The Busiest Roof Leak Season is Upon Us.

Let’s face it. In Oregon, you can get roof leaks any time of the year. That being said, late winter and early spring seems to be the time of year when we perform more roof leak repairs than any other. Why?

First, the obvious. It is usually one of the rainier times of year. Technically, by volume November and December are the rainiest months. Which brings us to reason two – the timing of this rainy season. Unlike the fall rains, when we have just come through a milder season, by late winter and early spring we have just gone many through fall and winter storms.

Many roofs have now had shingles or shakes blown off, flashings rattled loose and possibly out of position, the temperatures have finally gotten cold enough to crack rubber seals previously weakened by the summer’s intense UV rays, and branches have fallen down, further stressing the roof system. In a nutshell, the roofs are simply not in as good of condition as they were in fall to withstand the rains.

Torn Ridgecap

This roof is a great example. While we didn’t have the opportunity to view it in back in September, chances are that this shingle was weak and cracked to start with.   Nonetheless, the storms and high winds over the last few months likely were the final straw in tearing it fully off.  Missing or damaged ridgecaps are prime causes of roof leaks.  Often the leak will not be directly under the damaged area but down the roof a ways from it.

Replacing a missing shingle or ridgecap is actually one of the easier types of roof leak repair.   An important point for the homeowner to remember is new shingles need to be purchased.  Sometimes the exact brand or color might not be exactly matched.  Even if the same exact shingle is used, remember that like anything left outside subject to UV rays, they fade, so new ones still won’t match exactly.

If you are seeing any loose shingles or ridgecaps on your roof, even if there are still connected, give us a call.  The sooner we get it repair for you the less risk of damage you face – 503-598-7404.

Preparation for Proper Roof Replacement

Part of a good roof replacement job is in the preparation.   Certainly good material and competent roofers help make a good installation.  But sometimes the little details of preparation can make a big difference between a good job and a great job.

Details such as planning for falling debris and efficient disposal of that debris are critical.  Also, prior the installing the new layer of roofing material, a clean roof deck helps the new roof have a great chance for a long life.

Here at All Surface, we live for the small details.  We make a special effort to plan for them so that your re-roofing experience is a pleasant as possible.   Call us today and we can discuss some details of your new roof.   503-598-7404.

Gutterglove Gutter Guard Works With Virtually All Roof Types

More and more homeowners are seeing the benefits of gutter protection systems.  This same homeowners are smart consumers and spend time researching what is the top rated gutter guard on the market.   That is what leads them to Gutterglove and All Surface.  Gutterglove is the top rated gutter guard system available on the market.  However, that does a Portland gutter guard customer very little good if it doesn’t work with their specific roof.

Fortunately, Gutterglove is the most versatile system available.   It works with virtually every roof type on homes.   If you have had it with risking your life and limb cleaning gutters and are considering a gutter guard system, please give us a call today.   Our estimates are FREE and unlike other gutter protection systems, our estimates are low key and no obligation.   Call us today - 503-590-9274.

And you can learn more at our dedicated Portland gutter guard website.

Roof repairs always present a wide variety of unknown variables.

Actually, that is part of what our experienced roofers like about roof leak repairs.  There is always a challenge and the immense satisfaction of having solved a problem.  When you take pride in your work, having solved a problem that another roofing company might not have been able to always feels good.

Additionally, there is the opportunity to work with the latest, top of the line materials such as the aluminum multi-flex sheathing material used in the chimney reflashing repair on this video.   Sometimes, an extra level of security is requested by a customer and we are just the company to know what is required to provide you with that confidence.

When To Replace a Roof

If you are like most people, you probably would prefer to postpone roof placement as long as possible.   However in Portland, Oregon, with our seemingly constant rain, waiting too long to replace your roof can present a whole list of problems.   So as much as you might prefer to answer the question, “When should I take my next vacation?” let’s take a moment and review some signs that is might be time to replace your roof.

Without even inspecting your roof and home, one of the first things to review is the known age of the roof.   This simple piece of information can help you determine the possible urgency of the evaluation.   In the Portland area, even a low end roof should last 15-20 years.   More commonly, medium quality, periodically maintained composition and cedar roofs should last 25 to 35 years.   Top quality composition, cedar roof along with tile roofs can easily last well beyond 40 years.

