Monthly Archives: March 2018

Roofing Spring Article

Roofing Lincoln Omaha NE

Even Roofs have Enemies 

A roof system’s performance is affected by numerous factors. Knowing about the following will help you make informed roof system buying decisions:

  • Sun:Heat and ultraviolet rays cause roofing materials to deteriorate over time. Deterioration can occur faster on the sides facing west or south.
  • Rain:When water gets underneath shingles, shakes, or other roofing materials, it can work its way to the roof deck and cause the roof structure to rot. Extra moisture encourages mildew and rot elsewhere in a house, including walls, ceilings, insulation, and electrical systems.
  • Wind:High winds can lift shingles’ edges (or other roofing materials) and force water and debris underneath them. Extremely high winds can cause extensive damage.
  • Snow and Ice:Melting snow often refreezes at a roof’s overhang where the surface is cooler, forming an ice dam. This blocks proper drainage into the gutter. Water backs up under the shingles (or other roofing materials) and seeps into the interior. During the early melt stages, gutters and downspouts can be the first to fill with ice and be damaged beyond repair or even torn off a house or building.
  • Condensation:Condensation can result from the buildup of relatively warm, moisture-laden air. Moisture in a poorly ventilated attic promotes decay of wood sheathing and rafters, possibly destroying a roof structure. Sufficient attic ventilation can be achieved by installing larger or additional vents and will help alleviate problems because the attic air temperature will be closer to the outside air temperature.
  • Moss and Algae:Moss can grow on moist wood shingles and shakes. Once it grows, moss holds even more moisture to a roof system’s surface, causing rot. In addition, moss roots also can work their way into a wood deck and structure. Algae also grow in damp, shaded areas on wood or asphalt shingle roof systems. Besides creating a black-green stain, algae can retain moisture, causing rot and deterioration. Trees and bushes should be trimmed away from homes and buildings to eliminate damp, shaded areas, and gutters should be kept clean to ensure good drainage.
  • Trees and Leaves:Tree branches touching a roof will scratch and gouge roofing materials when the branches are blown by the wind. Falling branches from overhanging trees can damage, or even puncture, shingles and other roofing materials. Leaves on a roof system’s surface retain moisture and cause rot, and leaves in the gutters block drainage.
  • Missing or Torn Shingles:The key to a roof system’s effectiveness is complete protection. When shingles are missing or torn off, a roof structure and home or building interior are vulnerable to water damage and rot. The problem is likely to spread-nearby shingles also are ripped easily or blown away. Missing or torn shingles should be replaced as soon as possible.
  • Shingle Deterioration:When shingles are old and worn out, they curl, split, and lose their waterproofing effectiveness. Weakened shingles easily are blown off, torn, or lifted by wind gusts. The end result is structural rot and interior damage. A deteriorated roof system only gets worse with time-it should be replaced as soon as possible.
  • Flashing Deterioration:Many apparent roof leaks really are flashing leaks. Without good, tight flashings around chimneys, vents, skylights and wall/roof junctions, water can enter a home or building and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and electrical systems. Flashings should be checked as part of a biannual roof inspection and gutter cleaning.

For your roofing solutions call Casey Nelson Exteriors!  Let Casey or Nate discuss roofing products that Casey Nelson Exteriors has that will draw not only curb appeal to your home but protect it from Nebraska weather.  Contact Casey Nelson Exteriors of Lincoln and Omaha!  Let Casey Nelson show you what Malarkey Roofing and IKO Roofing Products and selected colors can do for your home!

Amerimax Window Products

When making the decision to add new windows to your existing home there are many features and considerations to make. Keep in mind that yes, new windows will you’re your home more energy efficient. That cost of savings will take several years in order to actually pay for the windows that you select to place in your home. Energy Star-qualified windows can lower your energy bills by 7 to 15%. That cost of savings usually only figures to about $50-$450 per year for a 2,000 square-foot, single-story home depending upon the type of window you install. So why make the decision to install new windows? New windows will save you energy costs. They will also make your home quieter, more attractive, less drafty and they will not need to be painted. New windows also are much easier to clean than old windows with combination storm and screens.

When considering what company and brand of windows to choose consider the following:

  1. Price doesn’t indicate performance – Expensive well-known brands may not do the job that you believe they will.
  2. Match windows to climate – look at overall scores on windows. Zero in on test results that apply to our local climate.
  3. Don’t overspend on options – focus on features that will add value. Low-E coatings improve efficiency in our cold winter climates. Finer mesh screens let more light through and do not obscure the view as some standard screens do.

