home or commercial roof before it starts leaking. We’ll help keep your family, employees, or tenants safe and dry! So, please reach out any time to discuss roof damages and the best solutions.