Get matched with top roofers in Catawba, VA

You can install solar panels on a flat or pitched roof, but keep in mind that they will need to rest at a 30- to 50-degree tilt for optimal sun absorption. It costs more to install solar panels on a flat roof because you will need to install a framing system and likely hire a structural engineer. If your roof has a pitch of more than 40 degrees, it may not be a good candidate for solar panels.

Roof repairs average around $1,100 but can easily exceed that for larger repairs. The cost of roof replacement depends on the size of your home and the materials used but averages between $4,000 and $24,000.

There should be small gaps between your roof and the walls of your home, and other buildings. These small gaps let building materials shift, expand, and contract with weather and other outside forces, and they prevent moisture from wicking down walls from roofing and gutter systems. Without these strategic gaps, your home’s exterior and its finishes can sustain water damage, decay, peel, delaminate, and crack. However, there is a fine line between a smart gap and a problematic gap—all  gaps should be small, intentional, and covered or filled in with foam insulation to prevent pests from using them as access points.

The principal, common, and auxiliary rafters are the most frequently used types of rafters. Principal rafters are large and typically appear toward the edges of the roof. Common rafters are smaller than principal rafters. Some people may use a mix of common and principal rafters. The auxiliary rafter is not common, but it provides extra reinforcement for a principal rafter on a large building.