http://www.onicesroofing.com/Are Composition Shingles and Asphalt Shingles the Same Thing? The roofing industry is full of different names and terms that are hard to understand as a homeowner. This can be confusing and often frustrating. Especially when different roofing contractors use different terms to mean the same thing. This brings us to a commonly asked question, “Are composition shingles and asphalt shingles the same thing?” For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand the lingo, terminology, and other aspects of the roofing industry. Now we'll be doing the same thing for you. To start this article off, we'll clarify if composition shingles and asphalt shingles are the same. After that, we'll give you 3 things that every homeowner needs to know about a composition shingle roof. Are composition shingles and asphalt shingles the same thing? Yes, composition shingles and asphalt shingles are the same thing. It's simply just another term the roofing industry uses for asphalt shingles. The term “composition” comes from the fact that asphalt shingles are a composite of man-made materials. These materials consist of fiberglass, tar, and granules put on a fiberglass mat to make a shingle. Insurance companies also call them composition shingles on claims for roof damage. So, if you see “composition” on your insurance claim, there's no reason to panic. At the end of the day, you might hear different roofing contractors use one or the other. But the majority of the roofing industry uses asphalt shingles. Things to know about composition (asphalt) shingles Now you know that composition shingles and asphalt shingles are the same thing. After learning this, you're ready to learn the 3 main things every homeowner needs to know about composition shingles. 1. The 3 types of composition shingles There are 3 types of composition (asphalt) shingles: 3-tab, architectural (dimensional or laminate), and luxury (shake look or slate look). All 3 shingles have different looks to fit the style you're looking for and your budget. 3-tab shingles lay flat and get their name from the 3 tabs on each shingle strip. Architectural (dimensional) shingles have a random pattern and shadow lines to give your roof more dimension. Some even simulate the look of a wood shake roof. Luxury (shake roof and slate roof) shingles are larger and thicker than the other shingles. Most luxury shingles are designed to look like slate tiles, hence the name slate look. 3-tab shingles used to dominate the roofing industry, but now architectural shingles are the most common type installed on roofs today. Luxury shingles are as heavily marketed as architectural shingles, but they're around double the price. No matter your budget or the look you want, you'll be able to find an asphalt shingle that fits your needs. 2. The materials and components that make up a composition shingle roof While choosing which shingle you want is the fun part; your composition roof system is much more than the shingles you see from the street. It's a combination of key roofing components and materials that come together to form a complete roof system. These other roofing materials and components are just as important as the composition shingles themselves. The main materials and components that make up a composition roof are: Roof decking Roof flashing Underlayment Drip edge Ice and water shield Shingles Ridge capping Roof vents Pipe boots Flashing These materials come together to make a complete roof system that protects you and your family. To learn more about the functions of each roofing component and material, click on the hyperlinks attached to the materials or check out the 9 materials included in your roof replacement. 3. The lifespan of composition shingle roof A composition roof's lifespan is the number of leak-free years you get out of it. Remember the 3 types of composition shingles we discussed earlier? Well, each comes with a specified lifespan from the manufacturer. 3-tab shingles can last up to 25 years and live the shortest of the three types of composition shingles. On the other hand, both architectural and luxury shingles have a lifespan of around 30 years. But the luxury style is thicker and has the possibility to go over 30 years and up to 50 under the right conditions. As long as the composition shingles are properly installed and your attic is adequately ventilated, they'll get really close to the lifespans above. However, other factors impact how long a composition roof ultimately lasts. How much does a composition (asphalt) shingle roof cost? Now you know 3 things every homeowner needs to know about a composition roof. However, there's still one more crucial thing you need to learn. This, of course, is how much a composition shingle roof costs. The problem is, the roofing industry avoids talking about pricing or anything else relating to cost. But here at Bill Ragan Roofing, we do things differently. That's why we wrote another article that gives you the cost of a composition (asphalt) roof and the factors that impact the price of a replacement. The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided homeowners in Nashville and surrounding areas with high-quality asphalt roofing services since 1990. Whether you need repairs or a full roof replacement, you can count on our workmanship backed by a lifetime warranty to take care of