Trees near your roof?

With fall officially here, it’s time to be proactive about roof maintenance. Today we are going to discuss the problems trees can have in regards to your roof. The trees around your home could cause costly damage to your roof; however, most of this damage can be prevented. Here are a few things you can do to protect your roofing system:

1 – Trim Overhanging Branches

Branches that hang over your roof could be scraping and gouging the shingles on your roof from repeatedly brushing against it. A telltale sign may be pieces of shingles lying on the ground around your home.

By inspecting your roof often, you may be able to catch this roof damage early before it progresses past requiring a simple shingle repair. You can avoid this damage by making sure your trees are trimmed back away from your roof.

2 – Clean Up Fallen Leaves & Needles

Tree leaves and pine needles are another threat to the health of your roof. They may still accumulate on your roof even if you have trimmed the tree branches away from it. If the leaves on your roof are not cleared away, they can lock in moisture that will cause your roof to deteriorate prematurely.

Your roof could show signs of mold or black algae growth that can deteriorate your shingles.

3 – Safely Remove Unstable Trees

Look for signs of unhealthy trees around your home that could topple over or drop branches on your home during a storm.

If you see rotting branches, holes in trees, or mushrooms around your tree, it may be diseased and in need of professional care or removal.

4 – Keep the Good Trees

Strategically placed trees on your property can be beneficial to your roof. Deciduous trees planted on the south side of your house can block the summer sun. These trees can help keep your roof shaded, prevent heat damage, and slow down the deterioration of your roof shingles.

Trees can also serve as a wind break, blunting some of the force from damaging winds.

If your roof has already been damaged or need help with roof maintenance, San Diego County Roofing is here to assist you! Contact us today at info@sandiegocountyroofing.com or 855-732-6868

New Residential Sales Estimator

San Diego County Roofing in excited to announce the hiring of Dylon Higley as our newest Residential Sales Estimator!

Dylon comes to us from Charlottesville, VA where he has worked in the industry for the past eight years working in residential roofing, framing, carpentry and remodeling.

I am most excited about the opportunity that I have to learn from a really knowledgeable/experienced team and to create a long-term, successful career for myself here at SDCR, -Dylon Higley

Outside of work Dylon enjoys spending time with his wife and getting out to explore, camp and hike as much as possible. He also enjoys golf, fishing, and playing beach volley ball with friends.

We are excited to have Dylon on board. With our tremendous growth, we needed a solid/trustworthy estimator that homeowners feel comfortable with and he fits that bill to a T, -James Adams, EVP – San Diego County Roofing.

Finance Your Roof Project

With each sporadic rain we’ve been having here in San Diego, you get that constant reminder of the roof leak you’ve been holding off on repairing. You’ll soon find out after getting quotes that it’s much more economical to get an entire re-roof done as opposed to the constant $1-3k repairs you see happening in the future. As a matter of fact, if your roof is over 20 years old like most San Diegans you are probably ready for a re-roof anyways. 

The problems is, you don’t have that ~$15k budgeted. Maybe you don’t have enough equity in your home or don’t want to take a loan against it (like many PACE programs).  We have a solution.

We have partnered with Hearth who has been featured in mainstream media all over the US to provide you with low interest rates as low as 5.9% and up to $100k borrowed. Hearth uses 5 lenders to find the most competitive rate for your project. 

A few highlights:

1. Doesn’t affect your credit score.

2. Personalized rates in 60 seconds.

3. Lower interest rates than credit cards.

4. Fixed rates.

5. No pre-payment penalties.

Let’s get started today. Get pre-approved in seconds without hitting your credit score and have us on your roof within weeks completing your project.

GET PRE-APPROVED

OR contact us today to learn more at (855) 732-6868 or james@sandiegocountyroofing.com

 

A Hidden Danger of Hiring a Roofing Contractor

So you need a roofer…

Most people will get a referral, check online reviews, maybe the website and do their “research.” The only problem with relying solely on your research is often times it’s hard to determine whether or not the contractor you’re hiring has Commercial General Liability Insurance and Workers Comp.

Just because they have great online reviews and a nice website, don’t assume they are carrying the proper insurance. It’s expensive to carry and some contractors will take shortcuts to increase their profits.

Make sure you ask your contractor for proof of insurance!

Pursuant to California Business & Professions Code β7159.3 [sb 2029], Home Improvement Contractors must provide this notice and disclose whether or not they carry Commercial General Liability Insurance.

Home Improvement Contractors must provide this notice and disclose whether or not they carry Commercial General Liability Insurance. This statement must accompany the bid, if there is one, and/or contract.

