Pioneer Roofing has extensive experience with a variety of different roofing material solutions for residential and commercial projects. Roofing can be beautiful and also provide durable weather-resistant protection for a structure, but roofing material can also be energy efficient. From the materials and processes used to manufacture roofing to the energy-saving properties of many roofing materials available today, Pioneer Roofing offers a variety of environmentally friendly roof options for various applications.

The most important element for maximizing environmental friendliness of a roofing system is insulation. Although tile has more insulating factor than other systems without insulation, adding insulation, particularly underneath a flat system can significantly improve energy efficiency. Increasing the amount of insulation underneath your roofing system is a key factor in reducing energy consumption within the home or property, keeping the interior cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Pioneer Roofing works in coordination with engineers to maximize insulation value of a roofing system.

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Roofing materials can be thoughtfully selected in order to best fit the budget and scope of any commercial or residential project. For roofing projects in South Florida, it is important to consider extreme weather, rainfall, high winds, heat and humidity when selecting the correct roofing material for your project. Additionally, one must consider the architectural and stylistic factors unique to the building. Most roofing material manufacturers list an average lifespan for their roofing products, and a variety of extended warranties may be available, as well. The roofing experts at Pioneer can assist you with designing the right roofing system for your property. Pioneer’s scope of work typically exceeds the minimum standards of the building code through the use of superior materials or additional steps to maximize the life expectancy. The quality of the installation workmanship is critical to achieving maximum lifespan of your roof, highlighting the importance of using a high-quality roofing contractor.

• Shingle: Three-tab asphalt shingles can last 15 to 25 years. Dimensional asphalt shingles can last 20 to 30 years.
• Tile: Roof tile can be made of mainly concrete or clay. A durable roofing option, roof tiles can last 20 to 30 years.
• Metal: Metal roofing is available in a variety of styles and can last 30 to 50 years.
• Flat roofing: built-up or single-ply roofing are popular choices for many residential and commercial applications with low slope. These and other membrane flat roofing solutions can last 15 to 30 years.

It’s important to understand the different types of warranties and extended service plans that may apply to your roofing material and potential future needed repairs. A manufacturer’s warranty covers the roofing material itself, and protects you against defects that could shorten the life of your roof. This is valuable, but it is actually rare for a roofing failure to be traced to a manufacturer’s defect. Your roofing contractor will also provide an installation warranty or workmanship warranty, which covers the actual roof installation and any other construction work related to your project. These types of warranties usually require you to contact the original contractor or roofer for subsequent inspections and needed repairs. While Pioneer has a long track-record of honoring warranty claims, many roofing contractors will attempt as many excuses as possible to avoid honoring a warranty. Having anyone other than the roofing contractor that installed the roof or conducted the repair, such as a handyman, may limit future warranty claims.

Pioneer Roofing and other roofing companies also offer extended warranties and service contracts that provide additional coverage beyond manufacturer’s warranties and installation warranties. Extended service contracts can help you cost-effectively manage future roofing concerns, ensure the roof is properly maintained, and repair issues that may come up. Contact Pioneer Roofing today to learn about available warranties and service plans.

Whether you are getting a new roof for a commercial or residential project, there are several steps to the process. The experts at Pioneer Roofing can help you navigate the steps of the re-roofing process, guiding you each step of the way.

• Evaluation: Experienced and properly-trained personnel will conduct a full evaluation of your property and your roof to determine if roof replacement is necessary due to age, storm damage or other factors.
• Action plan: Roofing experts will assess your property and determine the roofing system and scope of work that is the best fit for your property and objectives. Roofing material options, project scope, timing and cost will all be discussed.
• Choose materials: Depending on your property, a variety of roofing materials may be available for your project. In some situations, you may wish to replace your roofing system with a similar system, and in other cases, you may wish to evaluate an alternative system. Your budget, aesthetic preferences, and property characteristics will determine what types of roofing materials are the best fit for you.
• Permit: Once materials are selected and the project is scheduled, experts will obtain a building permit from your local municipality.
• Remove: Upon receipt of the permit, we are able to begin construction. The first step is removing your existing roofing material and perform any needed structural repairs to your property (when determined necessary by an engineer).
• Install: After the prior roofing material is removed and the surface is made ready for the new roof, new roofing material of your choosing will be installed according to manufacturer and building code specifications. Roof vents, fascia, drains, and other features such as chimney flashings and skylights may be repaired or replaced during the process, as well. Following installation, the team will remove all debris and clean up the work area.
• Inspection: The experts at Pioneer Roofing will provide a complete inspection of your roof and property following new roof installation. It is important to ensure that all aspects of your new roof are property installed to prevent leaks and uphold structural integrity.

The cost of a roof can vary based on the roofing materials used, but specific features of a property can also have an impact. Unique characteristics of a home of commercial building can cause a job to take longer, require specialized labor or require additional materials and processes.

