DMR's Exceptional Roofing & Skylight Photopage

<body background="../rf/tn/roof1.jpg" bgproperties="fixed" bgcolor="#DDC284" text="#000000" link="#FFFFFF" vlink="#666666"> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="10" width="90%" bordercolorlight="#0000FF" cellpadding="5" bordercolordark="#000080" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="300" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" valign="top" align="center"> <p align="center"><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/" target="_top"> <img src="../tn/dmrsmall.gif" start="fileopen" align="center" border="0" hspace="" vspace width="300" height="152"></a></p> </td> <td align="center" background="../tn/clouds.jpg" bgcolor="#33CCFF"> <p align="center"><strong><em><font size="5">Roofing & Skylight Advice & Photo Page</font></em></strong></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font color="#00FF00" size="3"><b> <span style="background-color: #000080"> Updated 1-8-2007 </span></b></font></p> <p align="center"> <em> <font FACE="CopperPlate" SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000"> <a target="_top" href="cont.htm"> <img border="3" src="../tn/email2.jpg" width="500" height="135"></a></font></em></p> <div align="center"> <table border="1" width="95%" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#003300"> <tr> <td> <p align="justify"><em style="font-style: normal"><strong> <font color="#CCFFFF" size="4">Here are some examples of the roofing repair that we had done in the past, along with good advice on how to avoid getting screwed by other roofing contractors.</font></strong></em></p> <p align="justify"><b><font size="4" color="#FF9966"><i><u>Why we went from gutters to do roofing:<br> </u></i></font><font color="#33CCFF">In following over 3 dozen roofing contractors in this Portland Oregon area with out gutter work, we have yet to see evidence of a decent roofer who uses a reasonable set of ethics in their work. Instead we have hundreds of horror stories. The roofers in this area have screwed up so badly, not even getting past the one year minimum warranty time, so this area of work has become an area of guaranteed poor workmanship. I felt sorry for my clients, seeing them get taken time and time again. The Oregon Contractors Construction Board already knows full well what a huge problem this is (since well before I got my contractors license 1993) but for some strange reason they still have not done anything to resolve this issue. I say this since they report 70 to 90% of all the claims they have to resolve are due to faulty roofing jobs.</font></b></p> <p align="justify"><b><font color="#33CCFF">We did carry that kind of insurance for a few years and did a dozen or so full roofing replacements. We would work much slower than all the other contractors; worker for worker, because of all the care and details we attended to in the way we did our roofing work. We have spent over a month to replace a roof and gutters on a medium size house.</font></b></p> <p align="justify"><b><font size="4" color="#FF9966"><i><u>Why we went back to just doing gutters:<br> </u></i></font><font color="#33CCFF">Since we are such a small time contractor with no employees, we cannot do the volume of work to afford the high cost of roofing insurance, which is over 500% more compared to the other types of construction work liability insurance. We could not avoid the reality of how it simply was not worth the cost. </font></b><font color="#33CCFF"><b>We</b></font><b><font color="#33CCFF"> do not carry the appropriate liability insurance to do roofing. If It were to come to the attention of our insurance carrier that we did any sort of roofing work now, they would drop us, since they will not cover roofing contractors at all.  Hence, why we do not promote this kind of work and will not do roofing projects any more.</font></b></p> <p align="justify"><b><font color="#33CCFF"> Getting liability insurance for roofing is becoming nearly impossible to get now. Many contractors who sell roofing jobs still do not have the right kind of liability insurance.  To help fight this scourge in our society we have added information and photos here on our web site to help people learn what to demand from a roofing contractor and not get abused like this.</font></b></p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="50%" align="center" bgcolor="#33CCFF" background="../tn/clouds.jpg"><b> <font size="4">What type of roofing is best for my dollar?</font></b><table border="1" width="100%" bgcolor="#CCFFFF"> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><b><a href="#Flat"> <font size="2">Flat Roofing</font></a></b></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><b><a href="#Metal"><font size="2">Metal Roofing</font></a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><b> <a href="#Composite"><font size="2">Composite Roofing</font></a></b></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><b><a href="#Tile"><font size="2">Clay Concrete & Slate Tiles</font></a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><b><a href="#Wood"><font size="2">Wood Shake Roofing</font></a></b></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><b><a href="#Thatch"><font size="2">Thatch Roofing</font></a></b></td> </tr> </table>  <p><b><font size="4">What kind of roofing issues am I likely to encounter?</font></b></p> <table border="1" width="100%" bgcolor="#CCFFFF"> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><b> <a href="#Insurance"><font size="2">Contractor's Insurance Coverage</font></a></b></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><strong> <a href="#Nailing"><font size="2">Nailing the Roofing Down Well</font></a></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"> <p align="center"><strong><a href="#Removal"><font size="2">Removal of the Old Roofing</font></a></strong></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><em style="font-style: normal"><strong> <a href="#Skylight"><font size="2">Skylight Installation</font></a></strong></em></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><b> <a href="#Flashing"><font size="2">Sheet Metal Flashing & Valleys</font></a></b></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><em style="font-style: normal"> <strong><a href="#Pipe"><font size="2">Sheetmetal Flashing</font></a></strong></em></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"> <p align="center"><strong><a href="#Felt"><font size="2">Asphalt Saturated Roofing Felt</font></a></strong></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><b> <a href="#Consultation"><font size="2">Consultation Service</font></a></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" width="50%"><strong> <a href="#Fasteners"><font size="2">Roofing and the Fasteners</font></a></strong></td> <td align="center" width="50%"><a href="#recap"><b><font size="2">A</font></b></a><b><a href="#recap"><font size="2"> Short Recap to Good Roofing</font></a></b></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"> <p align="center"><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font><a href="http://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/HowItWorks.asp"><img border="3" src="../tn/AngiesList.jpg" width="400" height="142"></a><br> <b><span style="background-color: #FFFF00"> For a good honest free resource to find reliable