your roof for decades to come. To learn what you can expect to pay for a composition roof replacement, check out How Much a New Asphalt Roof Costs: Pricing, Factors & Considerations. What Are Laminated Shingles? You've just gotten off the phone with another Marietta roofing contractor and he only seemed interested in installing laminated shingles on your roof. He's told you that they are his most popular seller, but does that mean they are the best shingle for your roof? Are laminated shingles really that great, or is it just sales hype? 3-TAB AND LAMINATED SHINGLES – WHAT A MARIETTA ROOFING COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT HOW THEY ARE MADE The difference between laminated and 3-tab shingles is really quite simple. They are both made from the same basic components, but one just uses more of them. The laminated shingle is essentially a beefed-up version of a 3-tab shingle, so it makes some sense to discuss the simpler 3-tab shingle, first. Twenty or so years ago, 3-tab shingles were used almost exclusively to cover residential roofs. Today's 3-tab shingle has not changed much, in terms of basic construction and size. A 1-ft. tall X 3-ft. wide shingle slab is cut with slots at one end to create three tabs, each about 5-in. tall X 12-in. wide. What results is the well-known and widely used “3-tab shingle.” The shingles are overlapped and nailed in place during installation. After a roof is finished the tabs are the only visible part of each shingle. Those unfamiliar with roofing often assume each tab is an individual shingle. Of course, now you know what every professional Marietta roofing contractor knows. Each visible “shingle” is, in fact, one of the tabs in a 3-tab shingle. As suggested earlier, laminated shingles are actually an enhanced, stronger version of a standard 3-tab shingle. Unlike a 3-tab shingle, a laminated shingle has an extra layer under its lower half. This gives the tabs on a laminated shingle a thickness that is twice as deep as it would be otherwise. But why is this thickness necessary? The primary goal of a laminated shingle is to provide a more natural and deeper look than that offered by a conventional 3-tab shingle. That is why laminated shingles are sometimes called architectural shingles. A laminated shingle creates depth by featuring tabs of varying widths that are separated by large, randomly spaced gaps. The large spaces between the cut tabs highlights the thickness of the tabs, creating a wonderful, visually appealing effect of depth. Some laminated shingles employ different shades, tones and even contrasting colors to create an even more distinctive, yet natural appearance. 3-Tab And Laminated Shingles – A Performance Comparison That Every Marietta Roofing Contractor Understands The next questions to ask is, how does the extra material used in a laminated shingle translate into performance? By virtue of their heavier construction, laminated shingles are able to last longer than 3-tab shingles. With more protective asphalt, granules and fiberglass per square foot, laminated shingles can resist sun, heat, impact and water damage more effectively and for a longer time than 3-tab shingles can. This is reflected, in general, by longer warranty times and higher wind ratings for laminated shingles. A side-by-side comparison of 3-tab and laminated shingles is presented below. Note that the warranty information provided is generic in nature and provided for reference, only. You should confirm product specific shingle warranty details with your Marietta roofing contractor before you make any purchasing decisions. How Long Can You Expect Your Asphalt Roof to Last? When investing in a new roof, you're expecting to get as many years out of it as possible. This is especially true for an asphalt roof. One of the most crucial questions customers ask is how long their asphalt roof will last. While a roofing contractor can say 25 or 30 years, you're probably wondering if it'll actually last that long. Luckily, we're here to help you understand the lifespan of your asphalt roof. The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has been installing asphalt roofs in the Nashville area since 1990. We know what it takes to maximize the life of your roof with our workmanship and attention to detail. The truth is, you should get pretty close to the manufacturer's lifespan of your roofing materials. But there are a number of factors that ultimately determine how much life you'll get out of your asphalt roof. By the end of this article, you'll know how long your asphalt roof should last and the factors that affect its lifespan. And to help save time and make your research a little easier, grab the Asphalt Roof Replacement Cheat Sheet at the very end. How long will your asphalt roof last? There are three types of asphalt shingles, 3-tab, dimensional, and luxury. But for this article, we're going to use the two most common asphalt shingles, 3-tab and dimensional, as examples. 3-tab shingles generally come with a 25-year manufacturer warranty. Dimensional shingles come with a 30-year manufacturer warranty. Vented properly and installed correctly, you should get around 80-85% of the life span out of an asphalt roof. That means you can expect to get about 20-22 years out of your 3-tab shingle roof and 25-28 years out of your dimensional shingles. posted an update 1년, 1개월전

