Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Mike asks, “I just bought a house with a roof section that has a 1 to 2 inch pitch, should I use rubber roofing or are shingles acceptable? Thank you for your time” The usual slope for asphalt shingles is a 4” or greater rise for every horizontal foot of run. A 3” per foot slope is considered low, but may be acceptable if a double layer of felt is used.

From natural materials like slate and wood to manmade products such as asphalt, sheet metal, and plastic polymers; there are more types and styles of roofing to choose from today than ever before. While each has its advantages and shortcomings, they all can add a distinctive design element to your home. So which one is right for you?

Installing a rain diverter over the doorway to your house will make life a little easier the next time you come home during a downpour. While diverters are available at many building supply stores, they are not hard to make if you have trouble finding them.

Nothing is more annoying than having to walk through a waterfall coming off your roof to reach the front door every time it rains. Fortunately, there’s an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem. Rain diverters are available at most building supply stores including Home Depot. They are easiest to install on asphalt roofing and consist of an “L” shaped piece of sheet metal that fits under the roofing above the entranceway.

Maintaining gutters and downspouts is one of the most often overlooked jobs around the house. It is also one of the most important, since clogged or leaking gutters can quickly lead to rotten fascia boards, peeling paint, or worse.

Here’s a handy tip to help you clean out the gutters without having to climb onto your roof or a ladder. Create a long spray-wand from PVC pipe (1/2″ works well) with a “U” shape at one end.

Extension ladders are a must for painting on higher areas of the home. But where do you put the paint? Create your own hanging device from a wooden dowel purchased at the home center. Choose the largest dowel that will fit inside the hollow rungs of the ladder (usually 5/8″ to 1″).

In this episode we tell you when it’s time for a new roof, where to start and even walk you through the roofing process. Just as you might head to a showroom to get ideas for your kitchen or bathroom remodel these homeowners headed to a roofing design center to find out what was available in the world of roofing and to purchase their new roof.

The short, dreary days of winter are a good time to think about adding skylights to brighten up dark rooms. Even small units make a big difference in the way rooms look and feel.

My firm gets more calls about leaks around chimneys than about any other problem. And more often than not, the culprit is the flashing — the sheet metal that keeps the intersection between the chimney and roof watertight. When water gets behind faulty flashing, it can do a lot of damage to the roof sheathing and framing and to the ceiling below, so you need to deal with this problem immediately.