contractors <br>  in your area that your neighbors have used and reviewed </span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><u><font color="#660066"><b><a name="Flat"><font size="4">Flat</font></a></b></font></u><font color="#660066"><b><u><font size="4"> Roofing<br> </font> </u></b></font><b>Flat roofs are those with a 2/12 pitch or less. Flat roofs are always a problem and do not last long. This is a huge problem since they must be installed perfectly to seal out the rain water. They often will have rain water puddle on the roof and collect debris in these puddles that will turn to thick heavy mud. Most of these roofing products will not last more than 10 to 15 years. Mainly because they have not protection from the Sun's harsh UV rays. The sole purpose of the sand on the composite asphalt roofing shingles it to be the shade to the petroleum material below. </b> <p><b>Very few flat roofing materials are made with this sort of rock shade. Slick talking sales-people will try to sell you a PVC blanket to cover the roof with, but don't be fooled to believe it will not suffer the same sort of damage from the sun, or worst yet; wind damage from a lack of fasteners.</b></p> <p><b>Moss is also a common problem for any type of roofing material.  The easiest and quickest solution for this is to wash it off with a pressure washer. This often does not damage to the roofing than the moss though. You will be hard-pressed to find a contractor to spend the time and effort to clean it off safely.  Read over our <a href="../rf/moss.htm">Moss Treatment and Control</a> web page for more details and better solutions. Cleaning those roofs with a pressure washer blasts off a large percentage of the sand, and then the sun rays will rip the roofing to shreds in the next few years. Just like it does to flat roofing.</b></p> <p align="center"><b> <a href="../rf/im/Igloo01.jpg"> <img border="3" src="../rf/tn/Igloo01.jpg" width="300" height="201" hspace="20"></a><a href="../rf/im/Igloo04.jpg"><img border="3" src="../rf/tn/Igloo04.jpg" width="300" height="201" hspace="20"></a></b></p> <p><b>We designed a flat roofing process that is better than any other concept we have seen, but it is not geared to be installed by the average dim-witted roofing contractor or their employees. Most any successful roofing product has to be simple enough to be installed my the stupidest roofers out there. You can contact us for more details about our concept for flat roofing.</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="left"><font size="4" color="#660066"><b><u> <a name="Composite">Composite</a> Roofing<br> </u></b></font><b>We would have to say that composite roofing is the best value since:</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(a)</font> It seems to at least go it's promised life span.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(b)</font> It is much safer to be on years later to access the roof for what cleaning or other service will be needed.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(c)</font> The cost is more reasonable than most all the other roofing products.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(d)</font> Improper flashing is the most common failure of roofs.  This flashing is still the most common problem with the most expensive types of roofing, so why pay more for more expensive roofing when there is no difference in how it is flashed? It is better to pay more to insist on rust free sheetmetal flashing and have it flashed propperly.</b></p> <p align="left"><b> <img border="0" src="../rf/tn/PRPreciseSmokeLG.jpg" width="360" height="360" align="right"><font color="#800000">(e)</font> Composite roofing is less prone to damage from hail storms or workers accessing the roof.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(f)</font> Snow loads do not tend to slide off nearly as much off composite roofing as the other roofing products, which can destroy gutters, cars, landscaping, or other property. Snow loads can present a grave risk to people or animals trapped under it's fall.</b></p> <p align="left"><b>Pabco makes a new shingle pattern in a 35 to 40 year composite shingle. It is in a diamond pattern, so it looks attractive, but most of all it leaves no traps for small debris to be caught in, causing much of the moss growth issue.  We do not hold much stock in warranties, but the better life roofing tends to be thicker, so it is more resistant to high wind damage.</b></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="left"><font color="#660066"><b><u> <a name="Wood"><font size="4">Wood</font></a><font size="4"> Shake Roofing</font></u></b></font><b><font size="4"><br> </font>Some think it looks good, but I think if we try to see it for what it is, we will see how it actually looks terrible! (The Emperor is really naked, isn't he?) You have smooth planed painted siding, but has a rough split wood shake roof that makes my house look like and old country shack? That makes no sense. They gave up wood shakes being the actual protecting roof cover over 50 years ago for a good reason. These wood shakes are nothing more than the shade cover for the asphalt saturated paper that is the actual protecting roof cover to keep the rain out. It is a joke.</b></p> <p align="left"><b>Other problems:<br> <font color="#800000">(a)</font> <font color="#800080">Too Expensive</font>: It cost way too much for how long it actually lasts.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(b)</font> <font color="#800080">Poor Installation</font>: Due to the irregularity of the material, it is very sloppily installed, leaving many errors that will leak even in no wind situations.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(c)</font> <font color="#800080">Serious Moss Problems</font>: They grow mildew and moss worse than composite roofs, making them terribly dangerous to access the roof for any cleaning or maintenance, so the workers have to wear special shoes with steel spikes on the bottom (no joke) that will tear up your roof and leave unsightly irregular marks on the shakes.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(d)</font> <font color="#800080">Flashing Problems</font>: It is very rare that they flash it right or use a rust free sheet metal.  The flashing they use in over 90% of the roofing projects is cheap painted steel, that rust through in a couple decades, so the 40 year warranty for the shakes is completely irrelevant.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(e)</font> <font color="#800080">High Maintenance</font>: It is also a high maintenance roof, costing over a $1,000 a year to properly treated with the chemicals to keep it under warranty.  So most Home-owners do not have it treated, since the cost out weighs the cost of re-roofing in half the time, so the shakes are typically lasting only 20 years at best.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(f)</font> <font color="#800080">Bad Roof Cap Design</font>: The roof ridge and hips are only stapled together with these irregular pieces.  They are stapled with exposed steel staples and are not done well at that.  They are prone to rust and fall apart. even in the best situations, they do not seal the roof along these top edges.