J&K Roofing
By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Business name: J&K Roofing
Address: West Boylston
Owner: Jim Dayotas
Contact information: 508-393-1868
What services does J&K Roofing provide?
“I do reroofs of homes and new roofs. I also install rubber membrane and composite slate roofs. We do a lot of snow and ice dam removal in the wintertime, and we clean gutters,” said Jim Dayotas, who has owned J&K Roofing in West Boylston since 2000.
J&K serves customers primarily in Shrewsbury, Northborough, Westborough, Grafton, Boylston and adjacent towns.
How do you know a roof needs to be replaced?
“Don’t wait until it leaks,” Dayotas emphasized. “If your home was built in the early 1990s and the roof hasn’t been replaced, it’s definitely time. If you see little granules of shingle around gutter downspouts, that’s a sign. If you notice the roof is starting to curl and shingles lifting up, the roof is fatigued and needs to be replaced.”
How long should a new roof last?
“I only use American-made materials, and the shingles come with a ‘limited lifetime’ or ‘lifetime’ warranty. That means 30-plus years for the limited lifetime and 50-plus years for the lifetime shingle.”
Is it okay to put a second layer of shingles over an existing roof?
“It is cost-effective. But I like to take everything off and start with a clean slate. Then I know if the plywood is wet or rotted and whether there is ice dam protection. I know the plywood is properly nailed down. I personally believe you don’t get the best roof by just adding another layer.”
How much ice and water barrier does a roof need?
“When I started roofing houses, you only had to go up three feet. Now code requires that you go two feet past any exterior wall. I do a minimum of six feet on the lower edges of most homes and put ice and water barrier around every protrusion such as chimneys and vents. And I go up on the roof and look at where the sun will be in the wintertime to identify shady valleys and sections that won’t get any sun. I might treat those sections a little differently.”
Do you need to take the snow off a pitched roof to prevent ice dams?
“It’s not necessary to remove snow from a pitched roof. But if you notice large icicles hanging off the lower edge, an ice dam is forming. The best thing is remove the ice dam to allow the water to run off the roof.
“The ice dam is caused by the attic warming up. If you can keep the attic cold, for example opening attic windows and making sure hot air isn’t rising into the attic, it will help prevent an ice dam.
“Make sure the attic is close to the outside temperature. You don’t want the attic above freezing when you have snow on the roof. It’s hard to do, especially if a home has a heating system in the attic. If there are ductwork vents in the ceiling, put plastic over them to keep the hot air from going into the ductwork and warming up the attic,” Dayotas said.
“If you do need to remove snow, you are better off calling a roofing contractor. I’ve seen roofs damaged by inexperienced workers. They slice the shingles, or shovel in the wrong direction and rip the shingles up.”
J&K Roofing has a website, www.jandkroofs.com, for more information, but Dayotas suggests calling 508-393-1868 for an estimate or with questions.