• Materials/options: A wide variety of roofing materials are available today for residential and commercial projects. Asphalt shingles are a more affordable option than tile or metal roofing choices, but the style of a home or property, the location’s climate and a variety of other factors should be considered when choosing roofing materials. And within tile roofing, there is a wide variety of style and material options that could impact the price. For instance, clay tile is typically more costly than concrete tile, but repels more water than concrete and to many has a favorable appearance. Hand-made clay tile is also more expensive than machine-made clay, but benefits from an artisan look with each tile slightly different from the others. And for any tile, there is the option to use the traditional 90# felt underlayment or upgrade to a modified asphalt underlayment, which is more costly, but has a higher life expectancy. Similar material differences also exist within other roofing systems – dimension and presidential shingles, galvalume, aluminum, and copper standing seam metal, etc. Additionally, a home or property’s unique properties such as varying rooflines, length of hips/ridges/valleys, distinctive venting or custom finishes may also impact a project’s final cost.
• Access: If there are impediments to accessing the roof and ability to load materials, additional working hours will be required to remove the old roofing and place new roofing materials on the deck.
• Slope: Sloped roofs are most efficient at water evacuation, but very steep sloped roofs are take more time to install than low slope or flat roofs.
• Drainage: Building code or local municipality requirements may necessitate installing additional drains on flat roofs. Additionally, installation of new gutter systems may be desirable.
• Insulation: Whether you are replacing the same R-value of insulation as previously existed, adding additional insultation for energy efficiency, or designing a tapered insulation package to assist with drainage on a flat roof, there are numerous options for insultation that can be customized to the property.
• Air Conditioning: If your air conditioning or other mechanical systems are situated on your roof, that may require a licensed air conditioning contractor to bring the system up to code, make repairs, or otherwise facilitate the roofing work.
• Condition of Wood: While the condition of much of the fascia and soffit may be visible at initial inspection, the condition of the decking beneath the existing roofing system may be unknown until the old roof is removed. Bad wood must be removed to ensure that the roof is water-tight and has strong structural sustainability.
• Engineering: Structural considerations or building code requirements may drive the need to perform engineering analysis on the structure. Depending on the results of the engineering analysis, additional work may be needed to comply with the building code. Related to engineering, there is the option to strengthen roof-to-wall connections with hurricane strapping during a reroofing process.
• Skylights: Whether installing a new skylight or working around and existing skylight during a re-roofing project, it is important to remember that skylights add additional edges to a roof. And edges require additional flashing, sealants and other special care to ensure that no leaks develop. This will add to the cost of a roofing project.

