Roof restoration or replacement?

It can be a big decision to make the decision to restore your roof or replace it.

Cost implications are an obvious concern, but there are other practicalities to think about, such as what material to choose and whether you need to move while the job is done. In terms of decision, unless you have large sections of damaged roof, you probably want to repair what you can. If you're renovating a top repairman, have a really old leaky roof, or your roof has been badly damaged during a storm, then replacement is probably the best option.

Whatever your decision, a faulty roof can cause serious structural damage to your home and can even lead to expensive repairs. If water gets into the home, it can also cause moisture and mold to adhere, which could lead to all kinds of health problems - not something you need to deal with!

Let's take a look at each option in more detail

Replace or repair your roof?

If you want to change your roofing material or if your roof is beyond repair, a complete roof replacement is necessary. If you are expanding your home, it may be worth replacing the entire roof to maintain continuity throughout your home, although this is not required.

If your roof is generally in good condition, you may be able to save a lot of money by repairing the areas that need special attention. Remember, though, that doing too many one-off repairs can make your ceiling look like a patchwork of uneven areas and it can look pretty unsightly - not that you see it very often.

What is roof restoration?

Roof restoration involves the repair of damaged roofs and may include:

• Coating of ridges and pediments
• Replacement of mosaics
• Pressure cleaning
• Elimination of fungus or mold
• Apply a waterproof sealer
• Gutter repair
• Apply a roof membrane
• Replacement flashing
• Replacement of individual shingles or sheets

For a shingle roof, you may need to replace individual shingles or trim and reposition the ridge shingles. In the case of a metal roof, a leak is repaired or an entire sheet of roof sheeting may be required to be replaced. The surface is then normally cleaned, sealed, and repainted.

What roof should I choose?

If you are replacing your entire roof, it is worth finding out what other materials are available. There could be a cheaper, quieter, and more attractive option than your current roof. The most common roofing materials are:

Metal or steel roofing, also known as Colorbond. It is a very durable, fire resistant material and can be painted in any number of colors. It should also come with a warranty of at least 25 years. If you want to know how to choose the right colorbond roofing colour, contact us today!

With the tile roofs you have a wide variety of terracotta, concrete or slate. All of these are fireproof, making them a good choice in areas prone to wildfires. Concrete tiles are extremely durable and should last at least 50 years. Slate is also extremely durable and will not fade, crack or discolor and can last over a century if installed properly. It is ideal to use when you want your ceiling to be a feature.

Which roof is the most profitable?

In terms of price, concrete tiles are the cheapest, followed by steel with clay / stone tiles at the higher end of the scale. Compared to shingles, metal roofs are more affordable to install and easier to maintain. However, there are also aesthetic factors to consider when choosing your roofing material.

To get a rough idea of ​​the cost, you can expect to pay between $ 80 and $ 110 per square foot for the removal and disposal of your old roof and a new replacement. To remove and replace your roof (for an average size 3-bedroom family home), expect to pay in the region of:

• $ 6,000 to $ 10,000 to replace an existing metal skill roof with Colorbond
• $ 20,000 to replace existing tiles with Colorbond
• $ 15,000 to $ 20,000 to replace an existing fiber cement roof with Colorbond

Factors that will affect the total cost of your roofing work include:

• Access to your roof and / or property
• The height and slope of your ceiling
• The size of your roof

Hire a roofer

Replacing and repairing the roof is not an easy DIY project; in fact, it can be really dangerous. Hiring a professional is advisable, and in many cases you need to use a licensed roofer. In NSW there are a variety of licenses your dealer may have, including roofing and siding, roofing plumbing, shingles or roof tiles. When it comes to hiring a roofer in Newcastle, make sure they are right for your job. Some questions to ask include:

• Are you licensed?
• Do you have valid insurance?
• Can you provide a written quote?
• How long is the warranty on your materials?
• Do you have references I can follow?

And no matter the size of your roofing job, always ask for a detailed quote.