Window Anatomy 101

  1. Frame provides structure.
  2. Cladding protects the exterior of a wood or composite window and is made of vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass, eliminating painting.
  3. Sash is the moving part of the window; it can be tilted in for easy cleaning.
  4. Insulated glass Double-glazed windows have a sealed space between two panes of glass filled with air or another gas that insulates better than air. Argon gas is standard on many windows, but the energy savings won’t justify paying extra for it.
  5. Low-E coating is transparent and improves the efficiency of the glass by reflecting heat yet letting light in. The coating is applied to the outside of glass in warmer climates to reflect the sun’s heat out; in colder areas, it’s applied to the inside glass to keep heat in.
  6. Grilles are decorative and are available in different patterns to match architectural styles.

 WINDOWS

Windows are an important part of a home’s aesthetic, both inside and out. Our windows – Amerimax has completely redesigned our entire product offering of energy efficient windows to bring you A New Direction in selection and style.

PATIO DOORS

Patio Doors can be beautiful and functional, thanks to Amerimax’s redesign of our energy efficient patio door products. Our New Direction in patio door selection and style offers so many choices you will be sure to find one to fit your home.

Casey Nelson Exteriors provides durable, high-performance vinyl replacement windows in Lincoln and Omaha, NE and surrounding areas. Vinyl replacement windows from Casey Nelson Exteriors provide homeowners with beauty, durability and energy efficiency for their hone. These high-performance windows con in a stylish selection of shapes and sizes to enhance the mood of every room in your home and your lifestyle.

  • Increased Value & Curb Appeal: vinyl windows are a simply brilliant way to shed natural light in any room. Through solid construction, performance and maintenance-free operation make them ideal for your home.
  • Greater Energy Efficiency: vinyl windows feature energy saving insulating glass for year-round advanced thermal performance. Your investment in energy star products will pay for themselves over time in reduced energy bills, increase the comfort level in your home.
  • Functionality: vinyl window offer many options such as tilt-in sashes for easy cleaning, right vent locks and super spacer functionality system.
  • Durability & Maintenance Free: no painting and will not rot.
  • Lifetime Warranty: Our warranties certify our commitment to total customer satisfaction. A Transferrable Limited Lifetime Warranty that protects your investment backs our windows and components.

Malarkey Roofing Products

Malarkey - Storm Grey Shingle

Granules play a critical role in asphalt roofing shingles. They protect your roof from ultraviolet rays, resist algae growth, and even reflect sunlight. Available in unique colors, these granules are also designed to enhance the look of your home. Premature granule loss on a shingle can be a dramatic detriment to the condition and color of a roof.

Over the years, Malarkey has driven innovations in asphalt technology to help ensure that these granules stay on shingles for longer.

  • Shingle Components
    • Mat, asphalt, granules and sealant strips combine to create the basic components of asphalt shingles. As with any product, the end quality can be attributed to the quality of the components used to create it.

  • Mat:  Shingles start with a mat foundation on which asphalt is applied. Mats have evolved over the years from pulped rags, to felt paper, and finally to the random lay fiberglass we use today, as seen below. Fiberglass based asphalt shingles do not rot and have improved fire ratings over their rag and wood ancestors.

  • Sealant:  Sealants are special strips of asphalt adhesive that help to adhere the shingle rows (courses) together. This typically occurs during the shingle installation by heat from the sun, but cold weather installations may require the shingles to be sealed by hand. Sealants are important to help hold shingles in place during high winds, which in turn helps to protect your home against leaks.

  • Granules:  The granules on shingles do more than just lend color to your roof. The primary function of those colored granules is to protect the asphalt from aging due to the suns UV rays. Granules come in a wide assortment of colors that are carefully blended to produce different shades, which helps them appear more dimensional.

Shingles can offer a variety of features to meet the needs of homes across the country. Learn how solar reflective shingles, polymer modified shingles, and shingles with Class 4 impact resistance can help protect your roof.

Class 4 Shingles: Severe weather can destroy even the best roofs, but you can give your home-added protection with Class 4 impact resistant shingles. Class 4 shingles are independently tested using the testing standard UL 2218. There are 4 different Class Ratings. The most severe test is the Class 4, which uses steel balls 2″ in diameter to impact a roof to simulate the effects of hail. Class 4 shingles withstand the impact without sustaining damage to receive the highest impact rating available in the roofing industry today.