</b></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><font size="4" color="#660066"><b><u><a name="Metal">Metal</a> Roofing<br> </u></b></font><b>We are sorry to have to say this, and we will make a lot of people very angry; but there is nothing good to say about metal roofing! Many people would be quick to disagree with us, but if you read through this carefully, we cannot see how anyone could debate these issues that metal roofing has. Many home-owners are being fooled into paying extra money for them due to the unrealistic claims from slick talking sales-people. No matter if they are made of the cheap steel (90% of what's used for metal roofs), aluminum, or even expensive copper; here are some of the major problems with metal roofs:</b><p> <b><font color="#800000">(a)</font> <font color="#800080">Aesthetics: </font>Other than copper, a shiny painted metal roof may look nice and modern on businesses structures that wants to draw attention, but they look absolutely terrible on most residential houses! Far from inconspicuous looking.  They are great if you happen to suffer from a lack of attention disorder, but in that case we would highly recommend some therapy for condition that will be more helpful long term.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(b)</font> <font color="#800080">Noise:</font> They are very noisy!  Be it from the sun coming out from hiding behind the clouds, causing sudden expansion or contraction that is different than the wood structure underneath, making them pop and creak.  Also, perhaps the amplified sound of the rain hitting the sheet metal on the roof and critters scampering across may seem charming at times, but when it comes to hail, you will not be able to hear the TV at a normal volume.  There is also the occasional tree branch and pine cones that fall and hit the roof.  That is down right scary and may be so loud it may jar you out of a deep sleep.  Trust me when I say this. We are living in a house with a metal roof.  It was not our choice, but it is there, and already beginning to rust after no more than a decade.  I had to fix a leaking kitchen exhaust vent too.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(c)</font> <font color="#800080">Rain and Snow: </font>Rain will shoot so fast down the roof that it will often over shoot the rain gutters or knock them off entirely.  Thick snow loads will slide off, even on low slope metal roofs, and often cause a great deal of damage to the gutters and other valuable like cars, property, landscaping, animals, and people.  See our <a href="../snow.htm">Sheet Metal Roofs & Snow Page</a> for more details and photos.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(d) </font> <font color="#800080">Rust:</font><font color="#800000"> </font>We have seen in this area of the country that not only most metal roofing are made of cheap pre-painted steel in order to compete with other roofing products, but it accounts for over 90%, since most people are not aware of the dramatic difference in sheet metals like aluminum or copper.  The manufacturers are making unrealistic claims of a 50 year pain finish, that simply are not holding up more than a decade or so.  Beside the fact that cars have a far better paint finish.  Even when you have your car waxed on a regular basis, you still need to have it re-painted within a couple decades?  Are you going to pay someone to wax your roof every 6 months?  Of course not!  How much would it cost to clean and strip the worn paint down and have it re-primed, and painted?  It would cost more than a new roof.  We have witnessed these roofs begin to rust in less than two decades and be nearly paint free within 3 decades.  Of course covered with rust and suffer many holes through that sheet metal.</b></p> <p><b>Once rust begins to form it is too late to just have it re-painted.  The paint may stick to the rust, but the rust will flake off the remaining steel.  It will have to be carefully sanded down, which is very costly, and would cause a penetration to the thin steel sheet metal.  The roll forming machines that make these roof panels are known to crack the paint before this roofing panels are installed on the roof.  This allows for the beginning a cancerous rust to form right from day one.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(e)</font> <font color="#800080">Function:</font> Those roofers do not seem to know how to flash and seal a roof properly, and will not take the time to bend a drip edge on the bottom edge, causing the rain water to trickle back under the roof, dribbling behind the gutters, and causing dry-rot.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(f)</font> <font color="#800080">Stability:</font> Metal roofs have been more known to not be fastened down well, and have ripped right off in high winds.  Which has caused damage and death from these flying sheets of metal</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(g)</font> <font color="#800080">Leaks:</font> They are very hard to flash properly around the many obstacles on found on most roof. Especially around chimneys, sky-lights, roof-vents, and pipe-vents, not to mention dormers.  They will trap a lot of debris on the roof around these obstacles, which will decompose and hold moisture against this metal and accelerate the rust issue listed above.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(h)</font> <font color="#FF0000"> Dangerous:</font> They are very dangerous to access for servicing, since they mildew in short order and become very slick when wet! Wood shakes also moss-up like this and become very slick, but at least we can wear special cleated boots.  There are no special shoes to make metal roofs safe.</b></p> <p><b><font color="#800000">(i)</font> <font color="#800080">Expensive:</font> They are very expensive. Even if they did last as long as they claim, they still are way over priced. But with all the clear disadvantages of metal roofs, they are not only a very bad choice, but they are a huge rip-off!</b></p> <p align="center"><i><font size="5" color="#FF0000"><b>Enough said?</b></font></i></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="left"><font size="4" color="#660066"><b><u>Clay & Concrete Roofing <a name="Tile">Tile</a><br> </u></b></font><b>That can look very snappy on a house and last a good long while if done right with good materials, but there in lays the problem. </b></p> <p align="left"><b>Problems:<br> <font color="#800000">(a)</font> <font color="#800080">Very Expensive</font>: They may look great, but they are very expensive, and are still not real stone slate roofs like you would see in Europe.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(b)</font> <font color="#800080">Poor Flashing</font>: It is clear the flashing it the #1 cause of roof failure, but even though you paid through the nose for a tile roof, in most cases they are still not flashed any better than other cheaper types of roofing, so it fails just as soon (no joke). These 80 year roofs are only lasting a couple decades.  You will not likely know where the leak is coming from, and another roofing contractor will tell you the whole roof needs replaced.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(c)</font> <font color="#800080">Not Installed Right</font>: Good craftsman to properly install a tile roof are hard to find, let alone a slate roofer. Later service is then just as hard to find, if not harder.