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Script:

“Today we’re out in Cornelius looking at a valley on this roof. We thought initially it was the debris that was backing up inside this valley (causing a leak) but it is not. A couple of things are going on here. One the roof has two layers. Two when the homeowner bought the house it already had this roof and they didn’t realize whoever put the roof on completely installed this roof wrong. There’s an area called a nailing zone, you have to hit that nailing zone with your nails or the roof is just not going to function right.

I’m going to show you what we noticed right away. This part of the shingle started pulling out. These are called the dragon teeth. What’s happening is there are no nails holding this part on. There’s a nailing zone right here where this line is. This line is where the nail should be. If there had been a nail here this piece would have never slid out but they are. So now the water is feeding back in behind the shingle running back in behind this piece of metal and finding that second layer of roofing and leaking on the inside. We did find some nails on this roof though, way up at the top of the shingle, completely wrong. Every shingle has about 3 nails, here, there there’s one over there all those nails should have been right along that line, minimum of 4 nails. They didn’t (install them correctly) they put them up here and this entire roof is installed incorrectly so there is absolutely no warranty on this roof and unfortunately this homeowner really needs to replace this roof.”

Accio! 15 second August 2011 spot

Accio! 30 Second August 2011 spot

Accio! 60 Second August 2011 spot

Want to know what accio means? Click here for the answer and to find other information about the Harry Potter universe.

We’re on a 7 year old asphalt shingle roof. This is actually the best I have ever seen a copper or zinc strip work. This is actually copper so it matches the color of the house so you can see that it kept the moss off for about 5 rows and then it starts growing on there and you can see how heavy it (the moss) gets as the farther away from the zinc or copper strip.

This copper strip seems to be working a lot better than the zinc strips that I’ve seen. Of course underneath the trees it gets pretty bad, and this moss will actually destroy this roof. It will eat it and lift it and cause it to leak in half the time if it was maintained or was in an area where there wasn’t moss problems.

Also, in an area of debris, you can’t let this happen. This will rot out the shingles and this intersection here would be compromised if this was not maintained. Of course we are looking at the north side and you can see all the way across the roof that for the first two or three feet that copper is working really well. Then as the copper oxide runs out of energy the moss starts growing.

Roof Life of Oregon does roof maintenance on all types of roofing. This is an example of a 40 year architectural laminated shingle 5-7 years old growing quite a bit of a moss so we are going to help this client.

I’m up here in Forest Heights in Portland Oregon and we are looking at a 15 year old shake roof.

This client has used our service when the roof was 5 and when the roof was 10 and next year will be its renewal year on its 15th year actually it will be 16 next year because we waited a year after it was on. But what you will note on this roof is how heat and light reflective it is, that is the natural color of cedar when it does not have any growth on it. When the rains hit it, the resiliency of cedar and if it’s not punky and a lot growth and moss on it making it punky and soft, It’s got a hard shell on it and water runs off it quite quickly and ends up down and off and in the gutter system.

You will always see the definition of lines because the roof of course is staying rock hard. and as we scan this roof here you will note that it is also heat and light reflective. So it is not black with black fungus and moss absorbing a ton of heat which then rots and dry rots the shake. It is actually staying pretty cool, you could go put your hand on that on an 80 degree day and hold it there but a traditional black roof you couldn’t a black fungus roof that is kind of like a charcoal gray. That’s unique I’m up on a roof here looking down one of our clients. This is a tile roof that is also 14 years old. You can see they have done a solar panel system it looks like maybe a 4-6 kilowatt system, there’s also one panel over here. And this tile roof we have treated twice. This is what it looks like. This is a north side after 3 years and this is a pretty bad spring and there’s not any growth on it at all it is beautiful.

So this roof you could simply retreat and gutters are dirty, we’ll do a gutter clean on it. This is how you maintain a roof in Portland, the cleaning of the roofs are done by the products we use unless of course there is tree debris and you want your roof to look good, and to work right and to last longer and those three things we feel bring you peace of mind concerning your roof.

