I ran across this interesting tool for the building industry today. It is called GeoEstimator and can save you time and money preparing quotes for roof shingle replacement.

GeoEstimator provides roof measurements based on aerial and satellite imagery. These images work with GeoEstimator’s software to determine the correct correlation between the image size and actual size. Using these figures our staff is able to create drawings with accurate calculations of roof area, lineal footage of ridge, valley, perimeter and step flashing. Once the drawing is complete, you will download the file in our End User software on your computer or laptop. Your drawing is then easily adjusted in our proprietary software to accommodate any changes, if needed.

You get paid when you put on a roof, not when you measure a roof. Why not outsource that unprofitable activity to someone who can measure a roof less expensively than you can do it yourself? 

When you consider the time it takes to drive to a potential client’s house, the gas burned, the time spent on the roof, the time to drop the measurements in spreadsheet and the time it takes to prepare the finished report, can you measure the roof and prepare an estimate yourself for less than $30?

See sample reports here

The picture above says it best. it’s that time of year again where i drive around and see ice hanging off of our local homes. This problem is not just an older home problem, I also see it on some newer homes because they were built without an energy heel.

The causes of ice dams in simple terms
1. Heat collects in the attic and warms the roof, except at the eaves.
2. Snow melts on the warm roof and then freezes on the cold eaves.
3.
Ice accumulates along the eaves, forming a dam. Meltwater from the warm
roof backs up behind it, flows under the shingles, and into the house.

I have a few customers getting ready to put a new roof on their home and I wondered if it was worth it to offer a longer warranty shingle. I may have found my answer when I read this article about shingle warranties from the website The Roofery.

I have some moss on my roof and wondered if there was a good way to clean it off. I found this video on Youtube and it seems to be a easy fix.

I was just mentioning to my wife yesterday that I wanted to purchase a roof rake this year to avoid ice dams. Last year an ice dam fell from out home almost taking out the air conditioner. Check out this roof rake from Avalanche. If you can’t find it locally it is available on Amazon.

Here is another cool product to check out. Imagine the possibilties with roof lanterns. I would love to see a parade home 2007 with this product.