Roofing & Construction Blog

2017 Family Movie Nights in Francis Park

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Enjoy free family movies in Francis Park this spring and summer!

Who doesn’t love the idea of watching a free movie under the stars in a gorgeous St. Louis  Hills neighborhood park? We do!  Which is why Innovative Construction & Roofing is happy to be sponsoring this year’s 2017 Family Movie Night in Francis Park!

Hosted by Lanai Coffee in Francis Park, the movie season kicks off on Saturday, April 15. Disney’s Hop will be shown, which is a nice way for the entire family to get a jump-start on their Easter celebrations.

The fun will begin at 4:00pm with live music, face painting, market vendors, free sports equipment rentals and plenty of food, drink and fun. The movie will begin at sunset at approximately 7:45pm.

We invite you to grab a blanket or lawn chairs and join us!  Outside food and beverages are allowed, however, please consider supporting our host, Lanai Coffee. Handcrafted coffees, lattes, tea, smoothies and snacks will be available, along with Lanai Pork Sliders and Hot Dogs.

Be sure to save the dates for all 6 movies!

2017 MOVIES IN FRANCIS PARK SCHEDULE

  • Hop is the featured movie on April 15.

    Disney’s “Hop” is the featured movie in the park on Sat., April 15.

    April 15 @ 7:45pm –  Hop
  •  May 20  @ 8:15pm –  Moana
  •  June 17@  8:30pm –  Despicable Me 2
  •  July 22 @ 8:30pm –  Pete’s Dragon
  •  Aug. 26  @ 8:15pm –  TBD
  •  Sept 16  @ 8:00pm –  TBD

For more information please visit http://www.lanaicoffeestl.com/april-15-8pm—hop.html

Lanai Coffee Family Movie Nights

Stop by Lanai Coffee in Francis Park, where you’re “one cup closer to paradise!”

Home in Historic St. Louis Neighborhood Gets New Slate Roof with Copper Detailing

Thanks to specialty residential contractor Innovative Construction & Roofing, a stately turn of the century home has a beautiful new roof. Situated in Benton Park, a historic St. Louis neighborhood, the roof features a Vermont scallop shaped slate roof.

A beautiful new slate roof adorns this historic home in Benton Park,

Built in 1886, a beautiful new scalloped slate roof adorns this home in a historic St. Louis, Missouri neighborhood.

Established in 1866, the Benton Park neighborhood boasts some of the oldest buildings in the city. Most of the homes, built between the mid-19th to early 20th century, and the architecture of this neighborhood owe much to the imagination and skills of its German masons. Today, Benton Park maintains much of its European character. Therefore, choosing visually appropriate roofing products was key to the project’s success.

“Working closely with the homeowner, we selected roofing materials that would preserve the aesthetic style of the roof and provide long-lasting durability,” says Steve Reed, project designer at Innovative. “Just as importantly, the completed project meets today’s slate material and installation standards.”

A dark clear gray Vermont scalloped slate was chosen for its extended life expectancy and historically appropriate look. Each piece of slate on the turret was hand cut in order to hug the round shape. In addition,  Innovative replaced the existing galvanized steel gutters with custom copper gutters and detailing, adding to the home’s curb appeal.

Beginning work in October 2016, Innovative Construction & Roofing crews tackled the high mansard roof using a motorized lift. The job was completed in November to rave reviews from the property owner.

For more information, visit https://www.innovativeroofs.com.

Project Designer/Sales Representative
Steve Reed, sreed@innovativeroofs.com

Project: Location
Benton Park Historic District, St. Louis, MO

Type of Installation
Roof Replacement

 Products
Vermont Scalloped Slate Dark Clear Gray
Custom Fabricated Copper

 

 

 

 

How to Prevent Ice Dams and Damage to Your Roof

Old Man Winter ushers in snow and ice to much of the United States.

From coast to coast, Old Man Winter has been busy making his presence known, dumping snow and ice across much of the United States. As wintry weather takes hold, many homeowners are dealing with ice dams, a leading cause of damage to roofs and leaks inside homes.

How Ice Dams FormHow Ice Dams Form

After a heavy snowfall, ice dams form when a ridge of ice forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow from draining off the roof. The ice traps meltwater, which can seep back up under shingles and drip through the roof into your house, causing damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.

Here is how you can prevent these frosty formations from damaging your roof.

Keep Your Roof Cold

The key to preventing ice dams from forming on your roof is to keep your roof cold. Even when the outdoor temperature is below freezing, if your roof reaches temperatures above 32 degrees F, snow begins to melt. To keep your roof cold, you need to keep the heat in the living space of your home. Adding insulation to your attic floor will help keep your roof cool and will also help lower your heating costs.

Inspect and seal all point where warm air leaks from your living space into the attic. Use spray foam or caulk to seal areas such as vents, plumbing pipes, chimneys, and cracks around ceiling light fixtures. This job is best done in the winter as most attics are excruciatingly hot in the summer.

Rake YouUse a roof rake to remove snow from roof.r Roof

After a heavy snowfall, rake the snow from your roof with a roof rake to prevent ice dams from forming. Roof rakes have an aluminum scraper mounted on a telescoping aluminum pole. Use one with small wheels near the rake scraper. The wheels will keep the blade from damaging roof shingles.

Use extreme caution when removing snow from a roof. Never use a ladder when using a roof rake and don’t forget that snow is wet and heavy. Anyone with a heart condition, a bad back, or other health issues that could cause an injury should leave snow removal to a professional. They have the expertise and equipment and proper insurance to get the job done and protect you from liability.

