California Roof Certification Standard

Don't buy into the line that there is no standard for roof certification in California. The fact that there is a term for it means there is a standard.

The standard for roof certification in California is:

First, a licensed roofing contractor performs an inspection of the roof.

Second,  from that  inspection, a roof inspection report is delivered. It would point out things like the type of roof, degree of slope, approximate age, quality of installation, condition of components, structural defects etc.  and most importantly whether or not the roof is certifiable.

The reason it is so important to have a licensed contractor perform the inspection is that the inspector is relied upon to assess any and all potential defects and so must be duly qualified to do so. A licensed roofing contractor has not only worked on but also managed numerous different types of roofing projects from beginning to end. He will be knowledgeable in all areas of the trade and his inspection should be informative, offering a prospective buyer a measure of protection from potential future pitfalls.

Normally if the roof  is not certifiable in it's current condition, in the report the roof inspector will  make any recommendations for repairs that would bring the roof's condition up to a certifiable state.

Once the repairs are completed, the roof certification is issued. A roof certification should cover the entire roof, but normally will not cover  damages resulting from a roof leak(s).

It is not unusual to have certain items excluded from a roof certification. Normal exclusions would include things like:

Damage to the roof surface or lack of normal maintenance such as cleaning excessive amounts of debris, HVAC units etc. that's about it. Bear in mind that normally the inspector is only allowed to do a visual inspection of the roof's surface and cannot reasonably be held accountable for hidden defects.

This is where the range, quality and level of experience of the particular inspector really comes into play. For example, over the years I have seen literally thousands of cracks in roofs. Some are obviously roof leaks while some appear to be minor surface cracks,  I know with certainty that if an ant or ants crawls out of a roof crack, that it has progressed all the way down to the structural wood. Without the years of field study it would just be an ant and I could name at least a hundred other such instances.

 Eighty percent of the time when I arrive to do a roof repair estimate, I have already diagnosed the problem based on information the customer submitted while requesting the estimate, I am just there for confirmation.

I'm not bragging and I hope it doesn't sound like that, it took me 40 years to gain this knowledge. I am just pointing out that there is no comparison between us contractors who have actually paid our dues on the roof and all of these so called "roof inspectors" running around today.

So, don't be fooled into thinking that there is really any such thing as a "trained roof inspector" because for all practical purposes there is not.

Roofers are not qualified roof inspectors.
Repairmen are not qualified roof inspectors.
"License quality repairmen" are worst of all because that is just a term someone made up to make them sound qualified.

Buying a home is already a daunting experience. When I bought my house I paid upwards of $1,000.00 for inspections because I knew the value of truly qualified inspectors, and still things got missed.

To all home buyers, do yourself a big favor and hire the best roof inspector you can find and make sure that the person who actually does the inspection is a licensed contractor. 
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Aluminum Roofing

Aluminum is a versatile, lightweight metal used in roofing, and is useful for energy‐saving and
extension of roof life. Aluminum is also a very cost‐effective material for roofing.
Aluminum roofing has saved millions of dollars on repairs for industry professionals and homeowners
alike, and their manufacture (instead of other high‐carbon alternatives) has reduced CO2 emissions by
tens of thousands of tons. The durability and versatility of aluminum also reduces both installation
costs and hours of labor.

This reduced effort is due to the fact that aluminum weighs much less than stone aggregate coatings,
and as such requires less human and technological effort, usage and waste. Most aluminum roofing
systems also come with a 20‐year guarantee, which is double the guarantee given by other, nonaluminum
systems. Aluminum roofing increases the life of a roof and, at the same time, reduces the
maintenance and re‐roofing costs.

Aluminum roofing is also useful in areas with extreme weather conditions such as excessive heat and
humidity. It is even resistant to the salty water continuously splashing on coastal buildings, and stands
up to acid rain as well. On average, aluminum roofing can remain in usable condition for almost 50
years. Finally, aluminum roofing systems are more resistant to mold and rust than other roofing
materials.
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What Planet Did You Say You Are From?

Well it looks like the biggest roofing contractor in Northern California ("No other Roofing Contractor in Northern California repairs more roofs") is at it again! I urge anyone in any field of construction to read this, you are sure to get a laugh.

Bear in mind this is only an exerpt from one paragraph of an entire website of stuff like this.

And away we go!

