roof repair Archives - San Diego County Roofing & Solar

GAF’s guide to key signs of roof damage

With all of the heavy rains hitting San Diego, a lot of aged homes in the county are springing leaks. The question is – is it time to re-roof or move forward with a costly repair? Our friends at GAF have given some great pointers.

Key Danger Signals

Don’t get caught with sudden, costly repairs. Keep a close eye on your roof and find out how to spot problems – including these 7 key danger signs – before they severely impact your wallet.

A leak in the attic.

After a strong storm or wind-driven rain, take a look in the attic for signs of leaking. It could indicate damaged shingles, inadequate underlayment or deteriorated flashing.

Blistering or peeling interior or exterior paint.

Moisture trapped in the house due to poor ventilation can cause exterior paint to peel and blister.

Stains on interior ceilings and walls – mold or mildew growth.

Stains, or worse, mold, can be caused by leaks from outside the house or moisture trapped inside.

Exterior decay in sheathing and/or siding.

Excess moisture can also contribute to decay.

Missing, cracked, or curled shingles.

Dry, cracked, or easily broken shingles have reached the end of their useful life, and it’s time to invest in a new roof.

Dark, “dirty-looking” areas on your roof.

Vegetation, fungus, mold, or algae growth can cause dark stains on your shingles. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need a new roof, but if you do choose to replace your shingles, ask for StainGuard^®protection — available on many GAF Shingles, including Timberline^®Cool Series Shingles, Timberline^®Natural Shadow^®Shingles, Timberline^® ArmorShield™ II Shingles, and Timberline Ultra HD^®Shingles.

StainGuard^®protection is available only on shingles with StainGuard^®-labeled packaging. See GAF Shingle & Accessory Ltd. Warranty for complete coverage and restrictions.)

Excessive energy costs.

Inadequate ventilation can possibly drive up your household cooling costs by trapping hot air in the attic. Attic moisture can also drip into your insulation, reducing its effectiveness.

How to Inspect for Damage

Why wait for the drip, drip, drip of a damaged roof It’s a good idea to inspect your roof regularly, particularly if you live in areas of the country that experience extreme weather. You can inspect your roof yourself by either climbing on your roof or by using binoculars from the ground.

If you choose to go up on the roof yourself, remember to always utilize proper safety equipment to prevent falls or injury. See our Safety section for more details.

Here are some things to look for:

Check flashing for damage or inadequate coverage
Look under eaves and overhangs for damage
Examine shingles for any that are missing, cracked, curled, torn, or warped
Look for any open seams or joints
Look for popped or rusted nails or stains around nails
Look for signs of insects or critter infestation (squirrels love climbing on roofs)
Check for sagging or unsound areas
Check for rotten fascia and eaves
Inspect your sources of roof ventilation to make sure they are not clogged
Inspect gutters for sagging or signs of leaks and be sure to remove any leaves or debris
Check for dark patches or biological growth
Check around pipes and roof penetrations to make sure they are sealed and in good shape – there shouldn’t be any exposed nails around flashings (if so, they should be sealed)
Look inside the attic for signs of leaks, dark spots, holes, or sagging sheathing

You can do all this yourself, but if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of walking around on your roof or climbing a ladder in the first place, or you just want a professional inspection done, your best option is always to find a GAF factory-certified Master Elite^®Contractor like San Diego County Roofing!

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

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.

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.

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

Repair or Replace your Roof?

Are you ready to invest in a new roof? Trying to decide if it’s time for a complete replacement or simply a repair is a big project in and of itself! However, a good contractor with the right expertise will be able to expertly guide you through the process with a thorough inspection and suggest how to proceed based on their knowledge, your roof’s current state and your individual needs. Whether you have a few curling shingles and merely need a patch up or your contractor finds serious damage and feels it’s time for your roof to be totally replaced, make sure your contractor is appropriately licensed and insured.

Remember, you have quite bit at stake when you hire someone to repair or replace your roof. Hiring someone with the right experience and skill along with the correct licensing and insurance could be the difference between a beautiful new or repaired roof that will last, or a big headache and a huge amount of money that could be lost.

Here are some things you should think about when talking with a contractor about whether or not your roof should be repaired or replaced.

How has the weather been? It might seem like a rhetorical or unrelated question, but discussing the different weather conditions put upon your roof from extreme heat and sun to wind and rain can help you clarify what condition your roof is truly in.

What does your ceiling look like? That’s right, your indoor ceiling. Flaking or discolored stains and paint on the ceiling and upper walls of your home might mean roof replacement. That said, a small roof leak does not mean you need the whole roof replaced. A good contractor will be able to explain whether or not that small leak is a sign that the roof is falling apart or in need of repair.

Is the cost of maintaining your roof exceeding the cost of replacing it? All roofs require a bit of maintenance from gutter cleaning to small shingle repairs, but if you’ve got major repair issues that amount to $2,000 here, $3,000 there in the course of a year and your contractor is wanting to charge you thousands more for a repair, replacing may save you money in the long-run.

How old is your roof? If your shingles are over 20 years old, they probably need to be replaced. A roof that is less than 15 years old might be repairable – however, if a wide span of your shingles are battered, curled, missing or torn, you will most likely be in need of a replacement.

What’s the span of damage across the whole roof area? Most contractors will suggest replacing if the damage is more than 25 to 30 percent of the roof.

Are you thinking of selling? A new roof will increase the value of your home, while a roof that has been repaired could just be money out of your pocket with no valuable increase in equity.

How many shingle layers does your roof currently have? Building code allows a maximum of two layers of shingles on houses. If you are hoping to repair your curly shingles with another layer but you already have two layers on your roof, you are going to need to replace.

Other considerations might also involve your roof deck, or the underside and supports of your roof and gutter system. If your roof deck or gutter system is rotting, then shingling won’t solve your problem. Roof deck damage is usually a sign of extensive roof damage and when your roof is replaced, you will receive a new roof deck and a new gutter system as well.

Keep in mind that even the best roof in the world will eventually need to be replaced, but replacing your roof too quickly or on the flip side, too late, can mean you’re wasting money either way. Timing is everything when it comes to your roof, especially when it comes to roof care.

To find out more about repairing or replacing your roof, please contact us at (855) 732-6868 or troy@sandiegocountyroofing.com