There is a growing trend in the roofing community and our client base, a shake roof is becoming a specialty item while a presidential roof accepts its position as a commodity in roofing materials. The perception is a presidential roof is easier to maintain and will look better than an old black decaying shake roof. The truth is, it does. Until the presidential roof starts to decay too.
Some problems are easily detectable and some problems go unseen until it’s too late. Unfortunately, very few roofing contractors install a roof in the homeowners best interest. Most roofing contractors pay their employees by the square (the size of the project) instead of by the hour. The more roofs you can construct in a day the more you get paid.
Today, we discover a major roof installation problem as a result of mother nature unleashing her wrath on this Portland Oregon roof. Daniel White shows us the problem with the roof underlayment and explains why this problem is a serious workmanship mistake.
HGTV normally gives out some pretty good advice for homeowners on their blog. However, when a reader asked about building a second roof on top of an existing one, we believe their expert is just plain wrong.
Here’s the original question from HGTV’s web site:
Q: We recently had a roof put on our house. When the contractors got started, one of them fell through the roof and into our kitchen. The contractor said our roof was too far gone to save, so he suggested the best way to fix the problem was to build another roof right over the top of the existing one. Is it OK to do that? We wanted him to just tear the whole thing off and put in new trusses, but he said this way would do the same thing and it would be cheaper.
The HGTV author, listed as a certified home inspector, answered:
A: As long as there is room for ventilation between the old and new roofs, the reroof should be OK….
It’s not OK to do this! More than likely the reason someone fell through was from rot and decay. All of the rot and decay should be removed and a new structure built in its place, not over it or around it. If the trusses are rotten they should be replaced. They are a structural part of the building and cannot be ignored. When in doubt, get a second opinion from someone who actually examines the roof on site.
If you find yourself in a similar situation (anywhere near Portland, Oregon), contact us for a free inspection!
Daniel White – Roof Replacement Production Manager – talks with us about what the nailing zone is on your roof. Composition roofs need to be installed correctly to avoid early failure!
We want you to know what is going on up there! Call us for a Free Inspection!
Daniel White – Roof Replacement Production Manager – talks with us about what the nailing zone is on your roof. Composition roofs need to be installed correctly to avoid early failure!
If you have a roof that hasn’t been looked at lately, call us for a Free Inspection!
Have you ever looked up at your roof or your neighbor’s roof and noticed strange looking bumps or see 4 x 8 sections that look as if they are rising from below? Have you asked yourself “How can it look like that?” Your roof may only be 5 to 7 years old. Unfortunately, time and time again in the Portland metro area, we see this sort of thing. Would you believe your roof moves? This movement is called expansion and contraction. As the temperature heats up and cools down from day to night and from summer to winter, so does your roof. As your roof heats up, it expands. As your roof cools down, it contracts, and so does the plywood under the roofing. If the plywood and rafters were put on with NO space between the sheets then what will happen to the plywood when it needs to expand? This is a picture of what happens to your plywood when it can’t move.
The roof in this picture is only 6 years old, and the contractor pushed the plywood together with no space. This is the kind of work done by a roofing contractor that puts on roofs as fast as they can, for as cheap as they can, and who knows as little as they can. Oh yes, it happens, more than what is talked about. Why isn’t it talked about? You now know the down side of cheap!
At Roof Life of Oregon, we take the time to put your roof on correctly. Sure, it may take us a fraction longer to finish your roof than most contractors, but wouldn’t you want us to take the time to put on your roof correctly the first time? We think so also. That is why we offer Portland’s only Lifetime Workmanship Warranty; to give you peace of mind that your roof will last and work as it should.
Be sure to tune to KPAM 860 AM tomorrow from 9am to 11am to hear Handy Randy interview me about the unique challenges of keeping your roof in good shape here in Portland!
If you want to stream it live at home or at work click on the Listen Live link at the top right of the page – http://www.kpam.com/programming/handy_randy_home_crew.shtml
Patrick talks about the importance of keeping your Cedar, Composition, and Tile roofs clear of excess tree debris.
He tells us about Compressor Blowing your roof. Why we do this and how we do it! He also tells us the different levels of tree debris and how they need to be maintained.
He talks about Heavy debris on Portland Roofs and the difference between a backpack blow and a compressor blow. Shake, Composition, and Tile roofs require blowing for health and longevity.
He talks about composition shingle and what happens when tree debris is left on them. He also talks about why it is important to monitor the tree debris level on your roof.
If it has been a while since you have looked at your roof, let Roof Life come and check it out for you.
Call us for a Free Inspection!