While there is always the possibility of an improper installation, a material defect or storm damage, knowing the age of your roof helps take some of the mystery out of the process.

Next, let’s review some obvious warning signs of the need to replace your roof.

Spots on the ceiling

A ceiling leak can indicate time to replace your roof.

Without even going roof top you may be able to ascertain some clues.   Every year, we talk with an amazingly large number of people who have seen small discolored spots or some chalking and flaking of drywall without experiencing a full blown leak.  Whether it is like a spigot turned or no water at all and just discoloration, you need to investigate internally and externally.   Look for the following:

• Sagging ceiling material
• Wet or darkened wood in the attic
• Nearby rafters or internal structures which sometime might channel leaks away from their original source.
• Any excessively rusted nails that might be poking through the sheathing.
• If you don’t have attic space but rather have a catherdral type ceiling, it is even more critical to scrutinize discoloration on the ceiling material

Roof Top Review

Start with with shingles or shakes in the field of the roof (the main sections of the roof’s body.)

Loose granules (shingle roofs)

Granule loss is a primary sign of needing to replace a roof

Immediately after installation and again near the end of it’s life, shingle roof’s loose granules.   When a roof is old and due for replacement, the granule loss can be significant.   Once the UV protection wears aware, the granule loss can be very fast.   This in turn exposed either the asphalt or fiberglass composition base of the shingle which then starts to deteriorate all the faster.   It becomes a viscous deterioration process that needs prompt attention.   Sneaking a peak in the gutters can give you a quick view of how much granule has come down since the last gutter cleaning.   We recently cleaned out the gutters on a home that had such bad granule loss that when we put a garden hose with virtually no pressure on the roof after right after rinsing the gutters, a steady flow of new granules flowed down and coated the bottom of the gutter.   Such a roof should be replaced within six to twelve months at the very latest.

Burn through (cedar roofs)

While cedar roofs have no granules, they have plenty of fiber.   This fiber is subject to deterioration from both the UV rays and from excessive and unskilled power washing.   If you spot any shakes that have a con-caved shape, especially with a deep dip in the middle with even possibly a small hole starting in the middle, you have burn through.   At a minimum you need some shakes replaced.   If too many shakes are like this and the underlying felt has been exposed to the sun for too long, you need to re-roof.

Missing Shingles or Shakes:

This really goes without saying – if shingles or shakes are missing, that is an ominous sign.

Dips or Up Buckling:

Dips often are a sign of rot occurring in the underlying sheathing while buckling can indicate that moisture underneath the roof (never a good thing) has caused it to swell and lift up.   Shingles like a flat, smooth surface for maximum life and start to crack when the underlying surface becomes uneven.

Curling:

Unless lifted by moss growing at the butt (front) end of the shingle (which will typically lay back down over time once the moss is removed), curling mean that the shingle has no more life left.   Often these shingle have been cooked from the underside due to inadequate attic ventilation (see my post below on attic ventilation.)   If a cedar shake is curling, do NOT nail it back down – it will either crack off or if not, you will be left with exposed nails.   A curled cedar shake has lost it’s battle against the UV rays and no longer drains rainwater properly.

Blistering:

Another likely sign of moisture entry.

Exposed Fasteners:

There are always a few spots on a roof where nails can’t be hidden under the course above it.   These should be installed using self sealing roofing nails.   If you see nail heads exposed or surfacing (lifting up) through shingles, they are likely being forced up from interior moisture.   Run, don’t walk, to the phone and call a roofer.

Damaged Roof Flashing & Vents:

Don’t be too quick to assume that if there are issues with flashing it means you need to replace your roof.  Maybe or maybe not.   Sometimes these items rust through or get knocked or wiggled out of place on a roof that still has plenty of life left.

Of all the flashing issues that can occur, chimney flashing problems are the most serious and the most difficult to repair.  Look for cracks or sections that have become dislodged from their connection with the chimney, particularly if the chimney is masonry.   Also, you can be fooled by a chimney leak.   Sometimes it is the flashing around the chimney while other times, it may be the chimney itself (ie, top caps, cracked bricks or saturated brick in need of resealing.)  If that is suspected, call in a chimney mason in addition to a roofer.