 Schedule a Roof Inspection

 It’s a good idea to schedule a roof inspection with a roofing contractor. An experienced roofer can catch small problems from snow and ice before they turn into big ones. Not sure if you have roof damage? See How to Quickly Identify Common Roof Storm Damage.Schedule a free roof inspection

 Innovative Construction & Roofing has years of experience with weather extremes in the Midwest and the damage it can cause to roofs. If you see a potential problem with your roof, contact us to schedule a free inspection. We are licensed, bonded and insured and specialize in both residential and commercial roofing. Our experienced and highly trained professionals can help you with everything from roof inspections and emergency roof repairs to complete roof replacements.

 

 

 

Roofer working oh exterior of new home

Licensed, Bonded, Insured Roofer? What Do They Really Mean?

You hear these terms all the time in advertising but what do they really mean when picking the right roofing company for your next project? Let’s look at each one . . .

Licensed

Contractors have been granted a trade license as mandated by state and local laws. It generally requires passing competency tests about business practices and trade skills, paying a fee and proving insurance and/or bonding.

Registered

Typically less stringent than licensing, it often requires contractors to prove insurance and pay a fee, only sometimes requires bonding and rarely tests competency. A few places see licensing and registration as the same.

Bonded

Bonding protects the consumer if the contractor fails to complete a job, doesn’t pay for permits, or fails to meet other financial obligations, such as paying for supplies or subcontractors or covering damage that workers cause to your property. Contractors have an arrangement with a third party (a private bond issuer or a recovery fund held by the licensing municipality). To be bonded, companies typically pay a premium to a surety company.

You can ask a contractor for a bond number and certification, through which you can confirm that he or she is appropriately bonded. In addition, you can contact the surety company directly if work isn’t completed or you believe it’s subpar. Property owners may petition for reimbursement through that third party if contractors harm them financially because of shoddy work or failure to pay subcontractors as
promised.

Insured

There are two common types: liability insurance and workers’ compensation.

Liability insurance covers such situations as contractor caused damage to your property, although it doesn’t typically pay for repairing or replacing shoddy work. That is the reason for the bond. Workers’ compensation provides payment to injured workers for lost wages and medical services, regardless of who was at fault.

Workers’ compensation coverage will also provide benefits to the contractor’s family in the event of a work-related death.

Making sure a company is appropriately insured is equally important to ensuring that you will be satisfied with your project in the long run. All contractors you hire should be insured. Ask to see a Certificate of Insurance, then call to verify the policy is current and has enough coverage for your project.

Innovative is licensed, bonded and holds all required worker’s comp and liability insurance.

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Innovative Named “Best of Houzz 2016”

The hard work and great customer service at Innovative Construction & Roofing pays off for the customers and the company. Houzz.com has named Innovative “The Best of 2016” in the design category!

Houzz is one of the most popular platforms for home renovation and design, providing a no-nonsense guide to the top home builders, architects, interior designers, landscape pros and other residential remodeling professionals.

“Anyone building, remodeling or decorating looks to Houzz for the most talented, competent and service-oriented professionals,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “We’re delighted to join our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts in recognizing our best professionals around the world.”

The award is given to the top home renovation companies in three categories: Design, Customer Service, and Photography. The design category is determined by the most popular designs among the  35 million plus users on the platform. Innovative also gets a badge of excellence on the company profile, helping more users identify us as one of the website’s top home professionals.

See our company profile here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/users/stlouisroofing

stlouis-slate-roof-aerial-photo

Aerials – The Best Way To See a Beautiful Roof

We’re busy creating new roofing videos using a drone and an HD camera. These videos provide an entirely new way to see the detail of a newly installed roof. Check out some of the images of these homes in downtown St. Louis. This beautiful light-grey slate is highlighted with copper ridge and trim.

 

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Hail Damage on Slate Roofs Is Not Always Obvious

After a hail storm, damage to your slate roof may not always be obvious. It’s always a good idea to get a professional inspection to see the extent of damage. Your roof may not be damaged at all. Mother nature is unpredictable and it’s amazing how a house on one side of the street can sustain significant damage, while on the other side of the street have minimal hail damage. A close-up inspection will reveal the density of hail damage on your roof, which determines if your roof qualifies for full replacement.

 

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Copper Gutters and Downspouts Deliver Classic Beauty that Lasts a Lifetime

Copper gutters and downspouts have long been in use because of their resistance to corrosion and long life span. It’s not uncommon for copper gutters to last 60-90 years or more — triple the lifespan of aluminum.

copper-gutter-stlouis1While copper gutters are slightly more expensive and challenging to work with, copper increases the value of your home and make your home stand out. Over time, copper gutters and downspouts turn a wonderfully rich patina color that will have the neighbors staring!

Contact our design team and discuss how to transform the look of your home with copper gutters and downspouts!

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Roofers Find Hidden History

We have all heard the stories about finding treasures behind walls, under floors, and in the dark corners of basements and attics. But imagine tearing back a roof to find perfectly preserved newspapers from the 1920s and 1930s. That’s what happened recently in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis.

In April of this year, Dmitry Lipinskiy, owner of Storm Group Roofing, was working on a home built in 1921. He said that homes from this era usually don’t have insulation, but here was 250 pounds of it – hidden history in the form of newspapers printed by The Minneapolis Journal, Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Minneapolis Star. Many of the articles even mention prohibition and the start of the Great Depression.

So what happens to all these newspapers that are roughly 85 years old? The homeowner has kept some of the pages, and some are being stored at the roofing company’s warehouse. And Lipinskiy is hoping to donate the rest to a museum or historical society.

Watch the video here.

What is the most interesting thing you have found on a job site?

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