Finishes and Features
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Shingles are small units of roofing that are
laid on a roof
There are many types of shingles:
1. Wood shingles
 They last between 30 and 40 years
 Normally made from redwood or cedar
2. Slate shingles
 They last between 6- and 100 years
 They weigh 3-5 times more than asphalt shingles
 They are made using stone (slate)
3. Asphalt shingles
 They are classified by weight
 320 pounds per square lasts more than 25 years
 210 pounds per square lasts between 12 and 15 years
 1 square = 100SqFt
 They are made using asphalt and impregnated felt
paper that is reinforced with another coating of asphalt
and finally covered with a granular material
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Slate shingles last the longest, i.e. 60-100
years.
◦ They are not used much in North America
◦ Typically the red shingles seen on mansions
4. Roll Roof
 Best option for low-pitched roofs
 Has life between 5 and 10 years
5. Corrugated Plastic Tile
 Single-pity, translucent roof that is normally used for
light structures and patios
 It is typically low-quality roofing that fades, discolors
and leaks at joints
 It is commonly used by accessory structures and
buildings
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Asphalt shingles weighing 210 pounds per
square last between 12 and 15 years
Each square is 100 square feet
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They are located along the edges of roofs
◦ Look like half-open pipes
◦ Made using either plastic, copper, aluminum or
galvanized steel
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They perform a number of functions
◦ Collect water from roof
◦ Protect walls and localize ground level erosion that
is caused by roof runoffs
◦ Keep basement area dry by directing water away
from foundation
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There are several problems that may arise:
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They may loosen up
Leakages
Damage
They can get clogged with debris such as leaves
They begin to slope
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Downspouts are pipes that take water from
the eaves troughs away from the basement
wall / foundation
◦ They should ideally be 6 feet away but in reality,
they are normally only 6 inches away
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Downspouts discharge water into the ground
or underground drains that are made with
cast iron, clay tile, or plastic
◦ These underground drains may break or become
clogged
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Brick veneer walls are wooden wall frames
with a brick exterior (but not a brick wall)
◦ They are “fake bricks” that are only 4 inches thick
◦ It is situated outside residential buildings
◦ Most frequently used in residential construction
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It carries the weight of the roof to the
foundation
◦ It is a popular choice among home buyers because
they serve a decorative function as well as a
protective one
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A brick masonry wall is a custom-built wall
that is 8-inches thick in residential
construction
Its inner layer is made up of clay, brick, title,
glass and concrete while its weather-resistant
outer layer is made from stone, clay, glass
and cinderblock
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Weep holes are holes outside Brick Veneer
Walls
◦ They are inserted after every 24 inches along
bottom row of bricks
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Bricks absorb rainwater and melted snow and
weep holes provide a way out for water in
walls
◦ The drywall will be spoiled without a water outlet
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Weep holes are related to the rain screen
principle
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What are brick veneer walls used for?
◦ They are an exterior finish
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What is the inner layer of a brick masonry
wall made of?
◦ Stone, clay, glass and cinderblock
◦ It is custom-built
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Which principle do drainage techniques that
relate to brick veneer walls use?
◦ Rain screen principle
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Siding is installed over flashings on exterior
walls and on top of building paper
◦ It is typically butted against the exterior rim
◦ It has a minimum 6-inch clearance from the bottom
right above the finished grade level
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Stucco is a material that is made using
cement, lime and aggregate water
◦ It is used as an exterior covering for walls
◦ It is applied when wet but becomes durable and
hard
◦ It functions like plaster for the exterior
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Volatile organic compounds are products that
emit gases that deteriorate the quality of air
indoors
Examples of volatile organic compounds
include carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and
radon gas
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New windows are required to meet the
Canadian Standards Association requirements
Windows are responsible for as much as 25%
of the heat loss in a house if not installed
properly
Windows are used for ventilation and lighting
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Casement windows
are a type of crankopen window that
open sideways either
inwards or outwards
They can only open
sideways
They cannot be
sliding windows and
are only crank open
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Windows have a layer of low-E (Low Emissive)
on their surfaces
Low Emissive describes the ability of a
surface to reflect long-wave radiation
◦ Low-E glass has a thin metallic layer that enables
sunlight to enter a home during winter
◦ It also prevents heat from entering during the
summer, minimizing cooling costs
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Inert gases such as krypton are filled between
two glass frames in a window
◦ It helps enhance window efficiency
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Windows have a half-inch space between
glasses
◦ If this space is filled with inert gases, the efficiency
in the house increases
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In the past, this airspace would be filled with
water vapor, but since this would evaporate
over time, it was not very efficient
◦ Inert gas will stay forever so long as the glass does
not break
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ER determines how efficient the window is
◦ It represents how much heating is necessary for a
window during winter (heating season) by taking
into account heat loss through frames, glass and
spacers, air leakage and solar heat gain
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It basically measures solar performance
◦ A positive ER shows that more solar heat is gained
than lost
◦ A negative ER shows that more solar heat is lost
than gained
◦ Solar heat refers to heat from the sun
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U-value is a measure of heat flow levels
through an object (like window glazing)
◦ It is commonly known as “heat transfer coefficient”
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U-value = reciprocal of R-value that
commonly measures insulation
◦ As R-value increases, U-value decreases
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U-value establishes the ER of windows in a
house