Flashing where a lower roof meets an upper story wall is called roof-to-wall flashing.  Review for rust, cracks or misalignment.   Drip and rake flashing are at the roof edges.   This commonly may dislodge so look for misaligned or even completely missing flashing.   Any flashing problem can allow moisture entry into an otherwise good roof and risk accelerating the need to replace the roof.

When the result is the need to replace the roof.

Remember that roofing is not a service that just anyone should do for you.   Reputation and integrity matter every bit as much if not more than price.   Don’t fall into the trap of thinking since you plan to only be in the house a few more years that it doesn’t matter if it is a quality job.   Plans change and a lot can go wrong with a low quality installation within just a couple of years.   Call a roofing contractor you can trust today – 503-598-7404.

You might have read or heard our slogan over the past year or two, but just in case you were wondering exactly what we protect your roof from, here is our latest radio commercial.

All Surface Roofing Commercial – October 2010

If any of these issues are threatening the well being of your roof, or if they have already done their damage, give us a call today for a FREE ESTIMATE.

How Roof Damage Occurs

Damaged Roof

Reasons why your roof needs repair or replacement

Roofs have a rough life.   Think about it.   What if you had to spend all day and night outside, rain, wind, burning heat or freezing cold, for 30 or 40 straight years?   It might take more that a warm cup of coffee to make me friendly in the morning!

Even with your specific damage, all roofing materials will slowly deteriorate over time.   But when outside circumstances get added in, you can experience an unfortunate acceleration of your roof’s serviceable life.

Some common causes include extreme weather (excessively large hail – not too much of a problem in the Portland Metro area), windstorms, falling branches, bouncing balls consistently on them (I admit it – I was an guilty of this as an adolescent), improperly breaking up of ice dams, and lack of maintenance (never getting the moss off or treating the cedar for protection against UV rays.)

Interestingly, one of the biggest culprits in reducing a roof life in Oregon is maintenance itself.   Yep, the very process used to help the roof can sometimes cause it harm.   Here are some tips regarding roof maintenance:

1. Avoid pressure washing when ever possible.   There are other roof cleaning methods to consider first.
2. Don’t let people who are not experienced roof cleaners clean your roof.   They might do a great job painting your house or washing your windows, but just because they say “Yeah, I could do the roof for ya also” doesn’t mean they have the first idea about how to do it right.
3. Pursue preventative maintenance – treatments applied at periodic intervals (either when moss in just starting to return or might not even done so yet) is much more gentle than periodic cleaning.

Whether you are ready for some roof maintenance done right, a roof repair or replacement of your roof, All Surface can help you today!

Many Portland homeowners don’t know what to answer when I ask if they want their estimate to be for a roof tear off or a roof recover.

When there is no compelling reason for a recover, a tear off should be chosen.   A tear off allows for your new roof’s felt underlayment to be installed directly on top of the sheathing.   Since the sheathing is a uniform, rigid surface, this is going to allow for better life expectancy for the new roof.   Being installed on top of the old roof (a recover) does not provide the same consistency.   Some roofing material manufacturers will not extend the same warranty if the new roof is installed over an existing roof.   Generally speaking, a roof that is torn off down to the sheathing will last longer.

That being said, a recover does have its benefits.   Mainly, cost savings.   While the saving may not be as high as you think, when every dollar counts, there is money to be saved with a recover.   When a house has two roof layers or less, current Oregon code allows for one more layer.  A recover is sometimes chosen when a house will be put up for sale very soon after the project and the owner is less concerned about buying the new owner extra years of roof life.   However, a recover often is visible to the experienced eye and it could result in a slightly lower sale price.

OSB Roof Sheathing

This photo of a recent roof replacement shows an interesting side issue.  Sometime when we tear off the roofing material, we uncover what is called OSB (Oriented Strand Board) instead of plywood for the sheathing.   Many homeowners wonder if this is a cause for concern.   Likely not, especially if an experienced and reputable company is performing the re-roofing project.   Ideally, All Surface always chooses to use a 4-ply plywood for the sheathing when we are installing it from scratch.   The main reason that plywood is preferred is its performance in moist environments.  OSB, while cheaper and actually stronger than plywood in terms of shear strength, it can expand much more than plywood if wet, particularly on any cut edges.