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(d)</font> <font color="#800080">Fragile</font>: Tile roofs are very fragile, making it very hard, expensive, and stressful to have any service or cleaning done. The concrete and concrete composite tiles are even more fragile, no matter what lies the sales-person may claim.  The composite tiles are also prone to more damage from exposure to the elements. Fallen tree branches can be very destructive, and the leaks will cause a good deal of costly internal damage before you may realize what happened.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(e)</font> <font color="#800080">Not Water Tight</font>: Clay is actually rather porous, unless they are made with a kilned glazing (like dish ware), but is that much more costly, there for is very rare to see.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(f)</font> <font color="#800080">Weight</font>: They are very heavy, and could cause structural damage to the roof structure if not framed well enough.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800000">(g)</font> <font color="#800080">Moss</font>: They also grow moss and mildew more than composite roofing, clogging up the gutter each year and damaging the tiles.  Besides being very unsightly.</b></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><font size="4" color="#660066"><b><u><a name="Thatch">Thatch</a> Roofing<br> </u></b></font><b>They seem charming.</b><p> <b>Problem:<br> There is nothing much to say on this subject, since you would be hard pressed to find a thatch roofing craftsman here in the States. Not to mention how your neighbors would probably have an issue with it.</b></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#00FFFF"><font size="4"><b> <a name="Insurance">Insurance</a> Coverage</b></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="left"><b>First off, most contractors do not carry the proper and required liability insurance and workman's comp that covers roofing work.  This liability insurance is about 5 times as expensive as the other types of construction liability insurance. This has nothing to do with the dangerous nature of this work. That is what the Workman's Comprehensive Insurance is for, so if a worker falls off and gets hurt, they will not sue the homeowner, if they have the proper Workman's Comp Insurance to protect them.  The liability insurance is to protect you incase the contractor or his workers screw up the roofing project and damage your house or property.  It seems that the roofers in this area have been doing such crappy work that they have accounted for 70 to 90% of all the claims processed by the CCB for Oregon.  This is one of the worst statistics you are likely to run across.  And that is even considering how many the homeowner are not able to act on their complaint within the first year. In many cases it is a moot point, since the CCB only requires a 1 year warranty by all licensed contractors.</b></p> <p align="left"><b>Few homeowners will really check into the contractor's background for reported complaints, and check to see that they carry the proper insurance to cover roofing work.  Take the time, or you will be sorry.  Ask for a written warranty that is longer than one year.  There should be no reason that a reputable contractor would not be proud to write you a 20-year installation warranty, if they truly believe in their work.</b></p> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">...</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <table border="5" width="95%" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#00FFFF"> <p align="center"><strong><font size="4">Safety Measures</font></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><strong>OSHA is the department that makes safety requirement. Occupational Safety Hazard Administration. They say a worker needs to be tied off to a safety anchor that connects to a safety harness if they are working more than 10' off the ground. OSHA approved equipment of coarse. This equipment is expensive, needs replaced if it is ever exposed to the stress that it was designed for, limits the worker's mobility, which of coarse impairs their productivity. So you are not too likely to see many roofers wearing these harnesses. I always wonder how the worker is suppose to get up to the peak of the roof safely to even hook themselves to this anchor? Let alone go up there with tools to install this anchor point. They do not have a lot of inspectors and do not have a system to know where these work sites will be and when, so it is rare to see a safety inspector. In my 15 years up on roofs on a regular basis, I have yet to see one inspector. So you are the only one to safe guard your work site.</strong></b><p> <strong>As stated above, i</strong><b><strong>f the roofing contractor does not have the proper workman's comprehensive insurance on their employees, which is about 40% on top of their wages, when a worker injures themselves, their recourse is to sue the Homeowner. No joke! The proper workman's comp is so expensive that it is probably more common than not that the workers are not covered. This is one detail you will need to check out before hiring a roofing contractor.  Most people don't bother or know how to do these sort of background checks.  You can insist on getting their insurance carrier's contact info and their policy numbers. Remember; there are two different types of insurance they must by law carry to do business. If they give you any flack about this issue, you will know not to hire them.</strong></b></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p>.</div> <p align="center"> </p> <div align="center"><center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellspacing="3" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#00FFFF"> <p align="center"><strong><font size="4"><a name="Removal">Removal</a> of the Old Roofing</font></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><b><font color="#333333">If there are already two layers of old roofing, insist that your old roof be removed before a new one is installed. Three-layer roofs might not comply with FHA mortgage inspection practices and if you are considering selling your home anytime soon, you may have difficulty closing or worse, be asked to tear your new roof off and re-roof it after removing the old roof layers.</font></b><p> <b>A full tear off is the only good way to get a reliable roof job.  Most people think it is just to get a nice flat laying roofing material, but that is only one advantage.  Many roofing contractors will use short nails or staple to minimize their costs, so often when there is several layers of roofing left on the roof, it will not allow for the fastener to have a good grip into the wood deck of your roof, and may cause the roofing to be more prone to wind damage or even dislocate and slide down opening your roof to leaks.</b></p> <p><b>Also, it adds a great deal of weight to your roof structure, and there is only so much weight the roof structure can handle. It may not seem like a lot, but we have torn of a good 12,000lb off a single house.  Adding another 6,000lb to it with the new roofing being applied, that makes it 18,000lb total.  