Roofing...how boring...right?
 

Wrong!!! Not when you're talking about the fine craftsmanship of a Vermont black slate roofing installation. That's exactly what I'm about to share with you. The installation occurred at the Victorian home I've been visiting while under construction.

This slate roof was no small task to complete. They used somewhere in the range of 100 square of Vermont black slate. That's a LOT of slate to have to install on a private residence!

 Layering roofing has been a way to save time and a little bit of money when you need to replace your roof. However, layering roofing can void shingle warrantees, add excessive weight to the structure of your house, and diminish the overall life of the roof.

Before considering layering roofing over an existing roof, check your local building codes. Many restrict the amount of times you can layer the roofing, so chances are if your roof already has more than one layer of roofing, you're ineligible.

If you only have a single layer of roofing currently, and your home is fairly new, structurally the home will probably withstand the extra weight.

Roll roofing is the perfect material for the novice roofer who wishes to finish a shed or porch roof with a slight slope or flat roof. Produced in large rolls that are cut and nailed into place, installation is incredibly simple and can be completed quickly.

  Never install roll roofing unless it is at least 50 degrees to prevent cracking.

The heat will make the roll roofing easy to work with, so leave it on the roof for a few hours to warm up.

While you are waiting, install a drip edge all around the perimeter of the roof to prevent the water from working underneath the edge of the roofing. Normally made of plastic, a drip edge will further protect your roof and give it a finished edge. 
 
 

Making a sustainable roofing choice for your home doesn't require planting a garden on your roof. There are many environmentally sound choices that don't involve plant life or hundreds of pounds of soil overhead.

Below are four of the most common and easiest sustainable roofing choices available to the homeowner.

A month ago my wife and I were attending the 2008 Sandy Springs Society Home Garden Tour. We picked up our share of unique garden ideas, including one home in particular that  was utilizing rain chains not only for function but for visual and auditory reasons, as well.

Placed in startegic locations, rain chains are very appealing if you enjoy the soothing sound of trickling rain (...who doesn't) and unusual materials fulfilling ordinary needs around the home.

Solar powered attic fans can be a great way to save some money on cooling costs as well as support solar technology.

Although the initial cost for a solar powered attic fan is greater than other fan types, eliminating the need to call an electrician as well as future electricity savings can make this a prudent investment for many homeowners.
 
Image courtesy GreenThinkers.org

In residential construction there are four solar powered attic fan options ranging from 10 watts to 25 watt models. In this case bigger isn't necessarily better, nor will it get you better results.

Everyone knows how devastating a lightning strike can be. Protecting your home from a powerful lightning strike could save your life, the lives of your family members, your home, its' contents and electrical components that keep it up and running. How do you prevent a lightning strike on your home? The answer is..."you can't prevent a lightning strike", but you can certainly nullify or minimize the damaging effects of a lightning strike by having a lightning protection system professionally installed in your home.

Why Am I Talking About Lightning Protection?

I've made another visit to the Victorian Queen Anne that I'm covering and my timing couldn't have been much better. They happened to be installing the lightning protection system and the owner/master installer/designer, Christian Wolf of Wolf Lightning Protection Corp., made himself available to answer a number of my questions. I learned quite a bit and you probably will too if you "read more".