Keeping You Covered

When talking about a home, often times we talk about the foundation, a critical piece to a stable and well built home. The foundation keeps everything up right, even against the shifting ground conditions that Pennsylvania experiences from heavy snow and rain. While the foundation is important, it isn’t the only part of your home that needs to be well built. Having a solid roof is just as important, if not more so. Having a well constructed and well maintained roof goes a long way towards not only protecting your home but everything inside it as well. A good roof not only keeps the elements out, it also helps to maintain the temperature in your home. When your roof is well cared for, it can help to lower your heating bills during the winter and drop the energy costs to keep your house cool during the summer.

When the Wind Blows and the Rain Falls 

There are few things that can be more devastating than having a roof leak. As the water seeps in, it can damage not only belongings that you keeps stored in the attic, which for most people can be a lot of sentimental pieces but also seasonal belongings that aren’t needed year round. Not only can it ruin your belongings, but the water can sit and stagnate, leaving it prone to mold growth that can be detrimental to you and your family’s health, as well as that of your home. As the water continues to trickle and flow through the weak spots in your home, it can soak into the insulation and begin to ruin the ceilings. Ugly brown water rings are only part of the concern, as the water weakens the drywall it can begin to soften and eventually collapse. Because of these reasons, its beyond important to find the source of that leak and repair it quickly.

The Weight of Snow 

Rain is one thing, but if you live in Pennsylvania, you’re also familiar with snow. Snow can get heavy, and quickly, because it continues to lay and build. A weak spot in your roof can quickly become more than just an inconvenience when the heavy snows start to fall during the winter. As more snow builds, the weight from it can cause that weak spot to buckle and eventually cave in. Not only does this make your house unsafe, but it can also make it uninhabitable as there’s almost no way to keep the heat in during those long cold months. The only thing worse than having to get your roof repaired is trying to do so in the freezing cold. Roof repairs are not for the faint of heart handyman, trying to do so while everything is wet and possible frozen adds another level of difficulty that some just don’t have the skill or even the will to attempt.



The Right Roofing Contractor can Make all the Difference 

Whether you have a leak, missing shingles, or other damage to your roof, it’s important to get it fixed, and fast. Almost anyone can get up on the roof and tack down a few shingles, depending on the pitch of your roof and how big your home is, you might not want to attempt to do so yourself, however. While roofing companies in Pennsylvania are a dime a dozen, not all of them are created equal. When looking for a roofer to take care of these repairs, you need to find someone who will do the job right, the first time. So why not trust the roofer that has the experience to get the job done right.

Diversified Roofing Company has been taking care of their customers in south eastern Pennsylvania for over 30 years. From asphalt shingles to slate, Diversified Roofing has the knowhow and the craftsmanship to make sure that your roof is well maintained and stands up against the elements. Specializing in hard to find leaks that create problems down the road, they can keep your roof looking beautiful and doing what it’s supposed to, keeping your home covered. They can also help keep the rest of your house weathertight as well, from superior siding to keeping your gutters flowing, Diversified Roofing gets the job done.

Keeping Your Home in Good Shape

With spring already here and summer fast approaching, rain and thunderstorms are a common occurrence, especially if you’re living in central Pennsylvania. When looking at your spring cleaning and summer home maintenance list, now is the perfect time to take a look at the outside of your house. How did your roof fair from the winter? The weight of snow can take it’s toll on roofs, especially with how hard this winter was for a lot of people. How about your gutters? With the extra weight of the snow and ice, gutters can pull away from the house and some have collapsed altogether. It’s important to make sure that these repairs are done properly, and for some, are beyond the general handyman skills required to keep your house in good shape.

Stemming the Tide 

 Roof leaks are more than just an inconvenience. As the water begins to flow in your house, it can quickly become an issue for the rest of your house. Water can not only damage the things that are stored in your attic, but can drain down into the rest of your house. Mold can grow within the insolation of your walls leading to costly and time consuming repairs. The water can also saturate your dry wall, causing it to become weak. As the dry wall weakens it can buckle and collapse leading to damage throughout your home. Water also can soak into light fixtures, causing a shortage which can lead to fires. All told, having a roof leak can be a devastating issue if it’s not corrected quickly.

Cutting the Cost 

One of the biggest expenses for homeowners is the energy cost of keeping your home comfortable. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state that goes through a wide range of temperatures as the seasons change. The cost of heating oil in the winter can be staggering, much the same as the cost of cooling during the summer. Thermal pane windows can help to cut this cost, but they can get expensive quickly. One of the easiest ways to make sure you’re costs stay low is to keep your roofing and siding in good shape. Both the roof and the siding help to insulate your home, helping keep the heat in during the winter and keeping it cool in the summer. The better the retention, the less often you have to run the heater or crack up the air conditioner. If this winters heating bill was hard on your wallet, it might be time to check on the roofing and siding.

