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Safety AROUND YOUR HOME
I want to let all of you know that I appreciate your feedback about my articles here in "Illinois Country Living," Following the June issue, there were additional questions about roofing jobs that I thought I could best cover with another column. Most of the questions dealt with roofing materials. Many were the result of the age-old question about shingle color and attic temperature. As a result of that question, I was able to gather some information regarding "Black vs. White" roofing materials. The main conclusion I found was that white (or light) colored roofing materials tended to have 20-25 percent cooler sheathing material when exposed to sunlight than did black (or dark) roofing materials. The people at the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois said this usually causes about a 1 percent or less rise in cooling costs for a home having the dark roof with a well-insulated attic during the summer months. By the same token, this also causes about the same decrease in heating costs for the dark roof home during the winter months. The main concern is how much of the roof is exposed to the direct sunlight, how well the attic space is ventilated, and the duration of the sun exposure during a given day. There are some advantages to darker materials as you attempt roofing jobs in cooler months. Darker shingles are more likely to seal against each other than lighter-colored shingles on cooler spring and fall days. This can be important when you consider scheduling your job. After reviewing the materials I collected, the one overwhelming conclusion was that roof color was not nearly as important as being sure to purchase high-quality shingles for your home. I have copies of a BRC publication about roofing materials for your information. It doesn't specifically cover roofing color, but it does have answers to other possible questions as you do your roofing job. Another publication from the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association) discusses proper shingle installation techniques. Both are worth a read and available if you drop me a line. Bill Campbell is an Extension Educator, Farm Systems, at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois. You can write to Campbell in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: 217-782-6515. E-Mail: campbelw@idea.ag.uiuc.edu Cooling with trees
If you are thinking of planting new trees for these or other reasons, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. It is essential that you plan before you plant. If you don't, the little seedling that so nicely compliments your front yard today, may overpower your home, clog your septic lines, or interfere with overhead electric lines in a few years. Depending on where the tree is located, it may have to be cut down. Unfortunately one of the most popular places to plant trees is right down the property line. This also happens to be where utility lines are located. When you plant trees, plan so they fit the site even when full grown. If you're planting anywhere near overhead lines, a slow growing, shorter tree is the best choice. Before you buy a tree, ask yourself these questions: • Why am I planting the tree? For shade? To block an undesirable view? For its fruit? For the colors?
• Will the tree interfere with another person's property? Most interruptions of electric service during wind, ice and rainstorms result from tree limbs breaking wires or causing short circuits. Pruning helps avoid such problems, but the best way to prevent such outages is to plan before planting.
14 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • SEPTEMBER 1996 |
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