Get quotes for roof replacement

The easiest way to get an accurate idea of ​​your roof replacement or restoration costs is to get quotes from at least 3 roofing contractors in your local area or get quotes from local roof repairmen. Roofing repairmen can give more accurate quotes if they have more details to go on, but they may have to go to a site to give an accurate quote. This will give you an idea of ​​what the market rates are currently. You can then compare them by reputation, experience, and price. Contact Amazing Roof Restoration today!

How to maintain a motorcycle?

Taking care of your motorcycle is taking care of your own safety so there is no excuse for you to always have it in perfect condition and know how to maintain your motorcycle.

In addition to the maintenance and reviews that each brand advises for its motorcycles every certain number of miles, which will make you go through a workshop, its good condition on a day-to-day basis is your responsibility.

There are a series of cautions on how to maintain your motorcycle that you must take into account throughout the year and some especially important for a good maintenance of your motorcycle in harsh winters.

Every month of the year, and even more frequently if you travel many miles with your motorcycle every day, you have to stop for a few moments to check the following.

Cleaning

First things first and for a motorcycle to be healthy it has to be clean, in addition to being more beautiful, you can better check that everything is as it should and discover faults more easily. How to wash a motorcycle is simple, do it in the shade, with water, mild soapy products, sponges and you can even use a toothbrush to reach the smallest and most hidden corners. Once washed, dry it and circulate with it a little so that it releases the remaining water better before leaving it standing again.

The tires

It is important to inspect and maintain the tires. Not only if the drawing is sufficient and how is its wear, but it is also very important to control the air pressure. On a motorcycle, correct inflation is essential and greatly influences the behavior of the motorcycle while running, which is neither above nor below, but just at the pressure indicated by the manufacturer and check it when cold.

Chain

If your motorcycle has a chain drive, and not a belt or cardan, it requires special maintenance. To maintain the chain well, it is very important that it is always well greased and its tension is correct, that when raising and lowering it, it moves approximately one inch up and down, you can easily tension it at home without much difficulty acting on the tensioning bolts that you will see at the end of the swing arm and will make the wheel move backwards.

The breaks

If your motorcycle has disc brakes, you should check the fluid level by looking at the tanks, as well as ensuring that the circuit does not have leaks. If it is a drum, it regulates the tension of the cable until the touch and braking are adequate. Exactly the same happens with clutches, both hydraulic and mechanical by cable. In a disk brake you'll easily control the wear of the pads, you need to do it regularly so as not to damage the discs.

Lights

That the headlight burns out and we can't see at night is dangerous but easy to realize, however the rear light can burn out and go days and days without us discovering it. Just as important is to see how to be seen, check every week that the rear light works, do the same with the turn signals and test the horn from time to time, do not go to discover that it does not work when you need it most.

Coolant

If the engine of your motorcycle is cooled by liquid and not by air it is important to check the coolant level. You should see that the level in the expansion vessel is between the maximum and minimum. With experience, it can be easily filled and replaced at home, but remember that you should never open the radiator cap while hot, you could suffer serious burns.

Oil

In most motorcycles it is very easy to check the engine oil level and although changing it requires more experience, it is something that we can also do at home. There are two main systems for checking the oil level: either by porthole or by dipstick. The first is a small round glass window where we see how far the oil reaches and the second a dipstick, normally attached to the cap itself, which indicates the level when it is inserted cleanly and removed again, seeing how far it has been stained with oil. Each model may require looking at the oil in a different way, consult the user manual to do it correctly.

Contact your local motorcycle servicing

The customer service experience we offer at Singleton Bike Shop is second to none. we offer a variety of service offers for your motorcycles to make sure that they're working at their full potential. Not getting your motorbike checked regularly may be a safety risk and a possible hazard to your life. By actively getting your bike checked and serviced you're improving the endurance and longevity of the vehicle and make sure that you won`t be wasting any time or money.

Not only can we do repair jobs we are able to also fit custom accessories and electronics to your bikes like lights and stereos. a local technician could be a great advantage to maintaining your bike so that you'll be able to be explained the difficulty and have the bike fixed and collected in a jiffy. Contact us today!