Was your roof built strong enough to use it as a parking lot? It better have if you are going to put that much weight on it. Some of the older houses we have seen have 32" spaces between the roof trusses, instead of the modern code of 24" apart. And if that were not bad enough, they had no cross bracing inside, or had it removed for better attic storage space. We could see the roof sag from the weight of a single layer of roofing, and felt like we were walking on a soft springy surface when up on their roof.  a bad snow storm could cave in their roof and cause the whole house to collapse.</b></p> <p><b> <img src="../rf/im/rto.jpg" border="3" align="right" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="307">T</b><strong>his photo shows a three-layer tear off down to the skip sheeting boards we did back in 1996.   It also shows the tarps we bought new for each job.  Instead of just using the cheap black plastic most contractors use.  You should make sure they cover the roof each night; rain or shine.  As you know, the weather can change on a dime here in the Great North-West.  The weather can completely change in an hour or less.  It also demonstrates the care we went through to protect the home and property when we have to peel the debris off and get it into a safe area.  We built this shoot over the back balcony to divert the debris to the side.</strong></p> <p><strong>Also, we would only use exterior grade plywood that was over the minimum code thickness.  Most roofers will use the cheap chipboard.  Even though it is allowed by code, you should remember that the house will sweat, and this moisture can break down the glue, and you would have a mess to deal with that you really are not going to like!</strong></p> <p><strong>Also check to see where they are taking the old roofing they removed. Plenty of contractors will not want to pay the $75 a ton the dump will charge.  That is how a lot of the illegal dumping happens.</strong></p> </td> </tr> </table> </center></div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#00FFFF"><font size="4"><b>Sheet Metal <a name="Flashing">Flashing</a> & Valley Work</b></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="left"><b>Roof flashing it the #1 cause of roof failure, but still to this day well over 90% of the roof jobs we have seen are done with just cheap painted steel flashing.  I have witnessed contractors telling the homeowner that they are going to use stainless steel flashing and valley metal, but when I went there to remove the gutters, they had already installed this cheap painted steel flashing under the expensive 80 year tile roof they were installing.  There is no need to paint stainless steel sheet metal, so that is a clue. Also the stainless steel sheet metal will not be attracted to a magnet.  They were paying a huge amount of money to get this expensive 80 year tile roof that even had a kin baked glaze on the top side, and they were going to have to live with 15 to 25 year flashing and valley metal?  Years latter, they will run into leaks, not knowing where the leaks are coming from, and this is of course well past any warranty.  Another roofing contractor will lie to them and say: 'The roof was badly installed, and they are surprised that it did not leak much sooner'.  They will be compelled to replace all the roofing, since roofing contractors will not bid low end jobs to just replace the rusty flashing.</b><a target="_top" href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm"><img src="http://copper-by-design.com/cc/tn/flashing10.jpg" alt="Copper Stepflashing" border="3" align="right" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="300" height="234"></a></p> <p align="left"><b>Copper is best, but for cost sake the pre-painted aluminum sheet metal flashing, like what is used to make gutters is about twice as thick as the 26 gauge painted steel sheet metal and will never rust.  The roofing contractors in this area have been so cheap that the wholesale suppliers have stopped stocking aluminum flashing altogether.  It can be custom made to order, but that makes it just that much more expensive.  Many roofers do not even realize that aluminum flashing is an option, since the painted steel is all they see at the roofing suppliers. </b></p> <p align="left"><b>Also see our '<a href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm" target="_top">Chimney Flashing</a>' web page to see more details of a highly neglected area of roofing.  Also, if you have any dormers, or walls the protrude from the roofing, these are areas that are rarely flashed correctly in a re-roofing project.</b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#800080">We can fabricate this custom flashing for you, in aluminum or copper even if you are not local to us here in the Portland Oregon Metro area.  We can make it in stainless steel, but since copper is around the same price, that is what we recommend to our clients.</font></b></p> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"><center> <table border="4" width="95%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="left" bgcolor="#00FFFF"> <p align="center"><strong><font size="4">Asphalt Saturated Roofing </font> <a name="Felt"><font size="4">Felt</font></a></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" align="left"><p align="left"> <img src="../rf/im/roof3.jpg" border="3" align="right" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="496"><strong>Behind me you will see the 30lb double thickness roofing felt we used.  It's purpose is to be a vapor barrier, but can protect the roof temporarily before all the roofing material is installed, along with all that walking on your roof.  The standard roofing felt is very fragile though and tears easily.  It may cost twice the price, but would add very little to the extra cost to the roofing contract.  It is only about $5 more per square: 10' x 10' area.  It will not be used if you do not have it written into the contract.</strong><p align="left"><strong>If you have a low slope roof or just want extra protection, a rubber under-layment, commonly called 'Water and Ice Shield' can be used instead, and adds about $30 to $40 per square (10' x 10' area).</strong><p align="left"><strong>Make a trip to your local wholesale supplier.  They may not be willing to sell you roofing products directly without a contractors license, but they will happily show you examples of the different products that the roofers can get.  They will have sales fliers to take, or at least make notes of the products that you favor.  A local company named Woodfeathers is a wholesale supplier that has a good set of sample roofing and other products on display to examine.  Just look them up in the phone book.</strong></td> </tr> </table> </center></div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"><center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#00FFFF" align="center"><strong><font size="4">Roofing and the <a name="Fasteners">Fasteners</a></font></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><strong>This shows how we have to start at the bottom and slowly work our way to the top.  We hand nailed the roofing shingles down with aluminum 1.5" nails.  It does not go as fast as those who use a coil nailer, or a staple gun, but these power fasteners tend to blast the fastener right through the soft roofing material.  Many of the roofing manufacturers no longer warranty their product when the roofer use a staple guns.  