We’ve been around for over thirty-four years in the Portland area. We’ve learned a lot about roof maintenance and how to make your roof looks good and last longer. We’ve also learned what you should avoid when working on your roof or searching for someone to do the work for you.
Ad Speak
One of the biggest things to look for is a company that uses a lot of words, but says nothing at all. We call that ‘ad speak.’ You’ll get a bid that’s perfectly written and looks good on paper, but they have no intention of backing any of it up. You have to pay attention to how these contractors respond and communicate with you.
Statistics tell us that 70% of roofing companies are gone within two years and 90% are gone in seven years. So make sure you find a roofing company that’s going to be able to back up their word.
Pressure Washing
You have to be extremely careful with pressure washing. Most pressure washers are not going to be good for your roof; they have an extremely negative impact on your roof’s surface. The kind you would get from Home Depot or United Rentals are going to pump four or five gallons a minute at four to six thousand pounds per square inch, or PSI. The small orifice that it pumps out of cuts into your shingles and knocks off granules.
A pressure washer is designed to clean concrete or wash down a fence, but roofing material needs to be cleaned off with a larger volume of water and a third of the pressure. The goal is not to make your roof so clean you could eat off of it! We’re just working to get 99% of the growth off without damaging the shingles. That takes training and the right equipment. We’ve had to design and create very expensive equipment to be able to clean roofs the right way.
Over-the-Counter Treatment
You want to avoid treating your roof with anything that isn’t backed by a manufacturer. Dennco Chemical makes our products and stands behind Roof Life of Oregon. We have been trained and certified to apply the product that is backed by our manufacturer. No one else in Portland has that.
Most of these guys are using over-the-counter products that just aren’t going to last. They make it sound really good, but remember most of these roofers don’t last more than seven years in the business. And then who’s backing up your roof? A professional chemical will cost you a little more, but at least you know you’re moving your roof forward, not backward.
Roof Life of Oregon has been around for over thirty-four years. If you want to know what to avoid when it comes to your roof care, give us a call any time.