"Typically a roofing contractor is prohibited from charging a fee to provide a Roof Repair Estimate for a potential repair job."

OK, typically prohibited? That would mean most of the time it is never ok, right? Hmm, sort of like " exactly alike only different, jumbo shrimp, or military intelligence?


 Besides being a contradiction in terms, it's completely untrue and anyone framiliar with BPC (Business and Professions Code) will know this and  even if you don't know the rules for your own profession, what about common sense?

Why do think everyone started advertising FREE ESTIMATES years ago? DUH of course it was to gain a leg up on all of the guys charging for them. Then the competition they created in doing so caused it to become the norm but contractors are ABSOLUTELY NOT prohibited or even discouraged from charging for estimates as long as agreed upon with the customer.
How did you get a contractor's license?

OK, sentance two.

 "This is to prevent unscrupulous roofing contractors from making money solely by providing roof repair estimates when they are in the business of providing actual repair services."


OK so not only do we have an imaginary regulation, but he has also made up the reason it was put into effect WOW.  Besides, what does that even mean? Didn't you run this by anyone before putting it on your website? It doesn't even make sense!

And for the finale:

 "If you are ever asked to pay a fee for a Roof Repair Estimate, kindly decline the request, and contact the California State Licensing Board with the license number of the offending roofing contractor."

Yes, do. If you want to appear to be as poorly informed as the individual who publishes these jewels of wisdom. As an alternative though, if someone asks you to pay a fee for something you do not want to pay for....you could always say no.

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JOURNEYMAN TRADES PEOPLE SAME AS NOVICE!

As of 05/09/12 this text is published on a professional roofing contractor's website. I reprint it here in hopes that someone can possibly point out to me what on earth this individual might be "thinking".

 " Roof Reports and Roof Repair Estimates are usually issued on the same day of the inspection.  Our repairs are performed only by license-quality repairmen, and not by minimum-wage journeymen, who claim to be experts, but in reality have little or no roofing experience. "

Now wait a minute.

 Has anyone EVER seen a minimum wage journeyman? Of course you haven't, because there is no such thing, never has been and never will be since minimum wage, and journeyman are at opposite ends of the trades food chain. It's like saying "that white piece of black paper."

And quite obviously anyone with even the slightest trade experience knows that it is not possible to be a journeyman with little or no experience in the trade, since journeyman means that you have achieved the highest level of trade experience possible.

I'm telling you I just don't get it. Can someone please shed some light on this? Why would one print something like this and make himself look so foolish?

 This individual's verbal shell game seems to know no bounds.  

What is a journeyman?

Journeyman Roofer, as defined by CSLB:

A journeyman is a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision. But, that person does not have a license and is not able to contract for jobs that value more than $500 in labor and materials.

Hmmm. That really sounds like a repairman that is good enough to be licensed but isnt.

Or Wikipedia:

In the United States, employment in the building trades, such as an electrician or plumber or carpenter, usually requires that a person holds a state or local (city or county) license as a journeyman or master.

The journeyman license certifies that the craftsman has met the requirements of time in the field (usually a minimum of 8000 hours) and time in an approved classroom setting (usually 700 hours).

 A journeyman has the responsibility of supervising workers of lesser experience and training them, in addition to having the qualifications (knowledge and skills) to work unsupervised himself.

 A journeyman is commonly expected to have a wide range of experience, covering most fields of his trade. For example, a non journeyman worker of some 20 or 30 years experience may have most or all of his experience in only residential, commercial or industrial applications. A journeyman however, has a broad field of experience in residential, commercial, and industrial applications.

Wow, again that sounds like a craftsman that is good enough tradewise to be licensed but isn't.

 So apparently, according to the definitions accepted  by the entire rest of the world (with the exception of the wisdom in blue above) it is actually requires a broader range of actual trades experience to be a journeyman than it does to be a contractor. The main difference being that a contractor has an actual license that can be held accountable in the event of a problem.

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Roof Flashing - A Key Component On The Roof

A Closer Look-Flashing

With sloping roofs irregardless of the application or type of flashing used, the use of flashing is to aim the flow of water that leaks into the intersection down and away from the interior of the structure to the topside of the roofing material. In every case, the top edge of the flashing passes beneath the underlayment, the uppermost pieces of flashing step over the lower pieces, and the lower edge of the flashing in every instance passes over the top of the roofing material. In such a fashion, the flashing at no time directs the flow of water to the bottom side of the underlayment, never putting it in proximity with the wood structural panel sheathing.

