At Messer Roofing & Remodeling we understand that when your roof is damaged, you will need to repair it as quickly as possible. We now offer emergency services that will secure your interior so that further damage is averted. To inquire about emergency repair services to your building's envelope, contact us at the number above immediately.

After Hours and Weekends: Please use our contact form and provide brief details of the problem, and phone number and someone will respond back to you.

Securing the contents of your home:

When your home or office has sustained damage, it is important to move items to safety in order to prevent further loss of property. But this should only be attempted if it is safe to do so. If you are at all unsure about the structural integrity of your building, leave it to professionals who can help you. No item you own is worth injury or death.

We'll walk you through the insurance maze and deal directly with your insurance company

If your home has sustained damage in a hail or high-wind storm, call us today and we'll get started returning everything to normal. We'll work directly with your insurance company to repair your home with quality products, and we will fight to get you every dollar you have coming.

The insurance claims process can be a daunting one. Messer Roofing & Remodeling will walk you through all of the steps, and handle certain things for you so that you can go back to your life. Our job is to worry about your repairs for you.

We will meet with the adjuster and point out all of the damage that your roof has sustained. Adjusters have a much more difficult time denying a claim if we are there to document the damage. Your best interest is our top priority and we will work hard to get your claim satisfied by your insurance company.

Contact us today for an inspection of the damage to your home's exterior. We will give an honest assessment and provide a solution to work through the insurance maze. Our associates are very experienced with insurance claims, and will work on your behalf to ensure that your roof and/or exterior damage is remedied.

Roof Stains are Not Normal

And We Can Cure it.

Unsightly stains on your roof is a problem that plagues roof systems around the world. You now have the opportunity to clean those nasty stains and rejuvenate your roof's appearance.

If you look around your neighborhood, you will see many roofs that are stained and make the look of a home deteriorate over time. The process is a fairly simple one, and if done professionally, has no effect on the life expectancy of your roof. In fact, removing dark stains on some roof colors can extend the life of a roof by reducing thermal shock that expands and contracts the shingles in direct sunlight.

Call us today to learn more about our roof cleaning and stain preventing procedures.

If your roof looks like the one in the photo above, you will be amazed at what we can do for you. Cleaning a roof will make your home look better, and if done properly, can make your shingle roof last longer. Call us today to find out more.

V
VALLEY- A term applied to a depressed angle formed by the meeting of two inclined slopes of a roof.

VAPOR- The gaseous form of any substance.

VAPOR MIGRATION- The natural movement of water vapor from regions of higher vapor pressure to regions of lower vapor pressure.

VAPOR PRESSURE- The pressure at which a liquid and its vapor are in equilibrium at a definite temperature.

VAPOR RETARDER- A material used to restrict the passage of water vapor through a roof assembly.

VEINING- The characteristic lines or "stretch marks" which develop during the aging process of soft bitumens. Veneer- Any of the thin layers of wood glued together to make plywood.

VENT- An opening or device used to permit air or vapors to exit an enclosed structure.

VENT PIPE- A vertical pipe of relatively small dimensions which protrudes through a roof to provide for the ventilation of gasses.

VENTILATION SHORT CIRCUIT- The disruption of air flow in an intake-exhaust ventilation system. For instance, if vents such as turbine vents or gable vents are placed in between the intake vents and exhaust vents (such as soffit and ridge vents) then the draw created by the stack effect will be disrupted and the ventilation system will be much less effective.

VENTILATOR- Device installed on the roof for the purpose of ventilating the interior of the building.

VENTING- The process of installing roof vents in a roof assembly to relieve vapor pressure, OR the process of water in the insulation course of the roof assembly evaporating and exiting via the roof vents.

VERMICULITE- An aggregate somewhat similar to perlite that is used as an aggregate in lightweight roof decks and deck fills. It is formed from mica, a hydrous silicate.

VERTICAL APPLICATION- Roll roofing laid parallel to the slope of a roof.

VISCOSITY- The internal frictional resistance offered by a fluid to change of shape or to the relative motion or flow of its parts.

VULCANIZE- To improve the strength, resiliency, and freedom from stickiness and odor of rubber, for example, by combining with sulfur or other additives in the presence of heat and pressure.