Most roofers still use these staples because it is cheaper and they don't have to reload the gun as often. </strong> <p> <img src="../rf/im/roof.jpg" border="3" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="343"><strong> Even the coil nailers are too brutal to the roofing, and many homeowners have lost roofing shingles in high winds.   We also insist on installing the higher quality 40-year shingles.  Mainly because it is a thicker product that is heavier and much less likely to be damage in a windstorm.   Most roofers will not openly tell you about the thicker product, since it is a lot heavier to haul onto the roof and harder to cut with their utility knife.  They simply do not want to mess with it.  It is a matter of being just that lazy.  Few installers will consider to hand nail, no matter how much you are willing to pay.</strong></p> <p><strong>They do not make aluminum nails for the power nailers, but they do sell them in stainless steel. This option should only add less than $100 to the cost, but it well worth it!  Especially since the shingle only over-laps the nail head by less than 1/2".  When I have torn off a roof, it tells a story.</strong></p> <p><strong>Again, it should not take a genius to see the evidence of what failed in this old roof and why I am now here to fix it.  These are some of the things I have found that are the most common causes of roof failure, and the products that can help to avoid this in the future. Most of the money you will pay is to cover the cost of labor and business expenses, so if you have to roof half as often, due to a little more cost for better materials, that is still a huge savings!</strong></p> </td> </tr> </table> </center></div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"><center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#00FFFF"><strong><font size="4"> <a name="Nailing">Nailing</a> the Roofing Down Well</font></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" align="left"><p align="left"><strong>Here is a close up, showing the 6 aluminum nails we used on each shingle.  On a steep roof I would use 8 nails.  Most roofers will only blast in 4 staples in each shingle.  As you can see in the photograph, the nails go through the top edge of the row of shingles below the row I am working to position, so actually there are 12 nails now that hold down each shingle, as opposed to their 8 thin staples, which will void your roofing warranty (no joke).  This is over a 150% stronger hold than the other installers who are not even meeting the manufacturer's requirements.</strong><p align="left"> <img src="../rf/im/roof2.jpg" border="3" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="288"><strong>A few roofers will use a 'coil nailer', which is a little better and will not void the roofing warranty, but most roofing contractors will not buy them for their installers to use.  It is because the loads are a little more expensive, and they will have to reload a little more often.</strong><p align="left"> <strong>What is worse is the inherent problem with all power nailers or staple guns; how there is a pressure setting on them, and at the proper pressure setting they will not smack the fastener down enough when it hits the 2x4 truss under the roof deck. The roofers do not want to stop and hit that fastener down flush with their hammer when this happens, so they will set the pressure too high. This means that most of the fasteners which do not hit that 1.5" wide board under the plywood will be shot too deep and will literally cut through the shingle.  That makes the fasteners nearly pointless.</strong><p align="left"><strong>We recommend only hiring a contractor who will hand nail the roofing on, but that will be hard to find. There is no way to blast the nail down through the shingle surface when hand nailing.  The hammer head will hit the roofing material and be stopped before the damage is done. It also means the roofer is a lot closer to the shingle surface for closer inspection of each nail placement.</strong><p align="left"><strong>We used aluminum nails that will not rust, because when we have torn off the old roofing it tells a story (if one cares to look carefully).  It clearly shows what caused the roof failure. The roofing shingle only overlaps the nail head by not more than 1/2", so it stands to reason that it does not take much to have the rain water soak up under the shingle to the nail head and rust it out.  When we had done tear-offs, we could see that most all those galvanized steel fasteners were rusty.  A rusty nail will leave your roof with a nail hole at the very least.  Not to mention the lack of stability to hold the shingle in place.</strong><p align="left"> <strong>Stainless steel nails are even better than aluminum, since they are stronger, and can be purchased for a coil nail gun.  But good luck getting your roofing contractor to actually get them.  even if they write into the contract that they will use only stainless steel coil nails in their power nailers, if you do not inspect the work, they will most likely still commit a fraud just to save that $100.</strong><p align="left"> <strong>We had only found one supplier who was willing to go to the trouble to special order these nails for us.  That should show you how bad it is, that most roofers just don't care to even research the market to see what is available to them.  But the bottom line for them is the need for speed, and making the fast buck.</strong></td> </tr> </table> </center></div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#00FFFF"><em><strong> <font size="4"><a name="Skylight">Skylight</a> Installation</font></strong></em></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"> <img src="../rf/im/Skylight.jpg" border="3" align="right" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="269"><strong>This was a difficult project where they wanted the skylight over their Jacuzzi tub, so it needed to be installed crosswise.  We had to cut through 3 rafters and then support them with a cross beam tied into the rafters on the sides of the hole we cut.  We had to build a framework inside the bathroom to support the roof while we worked on it.  The skylight is of the highest quality.  It is made with double pane glass that is tempered and laminated for high impact resistance and safety, in the event of a large branch hitting it.  It is safer than a car's front windshield.  I also had them etch the glass to deflect the light into the bathroom, instead of having this blinding force of sunlight to sweep across the room each day, and bleach out the floor, walls, and such.  This is not common amongst skylights, as it adds to the cost, but the customer has reported that they simply love it over the years.</strong></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center" bgcolor="#00FFFF"><em><strong> <font size="4">Skylight & <a name="Pipe">Pipe</a> Vent Flashing</font></strong></em></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" align="left"><p align="left"> <img src="../rf/im/Skylight3.jpg" border="3" align="left" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="400" height="364"><strong>This is the skylight in place. It also shows the dark gray pre-painted aluminum sheet metal diverter that we installed to minimize the river of water in a heavy down pour that would hit the horizontal flashing on the topside of the skylight.