metal valley..appropriate or risky on 3/12 pitch?

[bill's quest]

oldog/newtrick,

From the interaction here and at GAF...(applause please),
I have the following list of expectations:
--remove warped wood causing telegraphing and re shingle over new planks;or, simply fix uneven deck boards
--replace shingles that are cupped and do not settle down after a few months of hot weather
--replace meshed down roll ridge vent with GAF rigid rent3(I will pay for material difference)
--close off gable vents (as in proposal)with heavy mil plastic
--trim the top edge of the hidden shingle in the valleys (as indicated in your last post, and i will have to look at the video
--replace new three solar tube domes scratched during roof installation (I bought them and at the roof contractor's instruction had them installed by another individual the day before ..I inspected them..no scratches until roof installation....the domes will work just as well scratched or not, but an opinion of a contractor friend is that they should not be allowed to get away with it)

As always feel free to comment as an opinion..Any items look unreasonable?

p.s. as an aside the contractor who went on the roof with me said that on his jobs the chimney flashing is finished with mortar instead of what looks like a black roofing adhesive and that he prefers galvanized metal to aluminum...when I look around I do not see many finished with mortar...he claims that it lasts much longer...and that the adhesive will need to be re-done in about ten years..or when there is water damage...personally, I never explored this item..but considering the damage that I have had at the chimney I should have.

As indicated in past posts...I want to find the line of what is reasonable and insist that the contractor honor it....and, just as you mentioned, it is not just how the roof will function in the short term but how an inspector would respond if the home would be up for sale...in fact, that is exactly what I said to the foreman when I first looked at the finished roof.

 

[bill's quest]

I do not think of this as an item for a re-do, but more of as an education.
The picture should have been cropped and enlarged, but I am not sure that it downloaded that way.

oldog/new trick...et al....does this look like the way you have it done?

 

[oldognewtrick]

Bill, all the items you outlined are very reasonable requests. You contracted for a new roof, I feel your expectations should be that it looks good and is functional.

How can I say this about the flashing...........well we do it different. Flashing is a 2 step processes. 1st, you have step flashing the is installed on top of each shingle course and is nailed at the upper corner away from the wall. Next you have counter flashing, this is the metal that you see on the outside of the chimney chase. We take the top of the counter flashing and turn a 90 deg angle toward the chimney 3/4" and then turn back away from the chimney 1/2". This creates what is called a rigglet. The rigglet is then inserted into a cut in the horizontal mortar joints of the brick. This acts like a barb on a fishing hook and will keep the metal from pulling away from the brick. You should not have to nail the counter flashing. The top of the counter flashing is then caulked with a tri-polymer or a rubber based caulk. Roof cement is not made for UV exposure and silicone is not suitable for caulking dissimilar products. Metal will move and pull the silicone away from the mortar.

I don't understand why your installer would not install the solar tubes himself. Thats how we make extra money. They are a simple installation.

Bill, I know that you have had some issues with this whole process, but just think of all the knowledge you have after a couple weeks on the INTERNET. You could probably go to work selling roofing now. Hey, just saying................

 

[bill's quest]

oldog/newtrick,

I've conferred with my wife and she agrees, all I need is two weeks on the internet and I'm ready for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval to sell roofing. She hopes this will stop me from looking at every new roof we pass on the road, and risking our lives at the same time.

Having said that, I'm still ready to learn. I've gone to the gaf video page. Looks informative but the video starts and then stops...not cooperative, at all.

RE flashing, I'll ask about the caulking agent and how long they plan for it to last.
I googled rigglet...not much of a lead here. I did see "crickets".

As for the solar tubes, the sales guy stressed that I get a skylight and not the tube. But, he also said that they do not do the interior work. When I found a guy to do the interior work, it was clear that this was going to be very expensive and there were issues of insulation, headers, painting,etc. When I peppered the sales guy with questions he pawned me off to the foreman, and when I did the same, of course, to the foreman he agreed with me that sun tubes are cost effective and that I might as well allow my guy to do the exterior and interior installation prior to the roof job, and that the new shingles would still come under their warranty for leakage. Oddly, no one in town carried Velux tubes in their inventory..so I figured that I could order from an internet distributor just as easily and cheaply. So I did this... the rep from the internet site warned me that the roofers might get a little heavy handed when removing them from the old shingles...so she was right.
The price for the three tubes and installation price ended up being the same cost as one skylight!

An aside to the tubes...the guy that installed them suggested that I get a flexible tube because of the difficulty in placement. The rep advised against this....better to get an extension because the flex tubes do not deliver nearly as much light. The installer was amazed at the amount of light. We needed sun glasses. He said that on the last job he asked the customer to get the flex shaft and he just left the rigid shaft in the attic. I informed him that I was told that half the cost of the product is in the liner of the tube. Hard to believe that this guy had such good references. Harder still to believe that he told me and my wife about his other installation experience.

I'll share with the contractor that the solar tubes are too easy to install to not get someone to do the interior work,too...and that the bottom line might look a little better. (My, I am getting a little swell headed.)

Today, the carpenter failed to show up to finish ripping a board to put on the deck. The contractor is having me subcontract for this little job. This is a big company that does multi mil dollars business...i think that the residential gig is an add on to the commercial side.

Thanks for your endless sharing. I expect that this will not my last post. The customers in Nashville are getting more than they would get elsewhere. Contractors refer to a roofing "system" but that's where it stops.

fwiw..spoke to a border terrier breeder in Wartrace....a little southeast of Nashville...we sure would like another dog as a companion to the little one we have. Slim chance for the moment.

 

[oldognewtrick]

Try "reglets" roofers can't spell.

 

[bill's quest]

oldog/newtrick,

I'm guessing that the roofer used: Polyurethane Roof & Flashing Black Sealant on the chimney flahsing.
Described as "permanently flexible" but does it shrink and resist uv exposure?