What exclusions does the policy have?

Many contractors have cheap insurance with very important exclusions. Course of roofing/open roof exclusion is one example. This would make virtually any damage that occurs during the project, excluded from coverage.

What does this Insurance cover? Commercial General Liability Insurance can protect against third party bodily injury and accidental property damage. It is not intended to cover the work the contractor preforms.

How can you make sure the contractors is insured? If he or she is insured, your contractor is required to provide you with the name and contact info of the insurance company. Check with the insurance company to see if your project will be covered.

Choosing an uninsured roofer puts your property, assets and financial security at risk if someone is hurt on the roofing job. Don’t risk it – an extremely low bid is always a big red flag. Also, if your roofing contractor is using a “torch down” application, there are special insurance requirements to do so. Make sure they have it in case this happens: LINK TO VIDEO

We always carry the proper insurance…

San Diego County Roofing, Inc. shall purchase from and maintain with a company or companies lawfully authorized to do business in the jurisdiction in which the project is located:

1) A Comprehensive General Liability Insurance Policy in the amount not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence and $2,000,00.00 aggregate.

2) A contractor’s Surety Bond in an amount not less than $12,500.00, mandated by the California State Contractors License Board.

3) A Worker’s Compensation Insurance Policy in the amount not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, which is mandated by statute.

Any questions about insurance? Reach out to us anytime  855-732-6868 or email info@sandiegocountyroofing.com or Request an Estimate online.

Drone Inspections

Whether you are a real estate professional, homeowner/buyer, serve on the board of directors or a property manager of a home owners association… The roof plays a MAJOR role in your purchasing or budgeting decision. It’s usually the largest asset associated with your property. It its vital that you make the right decisions with it or it can cost you a fortune in the long run.

Take it from us. You cannot imagine the amount of calls we get from new homeowners after the first rain. They had no idea how poor of condition their roof was when they bought it. We also get calls from the frantic property managers that are receiving 100’s of calls from their unhappy tenants about their roof leaking.

This can be avoided.

Make sure you get a thorough roof inspection before buying a home and if you are associated with an HOA that is older than 15 years old, budget for a roof inspection and yearly maintenance which will prolong the life of your roof and save you a lot of money in the long run. Not only do we provide comprehensive roof inspection reports, we also can provide 4k HD video drone inspections alongside the report. It’s one thing to read about the condition of your roof, why not get ACTUAL footage that you can show your prospective buyer(s) or board of directors?

Along with your written report, you’ll receive a thumb USB drive where you will have access to the actual footage of the roof. This also avoids the potential of a contractor getting up on your roof and breaking tiles (if a tile roof) and the costs associated with a contractor using a lift to evaluate your roof.

It is very important to us that we respect the tenants and/or neighbors when preforming a drone inspection. They typically last no longer than 10-15 minutes and notification of the date/time of the inspection is communicated beforehand.

Call us today to learn more about receiving a video drone inspection at  855-732-6868 or email troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com or Request an Estimate online.

Buying a home? Important read for home buyers and real estate professionals

One of the most overlooked aspects when purchasing a home is the condition of its roof.  For the untrained eye, most roofs whether they are 5 or 15 years old don’t look much different from one another. The home inspector will usually only recommend a roof inspection if the roof is older than 20 years. A few weeks ago, we learned that’s not always a good rule of thumb, especially in San Diego – Read our last blog “The Problem with Tract Homes with Tile Roofs.”

Failure to get a roof inspection on that home you are looking to buy can prove costly once you get settled in and it starts to leak like a sieve once the first rain rolls into town. Time to put all of those home improvement projects you envisioned once you selected this home, it’s going to the roof! This can be avoided with a simple roof inspection.

If you are a real estate professional that is representing the buyer, it’s very important to inform your client that they should get a roof inspection before buying or they can expect a large expense in the near future. Even if there is no roofing credit issued, they need to know a budget number so they can start saving.

We offer four different options to the prospective buyer or real estate professional representing the buyer.

  • No Charge – We will look at the property online and give a (very) rough budget number for a re-roof over the phone.
  • $50 – $75 – We will order an aerial CAD drawing of the home and give a more accurate budget number over the phone and send a short email description.
  • $250+ – We will go on the roof of the home and perform a thorough inspection. We will provide you with digital pictures, a summary of the overall condition of the roof and a quote to repair defects or for a re-roof. If you end up hiring us to perform the recommended repairs or re-roof, we will deduct the cost of the inspection from your invoice.
  • $TBD Drone Inspections. We will preform cutting-edge drone inspections in 4k quality video. You will receive the footage on a USB thumb drive along with a report with condition and recommendations.