A roofing contractor should be a flashing expert as well.

Valley flashing protects the valleys where two roof planes adjoin. This material is accessible with a V- or W-shaped profile and is deployed over the top of the building felt before all the roof’s finishing material is installed.

Step flashing protects the joints between the roof deck and chimneys or dormers. Step flashing fits to each and every course of shingles and appears to “step” up the wall of the chimney.

Vent pipe flashing fits over flues or pipes. The profile of vent flashing is typically a cylinder with a wide flange at the base, which is lapped into the shingles as the roofing is installed.

Drip edges are strips of flashing material that run along roof eaves and rakes to avert water from seeping under the finished roof along its edges.

The bulk of roof leaks appear in locations where the plane of the roof is interrupted by a ridge, another roof intersecting at an angle, a wall or penetration. Even the simplest of rooflines has dozens of conceivable leaks sites due to chimneys, ridges, valleys, etc. Proper detailing about these areas, as detailed in the diagrams, is essential to block these leaks.

Metal flashing material is commonly soldered or brazed. akin to welding, the brazing approach bonds two pieces of metal into one single piece. In numerous cases, flashing elements have to wrap around corners or be spliced all together, and in these cases they may be soldered or brazed to certify a durable, dependable joint.

Also, bear in mind that both temperature and humidity can compel roofing materials (shingles, wood sheathing, flashing) to expand and contract with seasonal changes. The flashing materials will go on to be leak-proof if they can bear up against this movement of the roofing materials. Well engineered and accurately installed two-part flashing can contend with this movement with no burden. Two-part flashing systems consist of a base flashing—often step-flashing—that is laced into the finished roof material. The base is then covered by another metal flashing piece lapped over it. The second piece should not be anchored to the base, so the two pieces can move against each other alone when the roofing materials change with seasonal difference.

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Editor’s Note: This article appears courtesy of APA – The Engineered Wood Association. Check out more of APA’s building tutorials at www.apawood.org

Home Improvement and Roofing Contractors

Is the dilemma of roofing contractors a real dilemma? Not necessarily and not any longer. Anyway, deciding upon the right roofing contractor is of crucial importance. When you buy or decide to have a house built, if you need some repair work done to your roof or if you want to replace the old roof with another one, there are a few things you should know about how to locate and hire a roofing contractor.
Initially , you should be aware of what roofing contractors do. Actually, there are three basic things they do. You can rely on a roofing contractor to install new shingles, shakes, tile or flat roofing since they should have the expertise in putting up a new roof. Then, roofing contractors’ other specialty is to correct any of the problems that might occur related to the roof, improving things and making them more secure for you. And finally, they are also able to provide complete inspection services to prevent other possible contingencies from happening. Depending on the kind of job you are interested in, you will be able to look for the contractor that will be able to do it.
In case you are involved inlearning about roofing, about roofing work costs and about materials and equipment needed in roofing work, then the roofing contractors are the right people you can learn from. With their experience, they ought to have the knowledge to help you recognize the fundamentals, at least, of roofing.
Why is it so important that you get in touch with some roofing contractors when it comes to building, replacing or fixing a roof? Naturally because roofing contractors know a lot about the types of materials and roofing systems that exist and about the way these respond to thedifferent weather conditions. Most roofing contractors know very well the weak and strong parts when the weather conditions and area limitations are issues that might impact the roofing work you want done.
Just like in any other variety of job you have had done before, in roofing work you should alsotry to find other people who have had work done by the roofing contractors you are in contact with. In this way you have a chance that the results of those roofing contractors’ work are good. This is obviously the kind of homework you, the potential client of those roofing contractors, are supposed to do before signing the contract with them.
Finally, if you really need specialized workers and are going to hire a roofing contractor, there are some tips you should remember and use when the time comes. Check roofing contractors’ license; hire someone you feel comfortable to deal with; find roofing contractors that have done a similar job before; check and make sure there are not hidden materials or prep costs.

