Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Solar Panels Standard on Some KB Homes
Most of the Southern California division of homebuilder KB Home, is making solar panels a regular feature of their new homes. With the focus on energy savings instead of the technical aspects are attracting new home buyers in the area.
Each community comes with a set number of rooftop panels. The customers can elect to purchase more solar panels if desired. KB Home estimates each homeowner can save approximately $2,000 a year in energy savings, reducing their energy bills by half.
Purchased Panels in Bulk
President of KB Home, Steve Ruffner says the homes prices are raised slightly but are still competitively priced since they got a good deal on the panels by buying in bulk.
In the 10 test communities, new home sales were 30% higher than in areas the solar panels were not available.
So far the homes are in Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside County. KB Home doesn’t have any plans at this point to make the solar panels standard on their rooftops across the nation.
Eagle Scout Replaces Silo Roof
Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve in Commack, NY receives a much needed silo roof from an Eagle Scout. Jeremy Wendt, from Troop 708 in Huntington was looking for a project for his Eagle Scout badge and asked the farm manager if there was anything that he could do.
Jeff Gumin, the Hoyt Farm park manager, suggested replacing the Silo roof. Gumin had been nailing fallen shingles from the silo since he was a teenager volunteering at the park.
Storm Damaged Roof
Up until 2008, repairs were made by climbing the 2 story high cement cylinder and nailing fallen cedar shingles back onto the roof. The 80 year old silo has been roofless since 2008 when a strong wind destroyed the roof beyond repair.
Wendt raised $1,000 with a pancake breakfast after getting approval from the scout masters. Wendt and a dozen scouts, Wendt’s boss, master woodworker Joe Hallaran and donated shingles from Florence Building Materials in Huntington completed the job on Veterans Day.
Raising the Roof
The next hurdle was to get the 1,300 pound roof on top of the two story silo. Smithtown traffic engineer Tony Cannone found a way to use two trucks and hoist the roof on top of the silo.
Gumin was relieved that Wendt has been able to accomplish what the park did not have the resources to do.
The Hoyt Farm is open 365 days a year. They have a water playground, a nature center and a Hoyt House Museum. They also offer educational programs, you can see more at their website www.smithtowninfo.com/HoytFarm
155 Year Old Church Gets Update
In Bristol Rhode Island, the First Congregational Church is getting a new slate and rubber roof and a new roof on the bell tower. The church will also be getting critical structure repair, primarily working from the new larger basement.
Built in 1856, the First Congregational Church on 281 High Street has a major issue with built up moisture from the basement. The wooden frame supporting the floor and interior walls is rotting and slowly sinking.
Replacing the Roof
The rubber was replaced on the flat roof areas. Approximately 150 slate pieces were replaced on the roof, repairing the rest with copper inserts. Throughout the years the slate roof has received tar patches and pieces of bad slate. The pieces have degraded and chipped, sliding down and damaging the rubber on the flat roof.
Deciding to go with copper instead of replacing the tin on the bell tower roof, Heritage Restorations President Robert J. Cagnetta said the copper would last at least 60 years “it takes a lot for us to get workers up there and tens of thousands of dollars to put scaffolding up” he said.
Expanding the Basement
The first part of the renovation was excavating the clay like soil to open up the basement to a 6 foot depth instead of the previous crawl space area. The workers could then get in and shore up the walls, install new drains, plumbing and electrical and then replace the sill plate and floor joists to stabilize the frame.
During the week construction runners are laid down so workers can do interior repairs, on Friday evening it is all taken up for weekend services.
Old Church gets New Roof
In Poway California, the members of the Community Church of Poway are getting ready to celebrate the 125th year of their Queen Ann Victorian Chapel. The original roof was built out of redwood from Northern California.
Through donations and fund raising, the church at the corner of Community Road and Hilleary Place, has enough money to completely re-roof the chapel and any sheathing issues that they might find under the scalloped shingles.