http://www.astandmixer.com/Do you really need a stand mixer? Yes, and here’s why
True story: A long time ago, as a lowly magazine assistant with the ink still drying on my grad school degree, I dreamed of a promotion beyond my usual duties of grabbing lunch for my bosses and answering reader mail. When the day finally came and I got my own cubicle, a new title on my business card, and a RAISE, I didn’t splurge on Louboutins or a Louis Vuitton tote. (Those came later.) Instead, I marched myself over to Williams-Sonoma and got myself a tangerine stand mixer.

More than a decade later, the stand mixer is still one of my best friends in the kitchen, taking pride of place on the counter and outlasting the fancy bags and shoes collecting dust in my closet. If you want a splurge that actually pays off, a stand mixer is your best bet.

If you’re mentally picturing a stand mixer, chances are what you’re thinking of is the KitchenAid version — like Kleenex and Q-Tips, the brand name has become the industry standard descriptor, likely much to the chagrin of Breville, Cuisinart, et al. As of 2014, KitchenAid was selling more than 2.5 million stand mixers annually, so for all intents and purposes, that’s probably the only brand you’ve encountered. A stand mixer combines heavy duty steel construction and a powerful motor to make it an indispensable tool for both bakers and cooks alike.

Essentially, a stand mixer is an extra pair of big, beefy arms in your kitchen. Use it wherever you could use a helper to do a mixing task while you busy yourself with another part of the recipe at hand. It’s more efficient and better at evenly combining ingredients than a human could ever be; it cuts down on your prep time; and it’s built to last. (Yes, as a professional cook, I actually own two stand mixers: the everyday 5-quart KitchenAid Artisan, and the big, badass 7-quart Pro Line version with 1.3 horsepower under the hood.)

What’s a stand mixer good for?
A basic stand mixer comes with three blade attachments: a beater, a whisk and a dough hook. Which one you want to use depends on your desired outcome:

• Use the flat beater for most tasks, including mixing cookie and cake batters and frostings; for shredding pulled pork or chicken; for mixing meatloaf or meatballs if you don’t want to touch it with your hands; and for blending both sweet and savory ingredients, such as incorporating butter into warm citrus curd or mashing boiled potatoes with butter and milk for a creamy comfort meal.

• Use the whisk for beating eggs and cream into fluffy peaks, and if you take it even further, for making marshmallow fluff and homemade butter without lifting a finger. (OK, except for the finger you use to flick the power on.)

• Use the dough hook for kneading any kind of dough you can imagine, from stiff baguette dough and whole grain rolls to soft, pliant pizza dough and cinnamon buns.

Like a Vitamix, the price of a stand mixer essentially correlates to the horsepower you’re purchasing. You’re buying a powerful motor, so there’s no reason to relegate it just to mixing and whipping duties. That’s where the attachments come in.

At the very least, get a second beater blade with a silicone scraper edge. This tool should, in my opinion, come standard with every mixer — it scrapes the bowl as you mix, making it even more effective at creaming butter and sugar together, folding dry ingredients like flour and cocoa powder into your batter, and generally keeping everything well-blended.

If you want to go further, you can get attachments that will roll and cut pasta, grind meat, take the place of a food processor for shredding, slicing, and dicing, spiralize fruits and vegetables and even make ice cream. Each add-on isn’t cheap, to be sure, but consider the ease in which you can make piles of pappardelle or stacks of spiralized sweet potatoes.

The Best Stand Mixers for Every Kind of Baker, According to Thousands of Reviews
For home bakers and professionals alike, a sturdy stand mixer is key. The appliance is adaptable enough to whip up everything from airy layer cakes to stiff bread dough, and it cuts down on the time and effort of mixing by hand. What’s more, many stand mixers include accessories to tackle other kitchen projects, like from-scratch pasta, DIY ice cream, and freshly squeezed juice.