DRIVING TRUCKS: PERMITS AND SAFETY TIPS

Nowadays, the subject of driving trucks has a certain degree of danger, and to get to driving them requires certain consents, which we will mention in this post along with advice on long-distance refrigerated transport and the necessary cold equipment.

What driving license do I need to be able to drive trucks?

It must be remembered that the type B driving license allows us to drive a truck that does not exceed 3,500Kg in its Maximum Authorized Mass. In order for us to drive the trailers, it will be mandatory to be in possession of the type C permit, supplementing it with other documents for the authorization to carry trailers.

To receive it, you must have reached the age of 21, not be lacking the right to drive and be able to pass a psychophysical aptitude test.

If we have all of the above in order, we can take the theoretical exam, it consists of 20 multiple choice questions, which there is only a limit of 2 failures, having this we will need to pass the closed and open circuit.

• Permission C1. It allows the driving of trucks with the weight between 3,500 and 3,700Kg with the possibility of incorporating a trailer if it does not exceed 750 Kg.
• Permit C. To have this permit, the C1 permit is required. It allows driving with any type of truck with a Maximum Authorized Mass greater than 3,500Kg, with the possibility of incorporating a trailer weighing less than 750Kg.
• C1 + E permit. It allows the license to drive crane trucks up to 7,500Kg of Maximum Authorized Mass and that do not exceed 12,000Kg.
• ADR permit. With this type of card, you have the license to be able to transport dangerous goods.

I already have a truck license; can I drive now?

No. To be able to work as a truck driver, in addition to requiring the license, you must have the approval of the Certificate of Professional Aptitude (CAP). You have to complete a 140-hour course and then pass the exam. Once this is done, the user is allowed to develop the profession with a validity of 5 years that can be updated. This permit is mandatory for type C1, C, C + E and ADR dangerous goods cards.

Regulations for tires on heavy vehicles

Losing control in a large vehicle could lead to great dangers. For this reason, the maximum speed allowed is 90 km / h.

When we are going to change a new tire, they must be similar in terms of axle, make, model, and the speed and load codes must be identical. The depth of the tread found on the tread bands must be visible and must not present deformations or bare wiring.

The different types of tires

There are different models of pneumatization, each one for different utility.

• Adaptability for long distances.
• Assorted items to be used on the road and works.
• Specialized in terrains outside asphalt.

Depending on where the tire is to be installed, it has one sculpture or another. For the reason that some do not hold the same force.

• Rating "F". They are the ones that are installed only on the steering axle.
• Rating "D". They are used in the wheels that are housed in the drive axle.
• Letter "T". It can only be installed on the trailer.

Are the wheels of my truck eternal?

No. The duration of the tires depends on the meteorological conditions in which they are, the way of driving, the condition of the roads on which it circulates, the inflation pressures and the weight that falls on them. The service life of a wheel on an exorbitant transportation vehicle is complex to know. Therefore, the condition of our tires must be checked once a year after 4 years of use.

Prevention is better than "saving"

A study of highways has found that 8% of trucks do not respect the minimum safe distance when following another truck.

When we talk about the use of the belt, we can see that 2.5% do not use it, which is mandatory, therefore we can say that only 29% of drivers of oversized vehicles do not use it.

When we use the mobile, smoke or eat while behind the wheel, they are considered the famous serious distractions, and these are the main causes of an accident on any road and of course a danger for other drivers. In a study it has been indicated that 3.5% of driver’s commit said irresponsibility when traffic is concentrated and 5.7% when traffic is light. There are other circumstances, such as the well-known fatigue, causing 3.7% of the trucks to occupy the lines of the road and even the adjoining lane.

If you are also a truck driver, do you agree to follow the regulations and said precautions?

Get Training, Support and Guidance at Chris Shilling Transport Training

We are backed by 30 years of experience in the transport industry, covering a wide area of services in Newcastle, Central Coast, Mid North Coast, Port Stephens, and Hunter Valley. Get the training, support, and guidance from our trainer so you can get accredited fast and acquire that license you need without much hassle.

Contact us for your inquiries so we can discuss how you can get that license and become a part of Australia’s booming trucking industry.