Arizona is known for its dry climate and blistering heat. However, every year as the summer creeps to an end, the monsoon season thunders into the desert landscape. Picture torrential rainfall, loud storms, and of course, roof leaks.
During the rainy season, it’s important for homeowners to make sure their house is watertight. This is especially important for areas of the roof that are prone to pooling. Roof crickets can help your house stay safe from ponding water.
What is a Roof Cricket?
Roof crickets are triangle or diamond-shaped structures that connect to roofs to divert water away from important structures like chimneys. They make sure water doesn’t pool up or push into your roofing system. Crickets can be attached to your roof or built into the roof so they blend in.
While it is true that the pitch (slope) of a roof plays a large part in drainage, crickets help do more. Structures that jut from the roof are often square and flat on the top. Water can pool up in these areas causing potential damage. They’re also built into areas with low valleys like where two gables run parallel.
Construction
Roof crickets have a simple construction. However, finding the optimal size and angles takes a lot of math. In short, the steeper the slope, the wider the cricket.
After measurements are done it’s time to put it together. The cricket is built into the roof—meaning the existing shingles will need to be removed. A simple frame is built and the rest is treated like part of the roofing system. It gets insulation, a roof deck, underlayment, and shingles. They’re built to blend into the roof seamlessly.
Need a Cricket?
If you’re in the Prescott area and are considering getting a cricket, Legacy Roofing can help. Homeowners can have peace of mind after installing a cricket. Call Legacy Roofing today to get a quote for your job.
Why a Roof Cricket is So Important
Unless your chimney is above a certain size, building codes do not require crickets. However, they do help extend the lifespan of your roof, and if they do their job right, they’ll save you a headache or two.
Prevent Leaks
It should be known by all homeowners that leaks are always bad. Letting water get into your roofing system is a quick way to grow mold and rot and ruin your paint. It can cause cosmetic damage at best and extensive structural damage at worst.
Leaks are often traced to damaged or bad connections to these additional roof structures. Chimney crickets ensure that no water will build up on top of a major location of your roof.
Protect Roof Structures
When water rushes past external structures, they can begin to show wear and tear. Even if there is no sign of leaks or potential damage, over the years these areas will begin to erode and seep into the roof. It’s cheaper and easier to install a cricket than to have your roof repaired.
Protect Building Structure
As mentioned earlier, installing a cricket can protect your house’s structural integrity. When water leaks go unknown, they can cause massive destruction on the structure of your roof.
Beams aren’t the only thing that can be damaged either. Frames, studes, and even concrete foundation needs to be kept clear of excess water.
Do I Need One?
At this point you may be wondering if installing a roof cricket is good for your roof. Truth be told, not every roof needs one. If your home has a simple roof with no chimney or additional structures, water should be able to flow off it freely.
The placement of your chimney also matters. If it is placed perpendicular to the peak of the roof then it’s not necessary to install a chimney cricket. These structures are needed when your roof has multiple valleys or a chimney that can block water from leaving the roof.
Crickets and Roof Pitches
There’s a science behind cricket construction. Builders will use the width of the chimney (or structure) to find the height of the cricket. The pitch of the roof also plays a role. The steeper the roof, the taller the cricket.
Without getting too into the weeds, a cricket should have a pitch that’s as steep or steeper than the roof’s.
Flat Roof Crickets
Flat roofs are required to have some slope so they can drain water. Crickets are still helpful for these applications, but they look a lot different than steeper roof crickets. They often look like very low pyramids.
These are installed with their point going toward drains or scuppers. They’re used to divert water away from areas where pooling is more likely to occur like HVAC units, skylights, or parapet walls.
Legacy Roofing does cricket installation for residential and commercial flat roofs. If your commercial building requires a cricket, inspection, or you want to learn more, contact Legacy Roofing.