A $45,000 donation from Dayton Foundation was recently given to the Dayton Art Institute for roof repairs for the 80 year old building.

Michael Roediger, executive director for the museum said “the foundation grant will fix the leaks and part of the museum roof.” He went on to say that the staff has closely monitored the leaks and have removed any artwork near the water leaks so no pieces have been damaged.

The museum is using creative ways to come up with more money to repair plaster damage caused by the roof leaks and repair a leak in the lower gallery due to drainage problems in the Italian Cloister.

Maintenance Problems Wait

Roediger said “it’s not easy to run a historic building and when funds are tight, maintenance issues get put aside.”

The Berry Family Foundation has contributed a $75,000 challenge grant and the Rip and Denise Hale Family has made a contribution to help repair the Italian Cloister.

Certain areas will be closed during repairs but previously scheduled events will still proceed. Records indicate that the museum receives more than 130,000 annual visitors.

They are hoping to have the roof repairs completed by this summer and then they can return the artwork to the walls. The estimated repairs for the rest of the museum will be $460,000 for interior and exterior work.

Installing shingles over your current shingles can save you money, time and labor by not having to tear the old roof materials off. Some figures are approximately 25% savings over removing the old shingles.

If you live in a snowy climate, you might need to confirm that the added weight of the extra shingles will not cause roof damage. A very hot and humid climate may also not be conducive to the extra shingles as it may cause extra heat buildup.

Getting the Roof Ready

There is still preparation work to do before you can lay the new shingles. Check the roof decking for any signs of water or other damage and make any necessary roof repairs.

Replace any missing or loose shingles. Hammer down any protruding nails and clear off any debris from the roof. Some roofers suggest laying down new underlayment or felt in between the old and new shingles and adding new flashings.

Check building codes in your area to determine how many layers of shingles you can have on your roof. Most areas allow you to add 1 new layer of shingles over the old roof. The main reason for the concern is that it makes it difficult to inspect the roof deck and underlayment. Also make sure the materials warranty is covered if you put the new shingles on top of the old.

When you need to remove the old shingles from your roof whether from age or damage, it can usually be done pretty quickly. Commonly referred to as a ‘tear off’ removing the shingles creates a lot of debris.

Renting a dumpster makes clean up easier, if you position it just right you can throw the old shingles and waste directly into the dumpster from the roof. If this is not an option for you, there are other methods that make clean up easier.

Spread tarps in the yard and lean plywood sheets up against the house to protect your shrubbery, windows and siding. Place wheelbarrows on the tarps to also catch debris from the roof. Another option is to buy or rent a strong walk behind magnet on wheels to pick up the nails that will invariably land in your yard.

Steps involved for removing the shingles:

• Starting at the top, remove the ridge cap with a pry bar.
• Using a pitchfork or roofing shovel tear off the old shingles and felt paper.
• Remove any flashing, salvaging any reusable pieces.
• Pry up any remaining nails and sweep the deck with a broom.

Once the shingles are off the roof, you can inspect the sheathing for any signs of damage. Now would be the time to make any repairs to the deck before the new shingles go on.

You may want to consider hiring a roofing crew to do the tear off; it can be tough, dirty work, with the cost of the tools and your time you may not come out that far ahead if you do it yourself.

When Old World Roofing was looking for a deserving family or organization to receive a new roof, Beth Wilcox wrote a touching essay about her grandmother Mary Wilcox. Mary takes care of her grown son with cerebral palsy and lives on a fixed income. The Wilcox home was in desperate need of a new roof and insulation and the Wilcox family did not have the money for the repairs.

Rolf Whitley, Old World Roofing owner, said the roof they tore off was the original and there was no insulation to keep the home warm. The project would have cost in the neighborhood of $9,800 but Old World Roofing provided both the roof and insulation for free.

More Free Roofs

70 people submitted essays for this contest. Old World Roofing will be putting on a second free roof next week at the Alano House, a facility for substance abusers.

Old World Roofing is in Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo Colorado. The roofing company has been serving the Front Range since 1977. Rolf Whitley hopes to be doing this again next year and give roofs to deserving people in the community.

Hoping to cut the wildfire risk, San Bernardino county homeowners are being asked to replace their wood shingle roofs with a more fire retardant roofing material. With grants from FEMA, the Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District is helping residents pay to replace their shake- shingle roofs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $1 million; approximately $700,000 of which has already been spent. The aim of the first grant was to create a line of defense separating the national forest and the urban area.

Homes within 1,500 feet of the forest will be re-roofed first. 150 homes were targeted for the first grant to replace the shake roofs. Three more FEMA grants totaling $4.3 million have been approved and are waiting for the funds to be released.

Up to 70% Reimbursement

The time consuming process takes about 18 months, first they identify the at risk properties, talk with homeowners and outline the regulations. FEMA and the fire agency are requiring homeowners to create defensible space on their property before receiving approval for the cost share reimbursement. Up to 70% of the cost to replace the shake-shingle roof will be reimbursed if all conditions are met.

They are looking at 900 homes including the mountain communities to have their roofs replaced. Roofing contractors with knowledge of defensible space will be paid out of the grant funds for the shingle replacement.

If you would like more information on the program you can contact David Yegge, the fuels reduction specialist for Big Bear Lake Fire Protection District at (909) 866-4668.

Officials for the Ohio Cleveland State University are hoping removing the gravel ballast and putting 2,470 solar panels on the roof will deter the gulls from nesting on the Wolstein Center roof. Thousands of gulls have been nesting in the pea gravel on the roof since the building opened in 1991. It is estimated up to 700 eggs are laid up there each spring.

Dovetail Solar and Wind will pay for the $600,000 in roof restoration and cover approximately 70% of the roof with solar panels. The gravel will be removed and replaced with a smooth white roof.

Saving $10,000 in Energy Costs per Year

The solar panels will be flush to most of the roof and will provide enough electricity to power about 61 homes. Cleveland State University will purchase power from Dovetail and the university is expected to save around $10,000 a year in electricity costs.

Partnering with OneEnergy Renewables, Dovetail plans to use tax credits and initiatives to pay for the new roof and solar project. Dovetail will also be giving an internship in its Northeast Ohio office and giving away two $1,000 scholarships in renewable energy.