In the greater Portland, Oregon area we get a lot of crud on our rooftops. About half of our cleaning jobs are to remove tree debris from the evergreens towering over or nearby a home, or your neighbor’s flowering broadleaf tree that seems to reach over and upward. The other half of our cleaning efforts are spent on the roofs that get that amazing growth combo called black fungus and moss.

Portland’s combination of growth and debris eats roofs. It causes them to leak prematurely.

On composition roofs (asphalt shingles) the moss is invasive enough to get under the shingles and break the seal allowing the water to get to the nails where it can find its way into your home or rust away the fasteners, eventually leading to a bigger roof failure. In addition there are some types of moss that will eat the roofing material requiring premature re-roofing.

On Tile roofs the moss actually dissolves the concrete! When this very unsightly moss action is combined with tree debris build-up you have the perfect recipe for roof-top trouble. As it matures and decays, it feeds into the closed valleys on your roof. This has caused some major leaks in a lot of high end homes as the water is diverted out of the valley metal by a cement-like sand bar.

If black fungus is allowed to grow on a cedar shake roof it will create an environment that is perfect for the moss. Moss retains a ton of moisture and eats the wood. Wet rot is caused by retained moisture. Debris, fungus and moss are the reasons.

Cleaning the roof of these 3 culprits will add years to your roof’s life. Whenever possible keep roofs of all types free of these trouble makers by doing annual cleaning using compressed air and 3-5 yr. treatments that will cleanse current fungus and moss growth and keep potential growth at bay. Of course we use only environmentally safe, long lasting products by Dennco Chem.

Got any of these yuckies and nasties on YOUR roof? We can help. We do FREE roof maintenance inspections that will tell you exactly what is going on and how much it will cost to make it great. Click here to get started.

That time has finally come. Your roof has endured countless days of precipitation and even a few snow storms. Now that the major storm season is over, and Mother Nature has started working her magic on our flowers, what kind of damage did your roof endure?

Note: We DO NOT recommend climbing onto your roof for a DIY-inspection unless you are experienced and comfortable with heights and ladders.

Leaks

The first and most obvious clue your roof needs help is if you experienced a leak this winter. Believe it or not, having a roof leak occur is your roof’s way of crying for help (and no, it’s not the roof that cried wolf). There are several culprits for a leak, but you can narrow them down to faulty workmanship, improper maintenance or defective materials.

Unfortunately, not every roof contractor has your best interest in mind when it comes to installing your roof. In fact, that great 50 year shingle warranty you have may have been voided the day your roof was completed. Even if your shingles were installed properly, you could still have a leak in your transitions, penetrations or valleys. These are more difficult to detect because they typically require physically getting on the roof or in the attic.

If your roof hasn’t been on a regular roof maintenance plan, every three or five years, then experiencing a leak is not outside the realm of possibilities. Performing regular roof maintenance ensures your transitions, penetrations and valleys are clear of debris, not cracked or worn out and your roof is not experiencing any moss, algae or fungus growth.

The last possibility that may cause a leak is defective materials. This means the fault is due to the materials manufacturer producing a poor functioning product line. We replace a handful of roofs every year due to a manufacture defect, but is not a common reason for a leak. Roof leaks can occur on any type of home. Whether you live in a single-family home or a million dollar home; they can prove costly and extremely inconvenient for your family. If you experienced a leak this past winter having a roofing professional inspect your home now should be a top priority before summer.

Missing Shingles

Another obvious clue that your roof is in need of an inspection is if you’ve found any shingles missing or laying in your yard. A missing shingle may not be accompanied by a leak, but it will soon if the problem is not taken care of; after all, it rains in the Greater Portland area until at least June. Like a roof leak, missing shingles can have several causes for their separation from the roofing surface, but faulty workmanship and improper maintenance are the most common reasons.

Missing shingles, associated with faulty workmanship, is typically due to top nailing shingles or missing the nailing zone. These issues can happen for a variety of reasons including workers being paid by the job not the hour, trying to use less than the budgeted field material (making the job more profitable) or simply not having the proper training. Every roofing company is going to tell you they have the best workers, but do they put their money where their mouth is? Additionally, every roof is going to look beautiful when it’s first put on, but what does it look five years from now? Answering this two questions can tell which roofing contractors are hitting or missing the mark.