Removing Old Lead Based Paint First
Pastor Glen D Larson Jr. would like to see the roof have all new wood and exterior paint to last at least 25 years. The first step in repairing the roof is to remove the 100 year old lead based paint, next the roofing contractor will begin replacing the wood roof Monday October 24th with plans to be completed in a week.
The church is still needs approximately $50,000 to complete the last three phases. The church is acknowledging all donations received as donations to a charitable organization.
• Phase 2, a complete exterior repainting in a lead safe paint
• Phase 3, remodeling the entry to the chapel for accessibility and
• Phase 4, minor interior touch ups and replace the badly worn carpets.
If you would like to donate money to the Community Church of Poway to restore the 125 year old chapel, please make the check payable to Community Church of Poway, 13501 Community Road, Poway, CA 92064, include “Chapel Preservation” in the memo line.
Habitat for Humanity Gives New Roof
A U.S. Army Veteran received a new roof from the pilot program “Repair Corps” by the Blue Water Habitat for Humanity. Fort Gratiot Michigan, resident 78 year old Nathanial Wright, and his wife Earlene were given the new roof on Veterans Day.
Water began to leak into the house since the Wrights have only been able to repair the roof with tar. Because the house is over 52 years old, it was in desperate need of a new roof.
More Repairs to Be Completed by End of the Month
The Habitat for Humanity volunteers will return to the home this week to re-insulate the attic and replace the water damaged drywall and ceiling. The extent of the roof damage required the volunteers to call in the roofing professionals at Pine River Construction.
Home Depot Foundation donated a $10,000 grant to Blue Water Habit for Humanity as part of their Repair Corps Initiative.
Building Houses and Supporting Families
Blue Water Habitat for Humanity resource development director Aubree Mayhew said “Sometimes there’s not a need for a new home, but for major repairs, we’ve been trying to go from building houses to supporting families.”
If you would like more information on the Blue Water Habitat for Humanity you can contact their Family Services Department at services@bwhabitat.org or by calling 810 985-9080 ext. 204.
“Free Roof for the Holidays” Program
For the ninth year in a row DryHome Roofing and Siding will be continuing its holiday tradition of giving away a free roof to a needy individual, family or non-profit organizations in the Northern Virginia area.
Nominations will be open from November 1st to December 5th. They will announce the winner around the middle of December. Customers and the community are encouraged to nominate struggling homeowners and non-profits in Northern Virginia for the annual charity.
To Make Nominations
To make nominations visit www.dryhome.com and click on the nomination form. You can also email DryHome at info@dryhome.com. You should include your name and phone number along with the name, address and phone number of whom you are nominating.
DryHome’s “Free Roof for the Holidays” program is a way for the roofing and siding company to give back to the community. Locally owned and operated, DryHome has been in business for 20 years based in Sterling Virginia.
Previous Winners
Previous winners are 87 year old Hubert Laconia, Good Shepherd Alliance, Reston Interfaith, Falls Church Cub Scout House, Gabriel Homes, Mrs. Caylor and another elderly resident, Bernie Cline.
“We always receive many heartfelt nominations, and are proud to be able to continue this tradition. Mr. Laconia served our country in many ways, and it felt great to be able to give back to him. We look forward to helping someone else this year,” said Steve Gotschi, DryHome’s owner.
New York Rooftop Blooms With Produce
With the green roofing initiative continuing to grow, many locals have begun taking advantage of urban rooftop gardens. A large rooftop in Queens, New York has taken their green roof to new heights creating one of the largest “farms” within the city limits.
Growing New Relationships
The rooftop garden covers approximately a 40,000 square foot rooftop in one of the most densely populated cities in North America. 140 rows of crops cover a six story building in Queens. The main crops include leafy greens, tomatoes and exotic items like Japanese turnips. Not only does this rooftop garden boast beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline, but it features a high-tech irrigation system and is home to five hens.