But like other powerful kitchen appliances, electric stand mixers are an investment. Quality machines retail for hundreds of dollars, and high-end brands can cost more than $1,000. Plus, there are tons of options to choose from, ranging from budget-friendly basics to feature-rich models with stylish hues and designs. So if you’re considering buying a stand mixer of your own, it can be a challenge to find the right fit.

How to Choose the Best Kitchen Mixer
While it’s entirely possible to make most of the things you’d want to cook or bake without a mixer, why bother? With a mixer, you can save time on many of your current favorite go-to recipes and probably find yourself trying out all new foods you wouldn’t have thought to make before. And unless you’re especially vigilante when you stir things by hand, a mixer will almost certainly mean better textures and consistency for many of the things you make.

For anybody who bakes regularly (and many people that don’t), kitchen mixers are the kind of item that you only think you can live without until you’ve had one. Once you get used to owning one, the idea of going back to mixing everything manually seems crazy.

That means there are two main categories of consumers for mixers:

Those that are buying a mixer for the first time and are unsure of what to really look for.

Those looking to replace a beloved mixer that recently stopped working (RIP).

Whichever category you fall into, our buyer’s guide to mixers should serve as a useful guide in gaining a clear idea of the kind of options are available on the market and which one right for you.

Types of Mixers
The first decision you need to make in order to choose the right mixer is which of the two main types to go with.

Hand Mixers

Hand Mixer

Click Here to View All Hand Mixers

If your main priorities are affordability or finding a mixer that won’t take up much space, hand mixers are likely to fit the bill. They have a simpler design than stand mixers, can usually easily fit in a drawer in your kitchen, and can cost less than $20.

You have two choices with hand mixers: electric hand mixers and rotary hand mixers (sometimes called eggbeaters). With rotary models, you use a lever to do the mixing. With electric hand mixers, all you have to do is hold the mixer in place while the movement happens automatically.

On the spectrum of how much easier a mixer can make your life, hand mixers fall firmly in the middle. They’re faster and easier than stirring dough by hand, but require more work and time than using a stand mixer.

Benefits:

Hand mixers are more affordable.

These kitchen mixers do not take up any counter space.

Clean up is easy and quick.

You can use any bowl.

Portable.

To Keep in Mind:

Hand mixers involve a little bit of manual work.

Usually not as fast or thorough as stand mixers.

These mixers tend to be somewhat messy.

Stand Mixers

Green Stand Mixer

Click Here to View All Stand Mixers

Usually if you hear someone talk about not being able to live without their mixer, they’re talking about stand mixers. Stand mixers make the process of baking or mixing just about anything considerably easier. They’re especially useful for any baking that involves thick dough, like bread or pizza dough, or recipes that require trickier mixing duties like making meatballs.

Stand mixers typically come with a large mixing bowl and several different attachments designed for specific types of mixing – you’d use a different attachment for making meringue than you would for making bread, for instance. Because they’re stationary, you can start mixing something and leave it while you work on gathering other ingredients. For recipes that call for adding ingredients while you mix, a task that’s nearly impossible for one person to accomplish without a mixer, they make it a breeze.

One of the main inconveniences of a stand mixer is the size and weight. If you don’t have the space to keep it on the counter, you may begrudge the process of getting a heavy stand mixer in and out of a kitchen cabinet.

Benefits:

Stand mixers are more powerful than a hand mixer.

These units will mix faster and more thoroughly.

Since it’s stationary, you can start it mixing and leave to work on other things.

Usually stand mixers come with (or you can buy) different attachments designed to achieve the best results for various types of mixing.

Some stand mixers allow you to make pasta, ravioli, juice, sauce, ice cream or even mill grain.

To Keep in Mind:

This type of mixer costs more than hand mixers.

Takes up a lot of counter space.

Takes up more kitchen storage space.

Sometimes these are a pain to clean.

For the dedicated baker, there’s really no reason you should have to choose between the two. Hand mixers are affordable enough that, even if you’ve decided to invest in a stand mixer, you can easily grab a hand mixer as well. That way, you can turn to the smaller tool for your more minor mixing needs rather than having to pull out and clean the stand mixer for every recipe.