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WALKWAYS- Designated areas for foot traffic on roofs.

WATER ABSORPTION- The increase in weight of a test specimen expressed as a percentage of its dry weight after being immersed in water for a specified time at a given temperature.

WATER GUARD- A turned up edge on valley metal or continuous wall flashing; used to prevent water migration under the roof system.

WARM WALL- The finished wall inside of a structure, used in roofing to determine how to install waterproof underlayments at eaves.

WARRANTY- The written promise to the owner of roofing materials for material related problems.

WATER STOP- A device designed to protect the exposed edge of a partially installed BURM from water entrance.

WATERPROOFING- The process where a building component is made totally resistant to the passage of water and/or water vapor.

WATER VAPOR- Moisture existing as a gas in air.

WEEP HOLE- A hole that allows for drainage of entrapped water from masonry structures.

WELD- The joining of components together by fusing. In thermoplastics, refers to bonding together of the membrane using heat or solvents.

WIND UPLIFT- The upward force exerted by wind traveling across a roof.

WRINKLE- A raised pattern of ridges running in a random fashion in a BUR.

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Y
Z
ZINC- A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses, anodes, and meter cases, and in roofing, gutters, flashings, edge metals and also for various household objects. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.37; melting point 419.4 °C; boiling point 907 °C; specific gravity 7.133 (25 °C); valence 2.

ZONOLITE- A lightweight, insulating concrete composed of portland cement, water, and vermiculite aggregate.

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SADDLE- A ridge in the roof deck, whose top divides two sloping parts of the roof so that water will be diverted to the roof drains.

SATURATED FELT- Felt that has been saturated with bitumen.

SAW TOOTH ROOF- Where reviewed from the end, such a roof serrated or tooth profile similar to the teeth of a saw.

SCRIM- A woven or mat-type fabric that is used as a membrane sandwich between other material to provide reinforcement and stretch resistance.

SCUPPER- An outlet in the wall of a building or a parapet wall for drainage of water from a flat roof.

SEALANT- Generic term for a multitude of materials used to seal joints or junctures against moisture or weather.

SELF-HEALING- A term used in reference to a material which melts with the heat from the sun's rays, and seals over cracks that were earlier formed from other causes.

SELF-LEVELING- A viscous material that is applied by pouring. In its uncured state, it spreads out evenly.

SELVAGE- The unsurfaced strip along a sheet of roll roofing which forms the under portion at the lap in the application of the roof covering.

SHED ROOF- A roof having only one slope or pitch, with only one set of rafters which fall from a higher to a lower wall.

SHEATHING- The boards of sheet type material, plywood or asphalt saturated sheets, nailed to studding or roofing rafters as the base for application of the roof covering.

SHINGLE-FASHION- The pattern formed by laying parallel felt rolls with lapped joints so that one longitudinal edge overlaps the longitudinal edge on the adjacent felts. Shingle fashion application begin at the low point on a roof so that one ply drains water to a lower one and so on to a drain or to the roof edge.

SHINGLES- Small units of material which are laid in a series of overlapping rows as a roof covering on pitched roofs.

SHINGLE WARRANTY- Shingle warranties are often confused with "system warranties."  Shingle warranties are prorated, and usually carry a very small value after the first 5 years of shingle life.  In other words, the warranty that comes with shingles is designed to never be redeemed for new shingles or labor.

SIGN ANCHOR- A component usually formed with steel angles which penetrates the BUR and is fastened to the deck.

SINGLE PLY- A descriptive term signifying a roof membrane composed of only one layer of material such as EPDM, TPO or PVC.

SINGLE TEE- The name given to a type of precast concrete deck which has one stiffening rib integrally cast into slab.

SITE- The physical grouping of a number of roofs or buildings at a geographical location.

SKY DOME- A type of skylite exhibiting a characteristic translucent plastic domed top.

SKYLIGHT- A structure on a roof that is designed to admit light and is somewhat above the plane of the roof surface.

SLAG- A by-product of smelting ore such as iron, lead or copper.

