AboutDan Merrill Expertise We are a "green" roofing company. We offer information and advice on metal and synthetic cedar, tile, and slate roofing products.
We also address good, sound installation practices for lifetime and slate roof installations.
Generally speaking, we are experienced with any materials that have 50 year or longer, expected lifespan, such as copper, terne coated steels, Kynar painted Steel, Aluminum, etc.
We do extensive Infrared scans of homes with water leaks, moisture damage, air leakage, etc. So we have a good practical knowledge of what works and what does not work in the long term.
We offer no advice on asphalt or fiberglass roofing products.
Experience Was a hobbyist/home remodeler for over 30 years. Restored over 30 homes.
After retiring from engineering (27 years), I studied materials and installation practices of high-end roofing materials. This information was tempered by my engineering experience.
We have developed and sell roofing "kits" to roofing contractors who do not have the time to research rarely used roofing products. We ensure that they have all the required materials, tools and information to offer their customers a solid 50 year installation.
Organizations National Association of Home Builders
Fox Valley Builders Assoc.
Illinois Association of Home Builders
Remodelers Council of NAHB
Metal Roofing Alliance
EnergyStar provider
U.S. Green Builder Council
Better Business Bureau
Publications Our websites www.ecowiseinc.com and www.chicagometalroofing.com,
Fox Tails, publication of the Fox Valley Builders Association
Education/Credentials Tech certificate in Mechanical Drafting, 1978.
Self-taught Engineer.
Many certificates held.
Have achieved NAHB "Certified Graduate Remodeler" designation.
Graduate of Green Builder College.
Licensed, insured & Bonded Roofer in Illinois.
Awards and Honors Holder of many Patents,
Member of Mensa
Question QUESTION: I recently bought a 100 year old house with a slate roof. I have a slate roof question and a couple insulation questions (there is currently no insulation in the attic). The angle of the roof is about 45 degrees. There is an attic space above the middle of the second floor rooms and crawl/storage spaces around the outside of the second floor rooms. Half of the ceilings in the second floor rooms is angled because the rafters and the roof are right above the ceiling.
A couple of the slates on the roof have fallen off and there is signs of old water damage but we have had several heavy rains since we moved in and it doesn't appear to be leaking currently. How important is it to get those slates replaced and what sort of price range am I looking at (if you can estimate sight unseen)?
As far as the insulation... I was planning on laying insulation flat in the attic above the second floor rooms and blow in insulation between the rafters where the ceiling is angled. I was also thinking about putting insulation between the rafters above the side crawl spaces. Should I install baffles first to keep the insulation off of the bottom side of the roof? Originally there was no ventilation in the attic. I have added a couple gable vents and a thermal switch fan. Is that enough or should I go around and install soffet vents also?
Thanks for your help.
Eric
ANSWER: Since you have a Slate roof it is important to find a Slate roof expert to do occasional maintenance for you, they need to be very experienced. An amateur repair person can do a LOT of damage to a good Slate roof, sometimes they totally destroy them (not uncommon).
We recommend that a Slate roof be inspected every spring. Slates do occasionally break from ice, snow and other hazards. You should get an immediate service to replace the broken Slates. Water can do a lot of damage even if you can't see leaks.
The only insulation I would recommend for your situation is spray foam.
It is important to find an experienced foam contractor who commonly installs both open-cell and closed-cell foams. You don't want to be talked into one kind of foam because that is the only one the contractor sells.
A hybrid system of open-cell and closed-cell foam insulation is usually the best way to go. The foam is most often sprayed on the underside of the roof. This prevents covering up old wiring and other problems in old homes.
With a good foam system you will not want a vented attic, when done correctly the attic is considered "conditioned space" by code.
There are also pour-in types of foam that can be used in the walls of old homes, this stuff in combination with a foamed attic/roof will make a dramatic difference in your heating and cooling bills. Foam is not cheap, but it will be the best investment you ever made. It will save you money on energy every month of every year for the rest of the life of the building.
Good luck, let me know how it goes.
Dan
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QUESTION: Ok, assuming I cannot afford spray in foam, what would be my next best solution? I currently have nothing so I figure even regular insulation would be an improvement. I have heard that if you install regular insulation in the rafters right below the roof you could have a moisture problem that could ruin the insulation and/or damage the underside of the roof.
Thanks,
Eric
Answer The closed-cell spray foam is the only material I know of that will do everything you need to do without causing other problems like absorbing moisture, etc. as you noted.
Make sure you get several quotes on the spray foam, there is a huge difference in pricing.
For example: We quoted out a job this summer. The highest quote was $25,000 the lowest was under $10,000. This was a rather large job. But this wide range of quotes are common.
As a variance of this, you could install sheet foam on the underside of the rafters. You would want to use ISO foam or extruded EPS, sheets with a radiant barrier have additional benefits, like the super tuff-r by Dow. You would have to be very careful to caulk %26 tape all seams for it to be effective. One benefit of doing the insulation this way is that it is an easy DIY project if you are careful and you can install what you can afford. Install 1" now if that is all you can afford, then install another inch next year. If you do this make sure you stagger all seams and seal them well so you don't trap moisture anywhere.
If your home still has wiring on the attic floor (very common) do not apply insulation over it. These wires can run hot and if there is insulation over them the heat can build up and cause fires.