When you consider that the average re-roof cost in San Diego is roughly $15-$20k – it is imperative that you consider getting a roof inspection for your home or strongly recommending it to your client regardless of the age of the roof. This will help you and/or your client make a well informed decision when buying a home.

Hire San Diego County Roofing to perform this inspection for you. It’s simple. Call  855-732-6868 or email troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com or Request an Estimate online.

The Problem with Tract Homes with Tile Roofs.

There’s a good chance that if you are reading this it’s because you live or own a tract home with a tile roof in San Diego.

We have bad news for you.

Even if it’s in a high end part of town, be aware that your roof was most likely installed by a home builder/roofer that took shortcuts to save time and boost profits. Especially homes build during the early 90’s boom, read more about that HERE. Often times the builder and roofer only cared about one thing. The roof lasting 10 years. That’s when they are no longer responsible for it not leaking. Unfortunately, this has plagued San Diego and other cities for several decades. Tile roofs used to last 30+ years because home builders/roofers used to follow manufacturer recommendations. Now they are only looking at the bottom line which means more cost to you for damage/repairs/re-roofs.

Here are some of the issues you can expect to cause the premature failure of these roofs.

  • One layer of 30# organic underlayment. The absolute minimum required by building code. It rots, cracks and breaks easily. Especially where a tile has slipped out of place or at the transition between the plywood sheathing and starter board at the eaves. This is how roof leaks at the outer walls of a home are usually caused.
  • Flashing metal run short, so that water runs under the tile instead of on top of it below side walls, chimneys and skylights. This is how roof leaks below chimney and skylights are usually caused.
  • A “shadow board” at the eaves of the roof which literally causes a dam under the tile, preventing water from draining properly. Leading to rotten fascia and starter boards.
  • Overexposed tiles that allow water to enter at the nail holes.
  • Improperly flashing pipes with mortar instead of galvanized or aluminum flashing. Allowing water to run under the tiles.
  • No hip and ridge nailer boards or no weather blocking installed at the hip and ridge nailer boards. This allows water to run under the tiles.
  • Inadequate attic ventilation causing super heated air to radiate downward through the drywall ceiling. Not only does this cause your house to come hot due to heat radiating through your ceiling, but it warms the air in the duct-work before it even enters your home, causing you air-conditioning unit to run very hard to keep up with demand.
  • Vaulted / Cathedral ceiling areas not ventilated at all. This causes heat transfer and moisture build up in behind the drywall ceiling.

Tile Roofing Institute Certified Installer

Unfortunately, when your tract home tile roof reaches the 20 year mark, it is a ticking time bomb. It’s time to start thinking about correcting all of these issues by having a complete “Lift and Re-lay” performed on your roof. (See our recent blog post on this HERE). When we re-roof your home with either a “Lift and Re-lay” or all new tile, you can expect the new roof system to last at least 50 years. All of our tile roof installations and “Lift and Relay” projects are installed per the Tile Roofing Institute Installation Guide. This guide was adopted by and has become California Building Code. Not only does San Diego County Roofing follow these Guidelines, but we are “Tile Roofing Institute Certified”.

We get re-certified every two years to insure that we are up to date with all of the latest requirements and standards.

If your tract home tile roof is at the end of it’s lifespan, it’s important to be proactive and take action. Failure to do so can lead to mold developing and extensive rotten wood.

If you are unsure or have any current issues with your roof, please contact us today for an estimate! 855-732-6868 or email troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com

Have a Tile Roof? Read This.

If you own a home with a tile roof that is approximately 20-30 years old, it’s most likely reached the end of it’s serviceable lifespan. You’ve probably seen some broken tiles or maybe some roof leaks from this past years heavy rainfall in San Diego. If you are like most homeowners, the first thing you think of is an expensive re-roof is in the near future. Maybe you don’t have that budgeted and you put it on hold, putting your investment at risk each year you “wait it out.”

We have good news for you.

Lift & Relay. In 90% of the roofs that we inspect, the existing tiles can be re-used, unless the homeowner wants it replaced for aesthetic reasons. As the name implies, we lift and stack the existing tiles for re-use. We inspect for and replace the rotten or termite damaged wood. We install all new metal flashing  (pipes, skylights, chimneys, valleys, walls, etc.) We install new roof vents and ventilate vaulted ceilings in accordance with current building code requirements. We re-install the existing roof tiles. We only lose approximately 5% – 10% to either pre-existing breakage or breakage that occurs during the re-roofing process. We will install new replacement tiles on a section of the roof that is discreetly located, so as to have minimum impact on the appearance of the roof from the front of the house.