We believe in performing regular roof maintenance every three to five years because its proven to make your roof look good, work right and last longer. If your roof was improperly installed, having regular roof maintenance can help your roof ‘weather the storm’ and prevent any major damage from occurring in the near future. You can’t go back in time and swap out roofing contractors, but you can make sure any weak points in the fortress are reinforced. Keeping your underlayment dry, which can be a real challenge when you have missing shingles, is the best way to prevent your roof from rotting away. Once your underlayment gets wet it’s only a matter or time before it cracks or wears out. Damaged underlayment will allow water inside your home causing mold or mildew to grow and unleash some serious health concerns for your loved ones.

A missing shingle is a roof leak just waiting to happen. These sleeping giants are especially susceptible during driving rain or heavy wind gusts. There is simply too many rainy months left this year to sit and wait until summer comes to fix this type of problem. Time is of the essence, especially if you wish to prevent further damage from occurring.

Bad Skylights

Skylights are a separate issue from the physical roofing material, but have the same end result as a cracked or missing shingle. A broken or cracked seals and improperly constructed flashings are the two common issues you will find with your skylights, but are often not detected until a leak has occurred.

Cracked or broken seals on a skylight are extremely common and highly susceptible to roof leaks. This issue is due to normal wear and tear occurring from the changes in weather patterns. Heat causes the seals to expand and cold causes the seals to contract. After years of these ever-changing weather patterns, the seals on the skylight will start to pull away from the corners indicating the seals are broken and need to be replaced. This problem can often be viewed from the inside of your home, but sometimes the issue be better detected from the roof top.

When your skylight is originally installed a metal flashing is put in place to allow water to roll off of the skylight, down the roof and into your gutters. If this flashing is installed incorrectly a leak can be sprung just as easily as a broken seal. A faulty flashing is difficult to detect unless you physically get on the roof. At first, the leak may appear to be caused by the seal, but when the seal is intact homeowners tend to get stumped. A full inspection of your skylights every three to five years will ensure your skylight’s seals and flashing are secured and water tight.

Shingle Growth

Moss or darkened shingles are the most common reason we receive phone calls for a free roof inspection, because it’s one of the most noticeable problem you can find. A green carpet staring you in the face every time to you pull up to your house is pretty embarrassing, but unfortunately very commonplace in the Greater Portland area. Composition roofs are a breeding ground for moss, you could potentially see moss growth in as little as three to five years on a brand new roof, while shake roofs tend to grow black algae, although moss growth is possible too, which is an unhealthy sign that your roof is living in an acidic environment.

Moss and algae grow in acidic environments that are caused by the trees in your surrounding area. The only way that we’ve been able to stop moss or algae growth, and prevent it from coming back for three to five years, is by using a sodium silicate based product that helps change the pH of your roof from acidic to neutral/slightly alkaline. When you allow moss and algae to routinely grow on your shingles, you give rain access to your fasteners often causing a roof leak.

The more growth you have on your roof, indicating how long you decided to wait before taking action, the more likely you’re going to need to clean your roof. Cleaning your roof is abrasive, some water pressure systems are more abrasive than others, and will cause your roof to lose half of its life if you wash it every three to five years. However, if you only have to clean the roof off once and then simply treat it every three to five years you will limit the damage and effectively prevent the visible black or green hue from occurring again.

Roof Debris

Roof debris is one of the most overlooked problems a homeowner can have and is a direct reflection of the environment you live in. The more trees in your area, the more debris that’s going to fall on your roof. Roof debris can cause all sorts of problems including the problems we listed above. Debris can find its way on top of your shingles, but can cause significant damage when left between your keyways or in your valleys.

Having debris on your roof prevents rain from traveling its natural path, down the roof vertically, and causes it to travel horizontally, allowing it access to your fasteners. Also, if debris is left on your roof for a significant period of time it could cause the debris to decay, wet decaying debris is never a good thing, which will keep your shingles wet and eventually cause them to rot or decay too. This extremely common in your valleys and can cause what we call a debris dam. Again, water that can’t flow freely from the top of the roof to the bottom of the roof can only cause problems.