SLATE- A dark gray stratified stone cut relatively thin and installed on pitched roofs in a shingle like fashion.

SLIPPAGE- It is the sliding, lateral movement between adjacent to plies of felt along the plane of the bitumen film separating them, which results in a randomly wrinkled appearance.

SLOPE- Incline or pitch of roof surface.

SOFFIT- The underside of a part or member of a building extending out from the plane of the building walls.

SOFTENING POINT- The temperature at which a substance changes from a hard material to a softer and more viscous material.

SMOOTH SURFACE TEXTURE- In SPF roofing, a relatively smooth surfaced texture that is considered ideal for receiving the base coating.

SMOOTH-SURFACED ROOF- A roof with no surfacing or with a smooth surfacing such as emulsion and/or a reflective coating.

SNOW GUARD- Devices secured to the roof to prevent snow and ice from sliding off of a roof.

SNOW LOAD- A roof load resulting from snowfall. Snow load is a major structural consideration when roofs are designed in areas that receive heavy snow.

SOFFIT- The underside of a roof overhang.

SOFFIT VENT- An intake ventilation device located in the soffit. An exhaust vent should be installed on or near the ridge of the roof to work in conjunction with the soffit vent in order to properly ventilate the attic space. The ratio of intake vent area to exhaust vent area should be 1-1.

SOFTENING POINT- The temperature at which bitumen will begin to flow.

SOFTENING POINT DRIFT- A change in the softening point of bitumen.

SOIL STACK- A pipe that penetrates a roof and is used to vent a building's plumbing.

SOLID MOPPING- To continuously apply hot asphalt or coal tar leaving no areas without bitumen.

SOLVENT- A liquid that is part of a substance and is used to make that substance easier to work with. Once applied, the solvent evaporates and leaves the working characteristics of the substance. Examples are solvent-based adhesives and solvent-based mastics.

SOLVENT WELD- To weld materials using a liquid solvent.

SPALLING- The chipping or flaking of concrete, bricks, or other masonry where improper drainage or venting and freeze/thaw cycling exists.

SPAN- The horizontal distance between supporting structures such as beams, trusses or columns.

SPECIFICATION- Detailed written instructions which, when clear and concise, explain each phase of work to be done.

SPLITTING- The formation of long cracks completely through a roof membrane. Splits are frequently associated with lack of allowance for expansion stresses. They can also be a result of deck deflection or change in deck direction.

SPRAYED POLYURETHANE FOAM (SPF)- A monolithic sprayed-on roofing material with a high R-value; formed when isocyanate ("A" component) and resin ("B" component) are mixed at a 1-1 ratio.

SPRI- Single Ply Roofing Institute

SQUARE- A term used by the roof industry to indicate an amount of roof area equal to 100 square feet.

SPUD- The removal of gravel or heavy accumulations of bitumen from roof membranes by means of chipping or scraping

STACK- A vertical pipe projecting through a BUR that carries off smoke or gases.

STACK EFFECT- The occurrence where air escapes through opening in the upper part of a building and is replaced with outside air that enters through an opening lower down. In roofing, the Stack Effect helps create proper airflow for attic or roof space ventilation. The Stack Effect will be affected by atmospheric conditions such as temperature and wind.

STANDING SEAM- A type of joint often used on metal roofs.

STARTER STRIPS- In the construction of the BUR the narrow strips of roofing felts, cut from standard width rolls, that are applied at the beginning point so as to assure uniform configuration of the specified number of plies.

STATIC LOAD- In roofing the total amount of permanent non moving weight that is applied to given surface areas.

STEEP SLOPE ROOFING- Generally all slopes higher than 4/12 are considered steep slopes.

STEP-FLASHING- Metal flashing pieces installed at side-walls and chimneys for weather-proofing.

STYRENE- A colorless oily liquid, C6H5CH-CH2, the monomer for polystyrene.

STYRENE BUTADIENE STYRENE (SBS)- The modifying agent used in SBS modified asphalt roofing materials that gives the material a rubber like quality. SUBSTRATE A part or substance which lies below and supports another.

SUMP- A reservoir sometimes forming part of a roof drain. A depression in the roof deck of a building at a roof and delivery it to the drain.

