No one wants to have a leaky roof.   There are many things that can break and still won’t keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.   A leaky roof in Portland, where it can rain fairly steadily come fall, winter and spring, is not one of them.

What to do with your leaky roof in Portland.

I am going to lay out several areas that need to be immediately considered when faced with a leaky roof.

First, much depends on the current weather.   If it is snowy or icy out, wait.   It is too hazardous, possibly life threatening, for even a properly equipped professional to be on a roof in such conditions.   Plus, the problem might not even be a permanent, reoccurring leak.   It might be a fluke ice dam causing a one time back flow of water that is not likely to occur again.   Possibly.   Or it could be the first sign of a ongoing issue.  Either way, you need to wait.  If  it is simply raining however, a leaky roof in Portland can be immediately reviewed.

Next, consider the history of your roof.   Has a leak ever happened before?   If so, has it been at this same location or elsewhere.     This can be a good indication as to whether the entire roof is failing or if it is just a localized problem.

Location.   Is the location near vents, flashing, skylights or very near the house’s exterior walls?   Leaks very closed to exterior walls can be caused by full or clogged gutters.   Flashing, vents and skylight leaks might not necessarily reflect on the overall condition of the roof.

Frame the leak within a longer perspective.   How old is this leaky roof?   Has it been maintained?   If so, how has it been maintained and by whom.   An unmaintained or improperly maintained roof may have accelerated it’s typical rate of deterioration.

After you have review and considered the above information, it is now time to determine  your objective.   Should you pursue a lasting repair on a roof that you or someone else has determined to have adequate serviceable life remaining.  Or, should you enact a quick, temporary  stop-gap repair (often a tarp or shims) until you can gather funds and arrange for a new roof can be installed?  Or, if the weather has let up, should you immediately pursue a new roof and eliminate the risk of further interior damage.

A leaky roof in Portland won’t fix itself.

You will have to make a decision, sometimes a rather large one.   It is best if you are well prepared.  And nothing prepares you better than good  information.   We can help you assess your options.   Please call All Surface Roofing today – 503-590-9274.

Sometimes differences among things in life stand out like a sore thumb.   On other occasions, the difference is more subtle and yet with even others, the difference slowly becomes apparent over time.   I tend to think that finding a roofing contractor in Portland is mostly the last.

Looking at a piece of paper (your estimate) cannot always adequately distinguish a good roofing contractor from a poor one.   Unless of course, one is on the back of a business card and the other is a well organized and detailed estimate  (like the one you will receive from All Surface Roofing.   In such a case, consider yourself to have just received the gift of a simple choice – throw away the estimate on the back of the business card!

But for the rest of them, here are some of the differences that might not be apparent from just looking at the paper.

Differences in Roofing Contractors in Portland

It is critical to look for hints as to whether or not the roofing contractor is and will be attentive to you and your needs and reliable.   Here is another free tip: if the roofing contractor does not arrive for roof inspection or deliver the estimate when promised, at least without calling to making alternate arrangements, chances are your phone calls asking that a few final items to be completed will not be quickly returned and addressed.

Some roofing contractors in Portland use only employees (covered by worker’s compensation insurance) while others send subcontractors to your home.   While such roofing companies might be insured, how can you be certain that their subs are insured.   If one of those subcontractors gets injured on your property, you may be liable.   All Surface Roofing will always have employees, fully covered by workers compensation insurance, on your project.

Some time the difference between roofing contractors in Portland is in what is not in the contract.

A properly written contract will list out what is included for the stated price and how much unforeseen additional work, not expected but still a possibility, will cost.   A poorly written contract will not even cover such contingencies, leaving you at the mercy of a contractor who is already part way though a job if a unexpected issue occurs.

Finally, unless you plan on tearing apart your new roof, you will not be able to easily tell if there were any construction shortcuts.   Practices and short cuts such as using the improper size nails and staples, nailing outside of the manufacturers specified nailing lines, using scraps of materials where they should not be used, skimping on flashing, and using lower grade boards for the sheathing are but a few of the difference in roofing contractors in Portland that can seriously affect the quality of your project.

We recommend that you play it safe and call one of the most reputable roofing and roof maintenance contractors in Portland, All Surface.  Call  503-590-9274 for you Free Estimate.

Not every cedar roof that is due for replacement gets replaced with a composition roof.    Many homeowners chose to have a new cedar roof installed.   Considering that the premium quality cedar shakes used by All Surface ( if regularly maintained by our gentle methods and using our proprietary CedarGuard treatment) can reasonably be expected to last at least 30 to 35 years, re-roofing with cedar is a very viable option.

Here is an example of a typical, tired old cedar roof in Portland.

Cedar Roof Before Replacement

And here is the new cedar roof we installed after carefully tearing this old roof off:

Newly Installed Cedar Roof

You can see why the homeowner wanted to stay with cedar.    The cost was only 10-15% more than if they had converted to a quality composition roof.    However, the value of their home is now a little higher from having a cedar roof.   Plus, cedar is now a well managed, renewable resource, making their roofing decision fairly green.

We would be happy to discuss the available options for you if you are ready for a new roof.   Please give All Surface Roofing and Construction a call today.

A very old and tired cedar shake roof.