</strong><p align="left"> <strong> Here is a good example of the lead pipe flashings we used.  Most roofers will use the cheap steel flashings with the rubber boot that hugs the outside of the pipe.  This seems like s good concept, but the rubber they use is a very cheap rubber, and will deteriorate from UV sunlight exposure within a decade, allowing the roof to leak.  You will also see many homes that suffer from rust streaks running down the roofing under this kind of flashing.  These are galvanized steel flashings, and the zinc they use for rust protection is very thin and a very soft metal and will wash away in the rain.  The lead pipe vent jackets are a little more costly, but they are the only things we have seen that will last.</strong><p align="left"><b>Roof vents are also a big problem with not lasting as long as the roofing. The standard roof vents these days are made of a PVC plastic. They may not be able to rust, but they are failing sooner than steel vents from UV damage of Sunlight. Aluminum or copper vents are the only way to last, and can even be re-used when roofed again, if they are not made with very thin sheet-metal to save cost. They should be at least .027 thick, or made of 16oz copper.</b><p align="left"> <strong>To read our special web page on <a target="_top" href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm">Chimney Step and Counter Flashing</a> go to our web page for this import and issue and see how it is to be done right.</strong></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="1" width="95%" cellpadding="10" background="../rf/tn/roof5.jpg" bgcolor="#D3C5A9"> <tr> <td width="100%" background="../tn/b_metal.gif" bgcolor="#333333"> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FF00" size="4">To <a name="recap">recap</a>, insist on:</font></b></p> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(a)</font><font color="#00FF00"> a full tear-off of the old roof layers of shingles, especially if there is a layer of wood shingles, or the thickness of the old roofing will not allow the nails to be able to grip well</font></b> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(b)</font><font color="#00FF00"> if a new roof decking is needed; thicker than code exterior grade plywood with the opposing wood grain layers to grip the roofing nails better  </font><font color="#FFFF00">(none of that 'cheap ass' chip board crap)</font></b> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(c) </font> <font color="#00FF00"> 30lb roofing felt, or the better Water and Ice Shield under-layment</font></b> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(d)</font><font color="#00FF00"> aluminum or copper roof vents and flashing </font> <font color="#FFFF00">(not steel or plastic)</font><font color="#00FF00">, with lead pipe vent sleeve flashing w/matching lead caps</font></b> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(e) </font> <font color="#00FF00"> demand that the chimney and dormer flashing is written in the contract and inspected to verify it was properly flashed </font> <font color="#FFFF00">(or they won't!)</font></b><font color="#FFFF00"> </font> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(f)</font><font color="#00FF00"> better than standard 25-year roofing material for better wind resistance</font></b><p align="left"><b> <font color="#00FFFF">(g) </font><font color="#00FF00">hand nailed with aluminum or stainless steel nails </font><font color="#FFFF00">(if you can find someone who is willing to do this)</font><font color="#00FF00">, or at least a coil nail gun with stainless steel nails  </font></b><p align="left"><b> <font color="#00FFFF">(h) </font><font color="#00FF00">more nails per shingle than the minimum code requirement: at least 6 per shingle on low slope roofs, and 8 per shingle on roofs above a 10/12 pitch.</font></b> <p align="left"><b><font color="#00FFFF">(i)</font><font color="#00FF00"> have the new roof treated with moss control powder </font><font color="#FFFF00"> (no zinc metal strips)</font></b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"><strong><font color="#003300">When we have torn off any roof, it tells a story.  It should not take a genius to see the evidence of what failed in that old roof and why we are now called in to replace the roofing shingles, and hopefully solve this from reoccurring in the near future.  It is sad to think of how pretty much all the roofing contractor know the solutions, but you are not able to pay them enough money to do it the right way.</font></strong> <p><strong><font color="#003300">I approached a few of the better roofing contractors with a list of roofing standards, saying; if they could follow these standards, I would make it worth their while.  But the response I got was that they were not willing to do this kind of quality workmanship at any price.</font></strong></p> <p><strong><font color="#003300">Below are some of the detailed issues and solutions to what we have found that are the most common causes of roof failure, and the products that can help to avoid this in the future, or an unwilling roofing contractor to fix those problems. </font></strong></p> <p><strong><font color="#003300"> Most of the money you will pay is to cover the cost of labor and business expenses, so if you have to re-roof half as often, due to a little more cost for better materials, that is still a huge savings!</font></strong></p> <p align="left"> <strong><font color="#003300">If you find the information here very helpful, it would be kind of you to show your <a href="#Call" target="_self">appreciation</a> ($) for the generous advice we spent thousands of hours to provide here for the world wide web consumption.  </font><font color="#000080">Don't feel too bad if you are not willing to appreciate us for the advice here, since no-one actually has yet</font> <font color="#800080">(a sad commentary on our society)</font>.</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%"> <b><font color="#000080">Even though we no-longer do roofing, if you take the time to study this information, you will be a lot better prepared to know what to ask of your roofing contractors and not get so screwed. If you call the CCB, you will find that this is by far the worst area of construction trades and getting reliable work on your house.</font></b><p> <font color="#660000"><b><u> <a name="Consultation">Consultation</a> Service<br> </u></b></font><font FACE="VAG Rounded Th" COLOR="#000000"><strong>If you are impressed with what you read on this web site and you feel you need our expertise, it is true that this web site demonstrates how I <font color="#800080">(David Rich)</font></strong></font><font FACE="VAG Rounded Th"><strong><font COLOR="#800080"> </font> <font COLOR="#000000"> have been tested to have a 99% mechanical aptitude and an extraordinary ability in spatial arrangement, so I seem to be able to evaluate situation better than most experienced contractors and even inspectors, be they unbiased and honest or not.  If you are or are not local to us; with an existing issue or a up-coming issue about construction work regarding many aspects of construction, we offer a Quality Control Standards Consultation Service </font> <font COLOR="#660000"> <u>for a fee</u></font><font COLOR="#000000">.