Knock Out Those Roof Leaks!

A cartoon about roof leaks from Roof Doctor - www.roofdoctor1.com

http://www.roofdoctor1.com/blog/Knock-Out-Those-Roof-Leaks

New PVC Roof and Walking Deck in Elk Grove

Elk Grove roof repair and Elk Grove roofing gets done here by Roof Doctor -http://www.roofdoctor1.com/

http://www.roofdoctor1.com/blog/New-PVC-Roof-and-Walking-Deck

Roof Leaks Fixed!

A small add for Roof Doctor - www.roofdoctor1.com

http://www.roofdoctor1.com/blog/Roof-Leaks-Are-Fixed

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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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.

VISIT ROOF DOCTOR

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.

Are Sole Proprietors Incompetent?

I recently saw this writing on a publication and could not resist a comment.

First there is this:
"The business has always been built on a foundation of honesty and integrity.
We have no need to insult our competitors"

Then proceeds to insult the majority of the contractors in the state of California with the following:

LIMITATIONS OF SOLE PROPRIOTER ROOFING COMPANIES

The limitations of some sole-proprietor Roofing Companies are: answers their own phones; does what little marketing they can; criticizes their competitors who they know nothing about; has to perform their own inspections because they don't have anyone else in their company competent enough to do them; performs their own roof repair estimates; prepares their own paper work; buys their own roofing supplies; oversees any office staff; directs their roof repair crews or roof replacement crews; completes their own repairs; hires workers with little or no experience; has to be onsite to manage every job because they can't leave their inexperienced workers unsupervised for fear they will make mistakes; deals with customer complaints and relations; follows up on leaky roofs that they had repaired; comes to rely upon the roof inspection fee, which they charge up to $100 or more for, as their primary source of income since they perform very few actual roof repairs; and, the list goes on and on.

These roofers do not have the financial resources to hire competent workers to whom they can delegate responsibility or leave unsupervised. Therefore, it isn't any wonder that when it gets just a little bit busy, that these roofing companies are: unable to answer their phones; will never return phone messages; will return a phone call days or weeks later; they don't show up when they had promised; they can't take on any more work because they are scheduled out for weeks in advance; and, when they do show up, they charge up to $100 or more for roof reports that contain expensive or unneeded repairs, or they call for an immediate roof replacement. These types of companies do such a low business volume, have such inexperienced workers, and are so understaffed that they become overwhelmed when there is even a slight increase in business demand. As a result, they become unreliable and are unable to properly assist their customers that are in need of immediate service.

Are you serious? If you are a sole proprietor you cant afford competent help?
Do you actually believe this? Better yet, do you actually think anyone else does?.
Second when did it become a negative to :

Do you own inspections

Oversee your office staff

Direct your crew

Manage your jobs

Deal with customer complaints and relations

And, if you do not do any of these things yourself...what do you do?


And while all of us lowly sole proprioterships in California may not possess the honesty or integrity or the vast corporate recources that you do, as for my company, we do manage to have our own name on the door at both of our shops and list our home address as well. We are not listing any vacant properties, other peoples offices or mail box stores as our big time corporate offices.

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