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 am considering re reroofing with Enviroshake and heard that it is preferable to be installed over plywood...is that correct? I currently have a cedar wood shake roof with lathing...
Is there a "green" product that has a 50 year warranty that can be installed over my current underlayment and would the use of plywood over my existing subsurface give me any additional benefit?
ANSWER: Enviroshake is approved for installation of spaced board (roof lath) construction, it does not require plywood.
Assuming your home was built to code, you would not get any real benefit from adding a plywood roof deck over your present spaced board construction.
My personal preference, even though it is not required by code is to use the roof lath construction and a breathable/permeable underlayment. Anything that reduces attic moisture is a good idea.
Good luck,
Dan
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dab:
Thank you for your explanation about installation of Enviroshake over current lath. I am not certain that Enviroshake is for me, though, because I cannot find a roof that is over 1 year in age to view in my area. Do you think it will weather completely evenly as proposed or is it prone to streaking or to an artificial look? I can't see how each piece could weather from dark to light grey evenly, especially on roofs that have different exposures to sun, shade, wind, etc. Have you observed any roofs aged to an even color over a period of 6 or more years?
Finally, I saw a metal roof that simulates cedar shake in EcoHome magazine...can that be applied over lathing or must I put down plywood first?
Answer Because of the way the EnviroShake is manufactured, they are fairly consistent in color and aging qualities. Even though this is true, they still recommend that the shingles are shuffled from bundle to bundle as a good quality control practice.
They have a good history, for example the "This old house" TV show has used them on several projects over quite a few years. The shows host even recently used them on his own buildings due to their success on previous projects.
I believe the Aluminum "Cedar Shake" you are referring to is Classic Metal Roofing Systems out of Piqua Ohio. They are an honest, well run family owned company with a good history. Most of their products are approved for use over roof lath. They also own KasselWood which is a steel cedar shingle.
The benefits of the metal cedar shingles over organic products are their EnergyStar rated Kynar paint systems that reduce Air Conditioning costs (15-30%) on hot sunny days because of their reflective qualities.
Metal roofing has been around in one form or another for a couple hundred years, so it's history is well proven.
Organic based products are usually only recyclable if you ship them back to their manufacturer. Metal based products are recyclable at any of the thousands of recycling centers nationwide.