Here is a recent Lift & Relay project that we did in Rancho Peñasquitos. The homeowner was able to save over 50% by going with this option as opposed to a roof tear-off & re-roof.

Have a Tile Roof? Read This.
Have a Tile Roof? Read This.
Have a Tile Roof? Read This.
Have a Tile Roof? Read This.
Have a Tile Roof? Read This.
Have a Tile Roof? Read This.

Project Details:

2500 square foot roof in Ranchos Peñasquitos

Tile roof Lift & Re-lay with vaulted ceiling ventilation.

Underlayment 

2 layers of Malarkey Right Start UDL

Replacement Tiles

Boral Std Wt Concrete Barcelona

Vaulted Ceiling Ventilation

DCI Products SmartBaffle

Owens Corning VentSure Inflow Vent

California Building Code 1203.2

Requires that vaulted/cathedral ceilings be ventilated

If you would like save over 50% and get a brand new roof with a Lift & Relay roofing option, contact us today for an estimate! 855-732-6868 or email troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com

Roof Repair? Now is the time

The heavy rains that San Diego County experienced this year is still fresh in our minds. In February we had our strongest storm in 13 years and overall for the season we had record rainfalls county wide. Like many San Diegans, you may have experienced roof leaks. If you did, there’s a good chance that your roof is over 30 years old or maybe even under 10 years with poor new construction attached to it.

San Diego Roofing Contractors were completely slammed during these series of storms. In some cases your roofing contractor couldn’t get out for 2-3 months just to repair your leak! A lot of homeowners just waited out the storm. This may be you!

Now is the time. Fall officially arrives in two days and there is no better time than now to get that roof repaired and/or roof maintenance performed. With so much rainfall this year, you also need to be aware of any mold issues in your home. Even if you don’t see any signs of water stains in your ceiling there could still be potential water trapped in places you cannot see. Piece of mind sounds nice right about now…

Here’s some valuable insight.

Material pricing will soon increase and labor availability will decrease. This means prices will skyrocket just for a simple repair or maintenance request. It’s time to go against your San Diego mindset, be proactive!

Call us today at 855-732-6868 or email me at troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com

Emergency Roof Repair

Discovery of a leaking roof in your home can be quite upsetting. Your roof should be protecting the inside of your house and keeping it water-tight. It is one of the most important things on your exterior to protect you from rain, snow, sleet, and hail. Many people go into panic mode when they notice their roof leaking and damaging their interior.

Chances are when you find out your roof is leaking it is raining. No one in his or her right mind is going to go up there then and try to do an emergency roof repair. It’s a dangerous place to be when wet. Slipping off the roof can happen too easily.
Before you call a roofing contractor to do repairs look carefully at where the leak is to determine what might be the cause. If your roof is sloped the source of the leak may be higher up than where the actual water is coming in. Try to determine where it might be coming from so you can accurately tell the contractor what type of roof repair you need.

Chimneys are a Common Source of Leaks
Chimneys are a frequent place for leaks. The metal flashing around the chimney may have become loose. Roof cement often separates from chimneys during extreme weather and temperature changes.

Leaking Roof Vents
Roof vents are another easy area for water to seep into your home. Your roof probably has several vents. You could have vents to let the hot air out of your attic. There are usually plumbing vents too from the bathroom. Sometimes there are dryer vents. All these vents are normally sealed with flashing and/or roof cement. Many emergency roof repairs are done around vents.
Anytime there is something coming out of your roof it is a prime candidate for a leak in your roof. Your roofing material may still be in good shape. It’s these openings in your roof that can cause problems. Having to reseal them is quite common.

Call a Professional Roofing Contractor

Trying to do an emergency roof repair yourself is not as easy as it may sound. If you think you can just go up there and slap some roof cement on – you’re wrong! Just like most things there is a right and wrong way to do it. Even the smallest gap left can let water in. If the cement is applied incorrectly it may cause water to form small pools of water that will enter your home.

Emergency roof repairs are better left to a professional. Besides the risk of falling off your roof it is not a job easily accomplished by an amateur. Don’t panic – but also don’t think a do-it-yourself job will do the trick.

To find out more about Emergency Roof Repair, please contact us at (855) 732-6868 or troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com

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