How much attic ventilation is enough?  The most ventilation is needed to take away heat in the summer months. Winter attic ventilation must be enough to remove moisture vapor moving from the living space to the attic. In general, ventilation satisfactory for summer cooling is more than satisfactory for winter ventilation. Studies indicate that further raises in ventilation are not effective in significantly reducing attic temperatures.
If the ceiling ispoorly insulated, you may need a little additional ventilation. Attic ventilation can beaccomplished by gravity ventilators, wind assisted ventilators or power ventilator. Regardless of the method used, the purpose is to provide uniform ventilation of the attic for proper temperature and moisture control. Natural ventilation is the most common and energy-efficient method of attaining attic temperature and moisture control. It is also the most inexpensive, and my personal preference. If a space has high air outlets in conjunction with low inlets ,ventilation occurs as the air within the space is heated.
At Roof Doctor, we prefer to accomplish this with the use of eyebrow vents, installed at optimum locations.
If you would like a free evaluation and quote for upgrading your attic ventilation, you can submit a quick online request HERE or give us a ring at (800) 409 – 4910.


The Benefits of Roof Ventilation


Allows outside air to flow naturally upward and out of attic.
Promotes a cooler, drier attic.
Helps prevent moisture from becoming trapped in insulation, structural wood, shingles and roof deck.
Helps prevent rotting, mildew, drywall damage, peeling paint and warped siding.
Provides year-round performance for consistent ventilation without energy consumption.
For a balanced ventilation process, you should have 50% of your NFV (net free ventilation) at the upper third of the roof and 50% at the lower third.
 BALANCING VENTILATION IN THIS MANNER ALLOWS FOR AIR INTAKE TO OCCUR AT THE LOW POINTS AND EXHAUST TO TAKE PLACE AT HIGH POINTS. AIR MOVEMENT FROM LOW TO HIGH POINTS IS AIDED BY NATURAL CONVECTION. 
In attics which are not adequately vented, moisture is also produced by simple condensation. The air inside an improperly vented attic will be warmer than the air outside. When this warmer, moist air comes in contact with the colder roof sheathing condensation will happen. In effect, it can basically "rain" in your attic. 


The “eyebrow vent” is a low profile, hard galvanized steel vent, with a considerable flange that differs in size depending on what kind of roof it is to be installed on.


Use of the Eyebrow vent is a very practical and successful way to ventilate your attic. Eyebrow vents are set up on your roof, and can be used as attic intake vents, as well as attic exhaust vents and it is our preferred method to use when possible.
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Ant Bites Can Be Painful or Even Deadly!

A little info on unusual home improvement hazards  from Ron Williams Roof Doctor-  (Not an M.D)

All of us must have been bitten by ants at some point of time. But the seriousness of ant bites depends on the variety of ants. If you’ve had bites of regular ants then there is nothing to worry. Apart from a small welt and little itching, there’s not other threat to humans.

However, if the bites are from some hazardous ants then they can cause serious damage to humans. Some ants also damage property. One of the worst ant bites are by fire ants. These ants are notorious and very harmful.

They are called fire ants because the area where they bite starts to pain and burn profusely. They are very intense and attack instantaneously if at all their nest is disturbed. Apart from posing health threats to humans and animals, they also ruin farms, electrical systems and land.

You can get fire ant bites even if you simply move around their nests as they are very sensitive to movement. That is why children often get bitten by fire ants when they are outdoors.

Symptoms of fire ant bites:

Many people are also allergic to ant bites. Such people should be very careful if bitten by fire ants and treat them quickly. Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction to fire ant stings are shortness or breath, sweating, paleness in skin color, anaphylactic shocks and swelling.

Treatment:

If you see severe symptoms due to fire ant bites then medical attention is quite essential. To treat fire ant bites at home, you can pour ammonia over the site of the bite. Allow it to sit there for sometime and then wash it away with cold water. This eliminates the pain and the itching caused by the sting of fire ants.

Stings from fire ants are alsoinclined to infections; therefore they should be treated quickly. You need to wash the site with water and antibacterial soap. Applying betadine is also helpful to disinfect the site.

Do not scratch, squeeze or pop the pustule that forms following an ant bite. This may raise the chances of scarring and push the infection deeper into the skin.

A victim who experiences allergic reactions to fire ant bites should immediately consult the doctor and take medical treatment. These allergic reactions if not treated timely may cause major health hazards or can even lead to death. Fire ant stings can be incredibly fatal to diabetics.