Top roofing terms & definitions

• Asphalt: a dark substance found in a natural state or left as a residue after evaporating or processing crude oil or petroleum.
• Asphalt Emulsion: a mixture of asphalt particles combined by using a chemical or a clay emulsifying agent, mixing or blending machinery.
• Asphalt Felt: an asphalt-saturated and/or an asphalt-coated felt.
• Asphalt Roof Cement: a spreadable mixture of solvent-based bitumen, mineral stabilizers, other fibers and fillers.
• Asphalt shingle: this type of roof shingle is made of a base mat that is saturated with asphalt and coated with ceramic coated mineral granules. Asphalt shingles provide excellent structure protection and waterproofing, and a variety of colors and styles are available.
• Back nailing: the process used to fasten a ply or layer of roofing felt or other roofing system material so that fasteners are covered by the next sequential ply.
• Base Ply: the bottom layer of roofing in a roof membrane or roof system.
• Bitumen: a generic term used to denote any material composed principally of bitumen, typically asphalt or coal tar.
• Blister: this damage appears on asphalt shingles due to excess heat and moisture exposure, poor ventilation or improper installation.
• Building Code: Often determined by geographic location, these published regulations and ordinances prescribe design loads, procedures, and construction details for structures. Building codes control design, construction, and quality of materials, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings and structures within the area for which the code has been adopted.
• Built-Up Roof Membrane: a continuous, semi-flexible, multi-ply roof membrane, consisting layers of coated felt and bitumen.
• Cap sheet: often made from tar-coated layers of fiberglass or asphalt, the cap sheet protects all roofing material layers below it and extends roof life.
• Caulking: Roof caulk and sealants are used to seal around the base of a chimney, around vents, along walls and in other spaces where water may penetrate the roofing system.
• Coating: roof coatings protect from the effects of environmental impacts such as excessive water, wind and UV light. Coatings are usually made of high-quality resin and are very elastic.
• Counterflashing: formed sheet metal secured on or in a wall or other surface to cover and protect the upper edge of the membrane base flashing or underlying metal flashing and associated fasteners from exposure to the weather.
• Cricket: also called a saddle, this triangular ridge structure is designed to direct water around a chimney or provide transition from one roof area to another.
• Dimensional Shingle: shingle that is laminated to provide a dimensional appearance.
• Drip Edge: metal flashing with an outward projecting lower edge intended to control the direction of dripping water and help protect underlying building components.
• Eave: the eaves of a structure overhang the edge of the roof and protect the sides of the building. Eaves not only help divert water away from walls, they also can provide a decorate element to a structure.
• EPDM: EPDM stands for ethylene propylene diene terpolymer membrane, a durable synthetic rubber roofing membrane that is commonly used on low-slope buildings. Ethylene and propylene are derived from oil and natural gas.
• Fascia: a vertical or steeply sloped roof or trim located at the perimeter of a building.
• Fasteners: Roofing fasteners attach roofing material to the roofing deck. Different types of fasteners are used depending upon the kind of roof system installed.
• Flashing: components used to weatherproof or seal the roof system edges at perimeters, penetrations, walls, expansion joints, valley, drains, and other places where the roof covering is interrupted or terminated.
• Gable: more common in colder climates, gable roofs feature two sections sloping away from each other. The highest edges of these slopes form the roof ridge. Gable roofs can be constructed in a variety of ways to endure various weather events and water impact.
• Galvalume: a coating that contains silicon, zinc and aluminum, galvalume is designed to protect metal roofing components oxidization and corrosion.
• Gooseneck vent: crafted from galvanized steel, gooseneck roof vents are used to cover exhaust pipes that extend through the roof, preventing small animal entry and allowing for correct venting.
• Granule: shingle granules are usually made from minerals or mineral fibers. They serve to protect asphalt shingles from prolonged sun exposure and provide fire resistance. Granules also give shingles their color and distinctive appearance.
• Hat metal: also called a hat channel, these light gauge steel pieces are used for roof support and for retrofitting over existing metal roofs.
• High Velocity Hurricane Zone – The High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) in Florida encompasses only Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. A special section of the Florida Building Code outlines specific, specialized building codes that apply to these counties.
• Hip: a hip roof or hipped roof is one where all sides slope down toward the structure’s walls. A hipped roof has no gables or other vertical sections. This popular design is incredibly durable.
• Hot Mopping: the application of hot bitumen with a roofer’s mop or mechanical applicator to the substrate or to felts of a bituminous membrane.
• Mansard: also called a gambrel roof or French roof, mansard roofs have four sloping sides, each of which become steeper about halfway down.
• Modified asphalt underlayment: this synthetic underlayment includes fiberglass for tear-resistance and strength and features a base mat saturated in asphalt for superior stability.
• Nailer: roofing nailers are designed to quickly place roofing nails into fiberglass, asphalt or other roofing materials. Pneumatic nail guns hold coils of roofing fasteners for quick application, which make this job more efficient.
• Parapet wall: these barrier walls extend above the edge of a roof surface, preventing the spread of fire and acting as a roof railing system.
• Pitch pan: used to seal, support and protect irregular roof penetrations, pitch pans are trays or boxes that fit around the area to be sealed. Pans are filled with a pourable sealant that provides a custom seal for the unusual shapes in the space.
• Ply: a layer of felt in a roof membrane or roof system.
• PVC: this thick, white polyester reinforced roofing single ply roofing membrane is long-lasting, energy efficient, UV resistant and durable and can be used in residential or commercial settings.
• Ridge: the peak or highest point on a roof. Also refers to the beam or board that is used to build the ridge.
• Ridge vent: installed at the peak of a sloped roof, a ridge vent provides structure ventilation, allowing warm or damp air to escape from attic space. Ridge vents can increase the life of your roof and are very energy efficient.
• Scupper: an outlet on the side of a building for draining water, scuppers are most often found in parapet walls as part of a flat roofing system.
• Self-adhered underlayment: this self-sealing product can be used under a variety of roofing systems and offers waterproofing for the entire roof system or extra protection at vulnerable water collection points such as eaves or valleys.
• Shingle: an individual unit of prepared roofing material designed for installation with similar units in overlapping rows.
• Single-ply: this roofing material category includes a several types of plastic-derived materials that are used to cover and protect flat and low-slope resident and business structures. Single-ply roofing is affordable, flexible, weather resistant and durable.
• Slate: a hard, brittle rock consisting of clay minerals that is used extensively as dimensional stone for steep roofing.
• Slope: also called roof pitch, this refers to the amount of rise a roof has compared to its horizontal measurement (called the run). Roof pitch can vary based on climate, culture, structure style and available materials.
• Soffit: a covering that fits between the edge of a roof and the walls of a structure. This area sometimes features air intake vents and serves to insulate and protect attic space and rafter components.
• Standing steam: the most popular metal roofing design, standing seam metal roofing features panels with raised seams and concealed fasteners.
• TPO: TPO stands for thermoplastic polyolefin, a single-ply roofing membrane that covers the surface of the roof. TPO reflects sunlight and heat and is puncture resistant.
• Underlayment: an asphalt-permeated felt or other sheet material installed between the roof deck and the roof system. Underlayment is used to separate the roof covering from the roof deck to shed water and to provide weather protection.
• Valley: an area where two roof slopes meet, a valley collects water that then flows off the roof. Proper installation is critical, because these areas are prone to leaks.
• Valley flashing: when properly installed with roofing cement and careful fitting, metal roof valley flashing provides an additional layer of leak-proof protection in an area prone to leaks.