Expansion of a roof’s decking (another name for sheathing) is not a good thing.   It can cause lifting and buckling that can cause further, serious problems.  Of course, a good roof should ideally never let water penetrate the sheathing.  But over the life a roof, there are a multitude of unexpected occurrences that can allow moisture it (deteriorated pipe boots, dislodged flashing or vents, falling limbs, etc.)

However, if we our inspection of the existing OSB determines that it is in fine shape, the cost of removing it and replacing it with plywood is usually just not justified.   A proper job of covering it with underlayment, flashing and new shingles will keep it from moisture exposure and any of the negatives that can occur.

If you are ready to have your upcoming roofing project done right, call All Surface today!

Inevitably, every house’s roof will need to be replaced, begging the question, replace it with what?   There are more roofing changes available than ever.   However, much of the decision process can be narrowed down by what roofing material is already on the roof.

Sometimes, there is an advantage to staying with the same type of roofing material that is currently on the roof.

This is mainly because of the type of sheathing required for various types of roofs.   Composition shingles require a flat, solid decking surface, while cedar roofs should have skip sheathing (strips of sheathing with gaps between for adequate ventilation) and yet tile roofs can require a unique mix of flat surface with battens extending out.  Additionally, some types of tile are very heavy and require extra roof reinforcement to ensure the structure meets code.  The cost of converting the decking can often reduce the cost of switching to a less expensive material.

Generally speaking, homeowners most commonly convert towards composition shingles if they decide not to proceed with either another cedar or tile roof.

Not only is it the most affordable roofing material, it also requires the least effort in converting the sheathing.   For example, a roof being converted from cedar to composition only requires plywood being installed on top of the existing skip sheathing wear as if a similar roof was to be converted from composition to cedar, the solid sheathing would need to be torn off before installation of the skip sheathing installed.

All this being said, we believe it is critical to consider the original style of the home when making the decision of what type of roof replacement to pursue.   Some homes were designed with a certain roof type in mind and a change away from this, while possibly offering some modest short-term savings, might impact the overall look of the home and affect its future salability.

If you would like help in reviewing your roof replacement options, one of All Surface’s skilled estimators would be happy to consult with you.

How to Find the Best Portland Roofers.

When you are searching for Portland roofers, whether online, in the newspaper, yellow pages or any other media, all you really know about them is what they tell you.   One area that tends to get overlooked is the issue of what or who is behind the guy who comes to your door.   Let me elaborate.

The best Portland roofers you will find!

Two Portland roofers come to your home and give you estimates.   Let’s assume they both propose very similar things about your roof project.   You feel the same level of confidence with both individuals.   So, where do you go from here in your decision making process?

While there are many additional factors, for this discussion let’s just focus on company size.   I propose that there are negatives to both too small and too large of a company.   The large company, with 100 plus roofers, has more obvious negatives.   It is easier for the homeowner to become lost in the shuffle.   Many employees are just seasonal temps with lower skill sets brought on to help slam out jobs fast.   Personal attention is usually very low.

However, the company that is too small presents even more detrimental factors.  Some homeowners get sucked into the presumed attractiveness of having the owner/estimator/manager being the one “pounding the nails.”   If the Portland roofer you choose to hire is basically a “one man show” who runs his own crew with a couple of helpers,” you are at great risk in a couple of areas.   Essentially, there is no backup if ANYTHING goes wrong.

If the owner has any problem (injury, employee related, financial) you project might be greatly delayed.   If he were to get injured in the middle of your project it would sit half completed.   Do you really want to try finding other Portland roofers to finish your exposed roof on short order?   If you make it through your project OK, be aware that all future support and service throughout the warranty are still dependent upon this one person’s capabilities.

Then consider that a small, one person business is usually less financial capability.   Why should you care?   Because a lack financial strength manifests itself in forms such as requiring high deposits (in order to finance the job) and the risk possible liens against your property if they can not pay their suppliers.  Simply put, when you hire too small of a roofing contractor, the fate of your project and all future service are tied up with a single individual.   That is not a comforting thought.

If you want Portland Roofers who are big enough to get your job done promptly and be there to protect you in the future yet without treating you as just a number, it’s time to call All Surface!