Keeping your roof top, keyways (if you own a shake roof) and valleys free and clean of debris is the best way to prevent horizontal water movement. To make sure your roof is clear of debris we recommend having your roof blown annually, especially if you’re in a medium or heavy debris area, to prevent buildup or decaying debris. We get asked all the time, “When’s the best time to have my roof blown off?” We typically say after the broad leafs fall which can occur anywhere between mid-December to mid-January. Another common question we get is, “What happens if you haven’t had your roof blown off yet, wouldn’t it just be easier to wait until summer?” The reality is we’re still in the rainy season and the purpose of having your roof blown off is so that the rain can travel free and clear across the roof’s surface. The last question we get is, “I still have a ton of debris in the trees shouldn’t I just wait until everything falls?” By now, the majority of the tree debris has fallen onto your roof and keeping the bulk of the debris off of your roof is the most important thing you can do. Decaying debris sitting in your keyways or valleys is not going to get any better by simply waiting for more debris to pile up. It’s also important to know that when we blow off your debris now we’re clearing the debris that’s built up for the entire year, not just from a few months. The less debris you have on your roof during the rainy season, the less likely you’re going to experience a leak, decaying shingles or shingle growth.

Gutter Debris

Gutter debris is another overlooked problem that can be a sign of larger issues. Gutter debris can be in the form of tree debris or it can be in the form of small rock-like granules when you have a composition roof. This problem is very similar to having roof debris, expect it backs up your gutters often causing your roof debris to be backed up even further, or cause water to come cascading over your gutters and onto the sides of your home and ground.

Tree debris in your gutters is the result of the debris being carried from your roof to your gutters. If you allow this debris to build up and decay you could find yourself with a case of Oregon Slime. When this sludge hardens up from the summer heat it becomes tough to scrap up and has a distinctly unpleasant smell to it. The best way to prevent tree debris from getting into your gutter is to not allow the tree debris to get that far. Having your roof routinely blown off can keep the tree debris off your roof and out of your gutters. However, sometimes a gutter clean is necessary and we highly recommend having this done at least once a year too.

If you find granules in your gutters your roof if trying to send you a warning sign that it’s too hot. Nine out of ten roofs age and fail prematurely in the US due to poor roof ventilation. Roof ventilation is rarely talked about, but can be a major factor in your energy costs and how long your roof lasts. The intake area must be equal to or exceed the exhaust area to ensure proper roof ventilation is occurring in your home. If you do find granules in your gutters, the only way to be certain that you roof has a ventilation issue is to have a professional inspect the roof top and attic.

It Just Makes Sense

Maybe your roof is in perfect condition. Maybe you’re debris free and all of your transitions, penetrations and valleys are in good working order. If you can’t remember the last time you had someone on your roof it just makes sense to have someone inspect it. No matter how minor these potential problems may sound above the key is to catch it before it becomes a major issue. What do you have to lose?

It happens all the time, we come out to someone’s home and we tell them, “I’m sorry; you can’t spend any money with us today.” This is truly music to both of our ears. We’re in the business of providing peace of mind and are ready to serve you when the time comes.

Short-Circuit Ventilation System

Only The Strongest Survive

In the picture above the roof system is using a ridge vent and wind turbine for attic exhaust. Regardless of the amount of attic intake this roof is receiving, having two different attic exhaust products will cause this home and roof to experience heating and cooling problems. Unfortunately utilizing more than one type of attic exhaust product will cause one to act as intake and the other as exhaust, leaving large areas of the attic unventilated and increasing the potential for possible weather infiltration problems. The perception would be that the more exhaust you have the cooler your roof is going to be or the less moisture buildup your roof will experience. This simply isn’t the case and will cause exactly the opposite to happen to incorporate several different types of exhaust or intake.

Having a short-circuited roof ventilation system is commonly found in homes where the consumer is misinformed about the impact of their roof ventilation decisions. The worst thing you can do is start adding additional can vents or wind turbines because your home feels like it’s on fire during the summer. Incorrect roof ventilation can and will destroy your roof. Don’t make the same mistake as the homeowner above did, be informed and be proactive.

