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Why a Metal Roof Cap?
Besides the aspect of this being the
crowning jewel of a classic Victorian style house or a cute gazebo;
when roofing
a structure like this where the roof comes to a peak with a 4, 6, 8,
12, or 16 sided roof
it is always
a
problem for even the most professional roofers to figure out what to
do at this peak to bring the roofing shingles together, making it look
right, and seal the peak from rain, as seen in these photos to the right.
Another important issue is roof venting, that
for some reason is rarely implemented into these roof designs, but is
still very important. You can read more about this on our
Roof Venting web page and how we combat this
issue.
 
This happens to be a good example of high quality
roofing work, yet you can clearly see where it would still leak through
the top seams. If the roofer caulks these seams at the top it would
last for several years, but who would know to strip it clean and re-caulk
it before it begins to fail and cause dry-rot? It was very nicely
done, but it will clearly not be able to seal the rain out. Also,
this is a popular place for birds to roost
(and poop).
For these issues a steeper copper roof cap has proven to be the best
lasting solution and can add a nice finishing touch.
Additionally
the copper will help to retard the growth of moss and mildew on the
roofing below, just like zinc does. A zinc plated steel cap may
be cheaper, but the zinc coating will dissolve off within 10 to 15 years.
Then the rusty steel will permanently stain the roofing below, so copper
is clearly the best metal to use and not have to worry about it again.
We supply the stainless steel screws as well, so the copper roof cap
can be safely removed and reused when re-roofing is needed.
For custom work like this, the cost of the metal
used is only a small fraction of the cost, so using a cheaper metal
would only save about 10%. It seems silly to use anything less
than a good thick copper so the cap will stand up to a century of the
elements and several re-roofings. Copper will last 5 to 10 times longer
than steel, so it is the best value in the long run.
Note: We
do not intend to be misleading with prices listed on these web pages
for roof caps made prior to to 2006, but as you may know metal and fuel
prices have doubled since then and we have had to compensate. So keep
in mind how the prices listed may not reflect the current cost accurately.
They are here as a guide to see what these cost at that time. You can
go to our Latest News web page to read more
on this subject.
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