In the Gutter 

Many people underestimate the importance of a good gutter, until it no longer functions properly. With heavy rains, a gutter helps to divert the rainwater away from your house. While this is a great way of diverting the deluge from dumping down on your head as you step out the door, there’s more to it than that. Without a gutter, rain can quickly accumulate around the base of your house. Not only can it destroy your flower beds and other shrubbery but it pools up around your house and can seep into your basement. Basement floods not only ruin everything you have stored down within but can also cause mold to grow. Not only is this mold growth unsightly, it can harm your families health and drastically lower your property value if it’s not treated quickly.

A Helping Hand for the Handyman 

Not everyone has the skill set required to be able to fix these issues in the home. Whether you get vertigo from being on the roof, or unsure how to hang a gutter properly, it can be quite a tricky and frustrating situation when these repairs need to get done. While you have access to the internet and all the DIY guides ever written, sometimes it’s just better to let a professional handle it. If you live in central Pennsylvania, Diversified Roofing has the solutions you need to all of these all too common housing problems. With over 30 years experience, their friendly and professional crew can help you find that hard to spot leak, repair or replace your gutters and hang siding with a snap. If you find yourself with a staggering list of repairs that you’re not quite sure how to go about, call the professionals and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a dedicated level of craftsmanship that will help your home weather the storms to come.

Raising the (quality of your) Roof

Whether you’re having your home’s roof restored or replaced, or you’re building a new home and are in the process of having the roof put in, choosing the right type of roofing may be the most important decision you make in this process. The roof, after all, is the lynchpin of your home’s first and most important function: to shield and safeguard you and your family against the elements. Your roof will be expected to brave the weather day in and day out, and hold fast against animals and water while keeping your home’s internal temperature regulated. That is a tall order, and only the right type of roofing will do the job correctly.

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Shingle All the Way 

Asphalt composition singles are some of the most popular roof types available today. They are typically low-cost, while maintaining an adequate amount of durability. When you take into consideration how easy they are to install, this is a recipe for a type of roof that most consumers see as a value buy: not great in any particular category, but overall you’re getting great value for your purchase. These shingles are typically either fiberglass; the fiberglass shingle is a glass fiber mat coated by asphalt and a filler for waterproofing. The fiberglass shingles tend to be more fire-resistant, which is of course preferable for your own personal safety.

Compared to the modern asphalt composition shingles, wood shingles are comparatively quite traditional, and offer their own benefits. Specifically, some of the most beautiful roofs are made with wood shingles. They are remarkably beautiful and quite durable, with a lifespan between three to five decades – longer than many modern shingles! However, wood shingles are also concomitantly quite expensive to buy and install. Wood shingles, in other words, are largely an aesthetic choice.

Dial T for Tile 

Metal roofing, on the other hand, is considerably more durable than other types of roofing, and can be made from a variety of different metals: galvanized or stainless steel, aluminum, copper, corrugated iron, and more. As often as this is seen in underdeveloped countries, commercial properties and structures where cost-efficiency, longevity, ease of installation, and durability also have a use for this roofing in the developed world.

Of course, if metal isn’t your style – and for most homes, it certainly isn’t – then slate may be more to your liking. Slate tile roofing is of some of the highest quality and greatest longevity used today, but the high cost of this type of roofing, when combined with difficult installation and the fragility of the tile itself, means that it may not be what you’re looking for, depending on your home’s needs. However, being a natural stone product, it can provide a beautiful look to your home, one that is unique in your neighborhood.

Another popular style of roof is the clay tile roof. This is more widely used in the southwestern United States and other hot, dry parts of the world, as it is naturally protected from the damage that the sun’s rays might cause. Furthermore, compared to wood tiles, it is protected against the rot and insect damage that often plagues other kinds of roofing. On the other hand, clay tiles are quite expensive and heavy, and while you may be able to afford the tile, your home may not have the strength to support a whole roof of clay tiles!

Cost/Benefit 

Ultimately, what you’re looking for is a roof that can last for decades in your particular environment. The kind of weather you can expect to face is a big part of your decision-making process here; some types of roof deal better with regular rain or extremely hot weather than others, and if you don’t want to have to replace your roof sooner rather than later, then it behooves you to plan for the environmental conditions that your roof will have to deal with. The same goes for local flora and fauna; if termites are an issue in your area, for example, then a wood roof may be a bad idea!

Then, of course, you also have to take into consideration how expensive the roof type is. After all, if you can’t afford it, you can’t get it! Decisions like these are often all about making a compromise between cost and benefit. Fortunately, you won’t have to make that choice alone!