Why Roof Ventilation Matters

Lets cut to the chase. We discuss, educate and write about roof ventilation in abundance because nine out of ten roofs age prematurely due to poor roof ventilation. There are several reasons why your roof may need to be replaced or require substantial roof maintenance, but your ventilation system can be your greatest asset in cutting energy costs and improving the durability of your roof.

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What Are Your Options?

Having a balanced roof ventilation system can be accomplished several different ways, but not all of the options are created equally. Here is a list comprised of the different products that may be used for attic exhaust and intake to help you obtain a balanced roof ventilation system.

Attic Exhaust

Whether you have an existing roof, or you’re participating in new home construction, can make a difference in which options you have available for attic exhaust. Nearly all new homes should be constructed with a ridge vent, although very few are, because of the ease for installation and ventilation benefits. Existing roofs may not always be able to install a ridge vent or it may not be the most cost effective solution. When in doubt, obtaining the advice of a roofing professional is recommended. See our list below for the pros and cons of the different types of attic exhaust products you can choose to use:

5 Turbines = 15 Roof Louvers = 42 Feet of Ridge Vent

Attic Intake

Our list of attic intake products doesn’t have a good, better, best system to help determine the best solution for ventilating your roof. Instead, the ideal system should allow continuous uniform airflow across the entire roof surface. However, bird blocks are the least effective, and most commonly found option for attic intake, because they are the most restrictive system for allowing airflow through. All of the other intake systems provide a continuous airflow system across the entire face of the product. It’s important to note that air follows the path of least resistance and should enter the attic at the lowest point to provide the most effective ventilation system possible. Therefore using an exhaust vents for intake is not recommended.

Completing The Ventilation System

In the end, it doesn’t matter what combination of exhaust and intake products you use so long as the intake area is equal to or exceeds the exhaust area. According to building codes, a balanced ventilation system means at least 50% of the required vent area must be intake and 50% exhaust. One type of exhaust and intake product should be selected and used rather than multiple types. When you have several types of products in use, the stronger product will pull from the other one creating a potential short-circuit in the ventilation system. These are found commonly in new construction developments as a result of cost cuts or lack of roofing knowledge.

Having the knowledge and understanding about roof ventilation will help you make an informed decision about the options you have for improving your home’s heating and cooling. There are quite a few different factors and numbers that come into play that will help you make your decision. Instead of boring you with all the details Roof Life of Oregon can provide you with your best solution through a free roof maintenance inspection. For more information on ways to improve your roof ventilation, and ways you could hinder it, please visit our roof ventilation section on our blog.

A standard roof system is comprised of a layer of field material, followed by a layer of underlayment and finally a layer of decking material. Their are several choices of roofing material for each specific layer, but the combination of these three layers allows your home to stay protected. In our example, the plywood layer is the last line of defense before physically being inside the house. If this layer becomes exposed to mother nature it can cause mold to grow and completely rot your roof from the inside out.

Just like surgery, when you expose the interior to the outdoor elements problems can occur. It would be unreasonable to expect a homeowner to trust a roofing contractor to perform work unless they could promise the interior of the house was protected. It would also be unreasonable to expect our company to stay in business unless we could perform roof replacements during inclement weather. Believe it or not, there are roofing contractors that will keep your roof open or exposed to the outdoor elements without providing proper protection.

Not only did our tent system keep our client’s home protected, but it helped keep the field materials protected too. When dealing with plywood installation you want to make sure the material stays bone dry. Otherwise, you’re putting a material on your roof that’s going to sprout mold from day one of the installation. You can see in our series of photos that our roof replacement team was able to remove the dry rot, install new plywood for the roof deck and kept everything bone dry during an extremely rainy week.

Having innovative roof replacement systems allows our crews to take their time ensuring the highest quality craftsmanship possible. Select roofs comes with our Lifetime Workmanship Warranty. Our team is ready to serve you, but if you’re looking for more information on our roof replacement systems please visit our roof replacement page.