Ryan
was an 18 year old kid when he started loading bundles of shingles for
$.50 apiece. Now his days are spent listening to customers and co-workers
tell battle stories of their weekends. A self-proclaimed good guy, he
enjoys time with Roz, Matt, and Darby; – his other family either working
around the house, playing on the lake, or his real passion – driving
aimlessly around the mountains in his Jeep. 
Our
resident workaholic, Kurt has been our go-to guy for the past 13 years.
From loading shingles to loading trucks to closing sales, he pretty much
does it all. When he's not working his butt off for the Company, he enjoys
camping in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his wife Cindy and son Luke. 
Since
Cary started with us back in 1998, she has become our resident special
order-err. She enjoys gardening, and that weed free garden probably explains
her relentless work ethic in tracking down those hard to find special
order items. When she's not at work, or at home in the garden, you can
probably find her on a Tahoe beach with her husband, son, and dog Sam. 
Lianne
joined us in 2006 and is probably one of the most up-beat people your
likely to come-across. She's dedicated to making sure you leave happy
and is always working to better the appearance of our store. Although
she'd rather be some where on a beach, she's pretty happy here in our
corner of Nevada, with her husband Cord and son Collin. 
With
a passion for wood-working and construction in general, Larry is a wealth
of knowledge. You've got a question; chances are he's got several right
answers for you. He handles mostly hardware related products which matches
his construction background perfectly. Some-day he hopes to retire to
Georgia with his wife Christi. 
What's
to say about the one who writes our checks??? She's kept our company's
financials in line for the past eight years, and also does tax returns
on the side. When she's not immersed in the numbers, she enjoys sitting
down with a good book while hanging out with her dogs. 
Truly
one who marches to his own beat, Ray refuses to wear a watch or commit
to pretty much anything (even though he's been with us for over five
years). But don't let those traits fool you. He has an extensive background
as a Honda Factory Works motorcycle mechanic, and we have yet found anything
he can't fix. He's also one hell of funny guy to boot, besides being
mechanically gifted. 
are
the guys who really make or break your experience. They get your products
to your job the way you want it. Lucky for us, these guys take pride
in their jobs and with their 10 plus years of delivery experience, we're
confident you'll get your deliveries the way you want them.
Roofing Help
Why hire a professional?
Installing a new roof, replacing an existing roof or simply making roof repairs are all projects for a professional. In addition to owning the proper equipment, professional roofing contractors are also experienced at working in a variety of roofing situations, such as steeply pitched roofs.
Professionals can also make recommendations about which shingles will perform best and which colors will complement your home's appearance.
Here at SSRM, we supply roofing materials to contractors throughout the area. When you’re ready, we will be happy to refer a quality Local Roofing Contractor.
Roofing Material Choice's
The choices in the past were easier to make. There was shingle; there was shake; and then there was composition roofing. We rarely used metal roofs on residential construction and relegated the use of ceramic tile roofs to the southwest.
The dozens of roofing products on the market today make the choice a little more difficult. In addition to the traditional roofing products, homeowners today can benefit from a large variety of roofing materials and products. New roofing products are being developed in response to the shortcomings of older roofing materials, the demands of modern building techniques, and ever more stringent building codes.
For example, most of today's roofing materials are tested for their fire resistance and flame spread. They are rated according to flame resistance standards. Most roofing materials are covered by a manufacturer's warranty, with typical warranties ranging from 20 to 50 years. Some roofing materials are specifically designed and recommended for special applications. These include locations with high wind conditions, heavy snowfall, salt water exposure, and forested areas.
In addition to the variety of choices in roofing materials available today, there are also numerous roofing-related products on the market. Some are designed to assist with traditional roofing-related problems such as moss accumulation and drainage. Other products are specifically designed for today's energy efficient homes and construction practices, to make the roof a portion of the home's venting and insulation system.
Cedar Shakes
Old-growth cedar was hand split to create evenly patterned, vertical-grain shakes. Many of these roofs lasted 30 years or more, establishing cedar's reputation as a fine-quality roofing product. Such roofs are still possible today but require extremely careful selection of material and high quality workmanship on the part of the installer. Failure to select top grade material, workmanship and maintenance can result in roof failure in 5 - 8 years.
One of the drawbacks of cedar, flammability, can be overcome with chemical treatment. Quality cedar can also be factory treated for wood rot, usually with a compound called C.C.A. - Chromated Copper Arsenate.
In order to get the maximum amount of use out of an untreated cedar shake roof, it is important to have the roof treated with a wood preservative. Such roof maintenance is best performed by a specialty contractor who has the knowledge and experience to determine if the roof can still be safely treated. The specialty contractor needs to have the equipment and skill to complete the work with undue damage to the cedar shakes or shingles. Most cedar roofs can be cleaned and treated without pressure washing. Pressure washing often damages cedar (and other types of) roofing, and should be avoided.
Composition Roofs
Many homes have asphalt composition roofs. The newest of the these roofs have fiberglass reinforcing mesh in the material. This type of roofing material comes in a variety of colors, designs and qualities. It is not unusual to see a 25-year-old composition roof in good condition, even though the original warranty was for 15 years.