Known as the Brooklyn Grange, this commercial rooftop farm is changing the way locals interact with one another. The founders started the garden as part of a vision for helping impact the local community. Head farmer and co-founder Ben Flanner says, “It just makes sense to utilize the open spaces we have in the city to benefit the community.
By selling the produce at the local farmers market, the idea is to give residents a better idea of where the food comes from and who is growing it. Flanner says, “We are amid 8 million people, but the farm allows them to know us and us to know them.” The vision has grown beyond expectation as most of the work done within the farm is now conducted by local volunteers looking to be part of something special.
Falling Roof Tiles Damage Historic Statues
Statues of mythical and religious figures surround one of the oldest Chinese temples in Penang. The Kuan Yin temple is one of the top four places of worship for locals and tourists. Many come to the temple to receive a blessing after marriage and pray for children. As one of the most notable places in Penang, the 211 year old temple’s surrounding statues have been tarnished by falling roof tiles.
Historic Roof Easily Damaged
After experiencing a significant rainstorm that battered the rooftop of the temple building, many roof tiles fell from the building. Four of the surrounding statues representing Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) were damaged by the falling roof materials. The temple was closed for a short time over potential safety concerns.
A local architect inspected the roof after the damage and determined that the temple’s old roof had been infested by woodworms. The main supporting beam has become brittle and soft after years of the infestation. It is feared that further damage could result if another downpour strikes the city. Roof repair is planned for the temple, despite the need for closing the famous temple for nearly 3 months while the work is completed.
Roofing Company Gets Technological Boost
As companies from all industries strive to stay afloat in a struggling economy, many have turned to technology to increase profitability. Whether profits stream from additional online advertising or from newly created customer service systems, many roofers are jumping at the chance to ride the technological waves of advancement.
A New Era Of Customer Service
One roofing company in the United Kingdom has taken an old practice into new times. Weatherproofing Advisors, Ltd. has created an online customer service portal to help better serve their customers. As one of the UK’s leading roofing companies, Weatherproofing Advisors began to think of new ways to serve more customers while maintaining high customer service ratings.
The new system will allow customers to access all the data regarding their roof. The portal will provide customers access to maintenance data such as survey reports, roof condition index and engineer drawings of the roof. Each customer has a private and unique portfolio that outlines the details of their roof and their roof repair history.
The idea was to bring roofing into the digital age, save money, make service more efficient, all while maximizing communication and service expectations with the customer. One of the first of its kind, the system is sure to benchmark the changes ahead.
Hotel Roof Gets A Sweet Deal
One hotel in Washington, D.C. has sparked, what they hope will be, a new way to boost local economies. Two chefs that operate the hotel’s restaurant have decided to take the local food movement into new territory, the roof.
The hotel roof is now home to three beehives that are busy producing honey, which is being harvested for use in the hotel’s restaurant and being sold at the local farmers market.
Operating a honey-producing beehive on the rooftop of a 10 story hotel is a radical idea, but one that is proving to be of great use.
One Idea, Many Benefits
The local food industry is getting a sweet taste of success and so are the hotel guests. Not only is the fresh honey spreading throughout the menus of Washington, D.C., but the bees are experiencing new heights. In such an urban area, having an undisturbed space for maintaining a hive is a rare treat for these insects. The sparse urban plant life also benefits from the bee’s activity as they help spread pollen, a necessary component to a flower’s health.
Not only are the local people and bees happier, but so is the hotel’s owners. Beehives are one of the lowest maintenance food producers and are proving to be both profitable and environmentally friendly. Even better is the protection the roof is getting from traditional pests, which are not likely to take up residence near a beehive. As far as the need for roof repair due to damage to the roof materials, the hotel’s owner has yet to see any evidence of the bee’s presence producing negative effects.
Rooftop beekeeping isn’t a new idea, but how the mutually beneficial relationship is being nurtured is one that is sure to spread sweetness around local markets.