SURFACE EROSION- The effect on a surface after being worn away from abrasion or weathering.

SURFACE TEXTURE- The final appearance and quality of an SPF surface. SPF surface textures will be one of the following- Orange Peel Surface Texture, Coarse Orange Peel Surface Texture, Smooth Surface Texture, Verge of Popcorn Surface Texture, Popcorn Surface Texture, and Tree-Bark Surfaced Texture.

SYSTEM WARRANTY- (see "Shingle Warranty") A warranty that comes with an entire roofing system installation.  For instance, some shingle manufacturers offer very strong, long-term system warranties if the laborers are manufacturer-trained and if all portions of installation adhere directly to manufacturer's specifications.  This system warranty has massive value in relation to the standard shingle warranty.

SURFACING- The top-most layer of the roof system designed to protect the system from damage.

T
TAB- The portion of an asphalt shingle that is outlined by the cutouts.

TAR- A brown or black bituminous material, liquid or semi-solid in consistency, in which the predominating constituents are bitumens obtained as condensates in the processing of coal, petroleum, oil-shale, wood, or other organic materials.

TAR BOIL- A small bubble found in the flood coat of an aggregate-surfaced built-up roof; usually the result of trapped moisture vapor.

TEAR OFF- A term used to describe the complete removal of the  roof membrane and insulation down to and exposing the roof deck.

TELEGRAPHING- When shingles reflect the uneven surface beneath them. Shingles installed over buckled shingles may show some buckles.

TENSILE STRENGTH- The amount of longitudinal pulling stress that a material can withstand before being pulled apart.

TERMINATION- The sealed edges of a roof membrane.

TERMINATION BAR- A bar, usually metal or vinyl, used to seal and anchor the free edges of a roof membrane.

THATCH ROOF- A roof covering made with straw, palms, reeds or other natural growths that are bound together in order to shed water.

THERMAL RESISTANCE (R)- The measure of a material's ability to resist heat flow. The formula for Thermal Resistance is R = L / k where (L) is the material's thickness and (k) is the material's Thermal Conductivity constant. The higher a material's R-value, the better it insulates, and conversely. For more information, click here.

THERMAL MOVEMENT- The measured amount of dimensional change, a material exhibits as it is warmed or cooled.

THERMAL SHOCK- The stress built up by sudden and appreciable changes in temperature.

THERMAL STRESS- Stress to a roof system or component caused by expansion and / or contraction from temperature change.

THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL- Solid material which is softened by increasing temperatures and hardened by decreasing temperatures.

TIE-IN- A term used to describe the joining of a new roof with the old.

TIE-OFF- A watertight seal used to terminate roof membranes at system adjuncts, terminations, flashings, or substrates. Can be temporary (see Night Seal) or permanent.

TILT-UP WALL- Cast concrete units which are preformed which, when cured, are tilted to their vertical position and secured by mechanical fasteners to prior erected structural steel. May be pre-cast.

TOP MOPPING- The finished mopping of hot bitumen on a built-up roof.

TORCHING- Applying direct flame to a membrane for the purpose of melting, heating or adhering.

TREEBARK SURFACE TEXTURE- An SPF surface deemed unacceptable for coating. This surface texture has deep valleys and is similar in appearance to rough tree bark.

TRUSS- A major supporting structure usually timber for roof decks.

TUCK POINTING- The re-grouting of defective mortar joints in a masonry or brick wall.

U
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT (UV)- A form of luminous energy occupying a position in the spectrum of sunlight beyond the violet, and having wavelengths that do not enter the visible spectrum. UV rays accelerate deterioration of roof materials.

UNDER-DRIVEN- Term used to describe a fastener not fully driven flush to the shingles surface.

UNDERLAYMENT- A material installed over the roof deck prior to the application of the primary roof covering. Usually consists of fifteen (15#) or thirty (30#) pound organic felt but can also be self-adhering such as an ice and water protection membrane.

UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES (UL)- A non-profit agency which functions as the testing arm of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. It maintains laboratories for the examination and testing of various devices, systems, and materials to determine their safety against the hazards of fire, wind, and accidents.