</font></strong></font></p> <p> <font FACE="VAG Rounded Th"><strong><font COLOR="#000000"> We would love to be able to help you all for free, but in the real world this is simply not possible, or I would be on the phone 24/7, and you would still have trouble getting your call in to me.  I am still an active construction worker, using the daylight hours to get our paying work done, be it in the shop or out at a work site.  Not to mention having to do local bids in the evening or paper work.  That is not counting having a life outside of work<font color="#FFFF99"> </font> </font> <font COLOR="#800080"> (when I am up on a roof, that is not a good time to chat for a half an hour about your problems caused by some other contractor 3,000 miles away)</font><font COLOR="#000000">.</font></strong></font><strong></p> <font FACE="CopperPlate"> <p align="left"> <font color="#000080">We do have a toll free phone number, but before calling us for consultation services; we need you go to our <a target="_top" href="cont.htm">contact info web page</a> and send us an informational e-mail first; going over your situation, digital photos, and your contact information and times to be reached, and we will send you a response e-mail within 24 hours to make arrangements for cost and to set up a time to go over your issues.  Please follow these guide lines, or we will not be able to help you.</font></font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">..</font></p> <div align="center"> <table border="5" width="95%" cellpadding="5"> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#003300"> <strong><u><font color="#FFFF00"><font face="Comic Sans MS"> Other Helpful <a name="Roofing">Roofing</a> Information</font><br> </font></u></strong><font color="#00CCFF">For some valuable advice with regards to roofing and rain management issues check out our:</font><p> <font color="#00CCFF"><font color="#CC99FF">(a) </font> <a target="_top" href="qs.htm">Gutter Installation</a><br> <font color="#CC99FF">(b) </font> <a target="_top" href="lp.htm">Gutter Debris Protection Options</a><br> <font color="#CC99FF">(c) </font> <a target="_top" href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm">Chimney Flashing</a><br> <font color="#CC99FF">(d) </font> <a href="../rf/moss.htm">Moss Control & Treatment</a></font></p> <p><font color="#00CCFF">web pages for answers and solutions that could save you thousands of $ and a great deal of anguish.</font></p> <p><font color="#00CCFF">If you do find this information very helpful, feel free to send us a $ tip for the assistance we so freely have published on the web here for your benefit, like you might tip a waitress.  Heck, send us a gift certificate for a candle lit dinner for two. <LOL></font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"> <em> <font FACE="CopperPlate" SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000"> <a target="_top" href="cont.htm"> <img border="3" src="../tn/email2.jpg" width="500" height="135"></a></font></em></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="1" color="#D3C5A9">.</font></p> <div align="center"> <center> <table border="10" cellpadding="15" width="330" bgcolor="#00CCFF" bordercolorlight="#0000FF" bordercolordark="#000080" cellspacing="3"> <tr> <td width="100%" background="../tn/back1.gif" height="77"> <p align="center"><strong><font size="4" color="#00FFFF">Below is a photo of our<br> Better Business Bureau's<br> NW Business Integrity Award<br> for the year 1998</font></strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" bgcolor="#800000" height="340"> <p align="center"><a href="referrals.htm" target="_top"> <img src="../tn/bbb.jpg" alt="1999 Better Business Award" border="3" width="300" height="300"></a> <p align="center"><a href="referrals.htm" target="_top"> <img border="3" src="../tn/award1.jpg" width="300" height="75"></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="100%" background="../tn/raindro.gif" height="81"> <p align="center"><font color="#000080">We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our <a href="referrals.htm" target="_top"> referral</a> web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award</font></p> </td> </tr> </table> </center> </div> <p align="center"><br>  </p> <table border="0" width="150" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#000080"> <tr> <td width="100%" align="center"><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/" target="_top"> <img src="../im/homepurp.gif" alt="Back to homepage" border="0" hspace="8" align="middle" width="67" height="77"></a><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/"><br> </a><font size="4" color="#FFFF00"><b><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/" target="_top">Homepage</a></b></font> <p align="center"><font size="4" color="#FFFF00"><b> <a href="../links.htm" target="_self">Site Map</a></b></font></p> </td> </tr> </table> <font FACE="CopperPlate" SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000"> <p align="center"> </p> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#000000" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td align="right" valign="top"><font size="2"><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/" target="_top"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" width="16" height="16"></a></font></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/"><font size="2">Company<br> Profile</font></a></td> <td align="right" valign="top"><font size="2"> <a target="_top" href="gutters.htm"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" width="16" height="16"></a></font></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="gutters.htm"><font size="2">Gutter<br> Replacement</font></a></td> <td align="right" valign="top"><a target="_top" href="roofs.htm"><font size="2"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" WIDTH="16" HEIGHT="15"></font></a></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="opt.htm"><font size="2">No-clog<br> Options</font></a></td> <td align="right" valign="top"><font size="2"> <a href="custom.htm" target="_top"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" width="16" height="16"></a></font></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="custom.htm"><font size="2">Custom<br> Fabrication</font></a></td> <td align="right" valign="top"><font size="2"><a target="_top" href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" width="16" height="16"></a></font></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://copper-by-design.com/fs/cf.htm"><font size="2">Chimney<br> Flashing</font></a></td> <td align="right" valign="top"> <p align="left"><font size="2" color="#00FFFF"> <img src="blink.gif" alt="You are already here" align="right" border="2" width="16" height="16"></font></p> </td> <td align="left" valign="top"><font size="2" color="#00FFFF">Roofing &<br> Skylights</font></td> <td align="right" valign="top"><font size="2"> <a target="_top" href="../gm/gm1.htm"> <img src="button.gif" align="right" border="2" WIDTH="16" HEIGHT="15"></a></font></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><a href="../gm/gm1.htm"><font size="2">Business<br> Equipment</font></a></td> </tr> </table> <p align="center"> </p> </font> <font SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000"> <p align="center"><strong><a href="http://dmr-gutters.com/fs/"> <font size="5" face="VAG Rounded Th"> dmr-gutters.com</font></a></strong></p> </body>