Many people regard composition less "interesting" than other roofing products. However, the new, longer warranted composition products add choices of texture and tab styles. These types of roofs are typically referred to as architectural-grade composition roofs.
The most frequent problems associated with composition roof installation are related to inadequate ventilation, poor flashing, and damage from moss buildup. Methods to deal with these problems are mandatory in the proper installation of this and every other type of roofing. One way of identifying a good roofing contractor and a good roofing proposal is the inclusion of specifications in the proposal to deal with venting, flashing, and moss control.
A properly installed composition roof requires very little maintenance other than a periodic visual inspection. The best way to inspect such a roof is with a good set of binoculars from a nearby vantage point. Walking on a composition roof for the purpose of inspection or repair should be kept to an absolute minimum - good advice for all types of roofs. Composition roofs should not be cleaned with a pressure washer.
Composition roofing can be reroofed with one and possibly two additional layers of roofing over the original layer. Such reroofing should only be done when the previous roofing layer is very flat and even.
Tile
Some of the clay tile used in warmer climates cannot be used here; moisture and freezing will destroy it in short order. Some clay tiles have a high enough silicone content, or have been fired hard enough to prevent moisture absorption. Cost places it in between concrete roof tile and slate roofs.
Today's "tile" roofs are usually concrete products or concrete composite materials. Some of these products are heavier than most other roofing materials and may require modification of the roof framing structure. Other concrete roof tiles can be installed on standard roof framing.
Most of the concrete and concrete composite roof tile materials are designed to imitate the look of ceramic or clay tile, or that of cedar shake. These products usually carry some of the longest warranties in the industry, with warranties of 40 and 50 years quite common. While our local experience with these products is relatively limited. Heavier concrete products have developed a good track record. However, the cement-fiber composition products have been problematic. In neighborhoods where local covenants previously required the use of cedar shake, concrete and concrete composite tile products have often become an acceptable alternative.
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs are becoming very popular, not only because of their improved quality but also because they can provide a new spectrum of colors, clean lines and an alternative to traditional materials for low-pitched roofs.
Does rain make more noise on metal roofs? Depends on who you ask and how the roof was installed.
Typically the metal roofing is installed over solid sheeting of plywood or oriented strand board. This application reduces any noise problem from the roof while adding strength and longevity.
The better quality metal roofs are called Standing Seam metal roofs and are designed in such a way as to hide all of the fasteners which attach the roof to the sheathing. This also gives the roof a very clean line and a very modern architectural look.
Metal roofs are particularly attractive for homes located in forested areas which require frequent cleaning of leaves and needles. They are also used in areas of heavy snowfall and where moss control is particularly critical and difficult.
Flat Roofs
Flat roofs with a pitch of less than 2 inches in 12 inches are usually covered with a "hot tar" or a "torch down" material. With skillful construction and regular maintenance, flat roofing materials can provide for trouble-free use. Flat roofs require special attention to application, venting and flashing details. Some of the most expensive repairs on many multi-family structures are due to poor quality flat roof construction and maintenance.
The use of gravel on hot tar roofs provides ballast and protection from ultraviolet light; the disadvantage of the gravel is in clogged gutters and difficult roof repair. A good and recommended alternative is to re-coat the roof every 3 to 5 years with a cold application coating and reflective paint. A similar coating can be used on "torch-down" roofs.
It is important to keep in mind that hot tar and torch-down roofing materials are a roofing product and not a deck coating.
Ventilation
The purpose of ventilation is to reduce summer heat and moisture from the attic and rafter spaces. This is the most neglected aspect of roofing. Most houses are grossly under vented. This will cause the life of your roof to be shortened dramatically and can lead to dry rot and material cupping or curling.
The uniform building code requires and most manufacturers recommend a minimum of one square foot of venting for every one hundred fifty square feet of ceiling space. Fifty percent of that amount must be in the form of high vents, located near or at the ridge of the house. The balance can be in lower areas, such as the soffitts. The vents should be equally distributed, so as to provide for proper venting to all portions of the roof.
A proper roof venting system allows for a continuous air flow between the low (soffit) vents and the ridge vents. The air flow is 'powered' by convection, i.e. the warmer air will rise and escape out of the high vents and 'pull' cooler and dryer air from the low vents. This works equally well in high summer temperatures and low winter temperatures. This is a natural process; it does not require any sophisticated controls or the use of electrical energy.
With the introduction of the many types of ridge vents available today, the need for a series of flat mushroom-like structures on the roof is eliminated. In addition, ridge venting is used most effectively to vent structures with cathedral ceilings, which require venting at each of the rafter spaces.
Skylights
Today's factory-build skylights and associated flashing systems are an excellent way to add light and venting to the home. For best results, skylights are installed with the first roofing layer. Such installation should be coordinated between a carpenter and a roofer. The work should be scheduled in advance in order to guarantee that the materials and required skilled workers are available at the time of installation.