What does this mean for homeowners? While no roofing material is completely hail proof, homeowners in hail prone areas can reduce their risk of impact damage by installing Class 4 shingles. Many insurance companies will even offer a discount for homes with Class 4 shingles.

  • *Each hail event is different and results may vary. Malarkey does not warrant that the same results will occur on all buildings installed with shingles containing Flexor™ asphalt.
  • Malarkey Class 4 Impact Resistant Shingles:
  • Hail Facts:
    • According to the National Weather Service, on average, only about 3% of all hailstorms produce hailstones over 2” in diameter.
    • The largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States fell in Vivian, South Dakota in July of 2010. It measured over 8” in diameter, weighed nearly 2 lbs., and had a circumference of 18.62”.
    • According to the Insurance Information Institute, United States property damage due to hail reaches nearly $1.25 billion annually.

SBS Polymer Modied Asphalt: Styrene-butadiene-styrene polymers, commonly referred to as SBS, can be specially blended into asphalt to add rubberized characteristics. The result is a more flexible product, which can adapt to changing temperatures while retaining the granules on the shingles.

New Streak Resist™ Technology Featured in Roofing Shingle Algae Defense™ Systems

Each component of a Malarkey roofing shingle plays an important role in protecting the home. The granules in polymer modified asphalt roofing shingles are no exception; they are specifically designed and engineered to preform specifically for certain climates. For instance, roofs in areas with prevalent moisture and humidity can experience algae growth in the form of black streaks on the roofing shingles. Algae growth on a roof can alter the color of your roof and make it appear aged.

As part of the Algae Defense™ Systems, Malarkey utilizes specialized granules that perform beyond traditional materials to offer benefits to the homeowner and the environment. The Algae Defense™ Systems incorporate Streak Resist™ Technology, a blend of algae resistant copper granules that help maintain the aesthetic appearance of your roof, and may reduce the need to clean your roof. By resisting black streaks caused by algae, the shingles retain their vibrant hues in concert with the rest of the home’s exterior.

Also available to protect homes from unwanted algae growth are Malarkey shingles featuring Scotchgard™ Protector from 3M™. These shingles similarly feature 3M™ Copper Roofing Granules. In 1994, Malarkey Roofing Products® became the first manufacturer to offer Scotchgard™ Protector in a shingle.

Granules offering algae defense, solar reflectivity, and color retention are all valuable contributions to the overall performance of the roofing shingle. To make sure these granules stay in place, Malarkey’s polymer modified asphalts such as Nexgen™ and Flexor™, are designed to respond positively to environmental temperature fluctuations.

The product design process at Malarkey Roofing Products considers many aspects of a product’s performance, construction, life cycle, and components. Granules are an integral part of a roofing shingle. Not only does their asphalt adhesion helps keep shingle color, but granules can also be engineered to perform and protect in certain climates.

In the above video, 3M Industrial Minerals and Products Division, Senior Laboratory Manger, Frank Klink, Ph.D., explains the urban heat island effect and how Malarkey Ecoasis™ shingles with cool roofing granules reflect solar UV rays. The granules are manufactured to reflect the UV, or infrared, portion of sunlight. This enables the colors of the shingle to be seen by the naked eye, while still allowing the roof to stay cool.

In addition to engineering the granules for solar reflective performance, the 3M Scotchgard™ Protector granules have been developed to resist the growth of algae and prevent black streaks from forming on roofs in climate with high humidity. In 1994, Malarkey Roofing Products became the first shingle manufacturer to use 3M Scotchgard™ Protector granules.

Mastic Dutch Ovation Pebblestone Clay

Mastic Dutch Ovation Pebblestone Clay

Dutch Lap Vinyl Siding is made to look like wood siding that was hand carved by old world craftsmen. It adds charm and elegance to any home. Mastic’s Ovation Dutch Vinyl Siding is the perfect choice anywhere that you need to create that classic old world look. It will add a distinctive look that will make your home stand out.

This beautiful home selected Mastic’s Pebblestone Clay Dutch Vinyl Siding. Wraps and corners were completed in White.

For solutions to your exterior renovation call Casey Nelson Exteriors. Let Casey discuss products his company has that will draw not only curb appeal to your home but architectural interest.   Contact Casey Nelson Exteriors of Lincoln and Omaha to help you create a one of a kind home! Let Casey Nelson show you what Mastic Siding and selected colors can do for your home!