A brand new 30 year Architectural Laminate Composition Roof

Here is our most recent example of another beautiful conversion from a cedar shake roof to a compostion roof.   In this case, it is a 30 year warranty, architectural laminate.    While a new or well maintained cedar roof is beautiful, this composition roof is also quite lovely!

Also, this homeowner took advantage of the new roof installation to have a ridgevent installed.   While a couple of roof vents that were attached to interior fans needed to obviously remain, all of the vents used for attic ventilation where replaced with a continuous run of ridgevent.   If you look hard enough, you can see it at the top ridge of the roof.   It is a much more effective way to keep attic space well vented and to help reduce cooling costs and avoid the onset of mildew.

All Surface Roofing and Construction would like to thank these homeowners who entrusted this project to us.   We hope you get many years of service out of it and we will always be here if anything arises.   If you would like that same committment in a roofing company, please give us a call today.

Damaged roof ridgecaps

Here are some photos of a job we did recently here in Portland.    As you can see, the ridgecaps on this roof were badly deteriorated. Why this was, we don’t know – the field of the roof itself is in very good condition.

Regardless, in such a situation, a roof repair, rather than an installation of an entire new roof, was the smart option to offer our customer.   It can be scary to see an element of your roof system in such bad shape and fear can lead you to a wrong conclusion, such as “I need a new roof.”   But from the photo below, you can see our repair midway through the process.   The ridge on the right side has new, premium ridgecaps installed.

Repaired Ridgecaps

We would be happy to evaluate your roof in you have some current issues that you are concerned about.   Please just give All Surface Roofing and Construction a call today.

I was just reminded again yesterday of a common and costly error made by some Home Owner Associations regarding roof replacement.

Many associations represent neighborhoods of homes originally built with cedar shake roofs.   As these roofs near the end of their lives, right or wrong, many of the homeowners seek to convert over to composition roofs.   I would recommend a rational consideration of staying with a cedar roof but that is another discussion.   Please see one of my previous blogs below on that topic.

With a desire to keep the neighborhood looking good and uniform , the HOAs often specify that only a premium composition roof be installed.   There is nothing inherently wrong with these.   After all, it is their neighborhood.   However, many have made the mistake of specifying that the new roofs can only be a specific brand and style.   Back when a lot of these covenants where written, there weren’t as many options for quality, upper-end composition roofs.   As a result, a specific brand and style was specified in an attempt to ensure that only a quality, consistent product would be used.

Today, every major roofing manufacturer has a top of the line, 50 yr or “Lifetime” warranty roof available.

Most of them look very similar to each other and are in the same range in terms of quality   There are no bad roofs among these products.   There can be a noticeable price difference between brands however.   I believe that residents would benefit from having a selection of top quality roofing products to chose from.

My recommendation is that covenants be written or updated based on the minimum specifications that the HOA would like to require rather than naming a specific brand.   These might include terms such as 50 year or “limited lifetime” warranty, multi-layer laminate, and a minimum nominal weight per square (such as 480 pounds.)    Such broadening of specifications will accomplish the original goal of maintaining a certain standard and look while simultaneously allowing consumers more options.

As a customer oriented roofing company in the Portland Metro area, we are always willing to come talk to your HOA about roofing brands, styles and options in general.   We can even have a factory representative accompany us with advance notice.    Please call us for a free consultation.

Last year (2008), was a very eratic year for roofing material.   With fuel prices skyrocketing, we saw price increases coming through from our suppliers every 3 to 4 weeks.

Well, the fun has started again.   We have already been notified that there will be a significant increase in compostion roofing materials (8-11%) by some of our local suppliers as of March 31st.   Chances are that if fuel prices start their typical upward movement as summer nears, the upward spiral in roofing materials will follow.

What does this mean to the typical Portland homeowner who may be in the market for a new roof?

Several things.   Much will depend on whom you are dealing with.

If you are dealing with one of the less reputatable, fly by night, “guy with a pickup and ladder” type of roofers, you can count on getting pressured into an immediate, rushed decision as a result of this market condition.    Other companies might build expected future price increases into there bids, whether or not prices have actually gone up yet.   In a spiraling cost scenario, it is very hard for the consumer to keep track of where underlying material prices are going.

At All Surface, we prefer to partner with our future roofing customers.   We believe that clear communication is always the best way to approach such a situation.   We will try our best to keep you informed of pending changes and how they may affect your estimate.   Additionally, we are willing to work with you to secure a fixed price on a project even if you are not ready to move forward with it for a few weeks.   This can help remove the much stress out of the situation.   Who wants to head into a new project already completely stressed out from the estimate process?   We will try our best to transition you from a smooth, calm and rational estimate process to a smooth, seamless and satisfying work process.   After all, that’s our job!

The saying goes: “Roofing shouldn’t be done by novices who want to stay dry.” If it weren’t for the temptation of saving a few thousand dollars, that would be enough to deter most home owners. Unfortunately, when home owners calculate the cost and savings of DIY roofing, they forget one major expense: the cost of having to hire a professional to do the job second time.

And the expense can be much more than you bargained for, depending on the problems with the existing roof. You may have to replace all or some of the materials that you have used. Due to lack of knowledge about code and insurance specifications, you may find out later on down the line that your insurance company won’t cover the damage incurred as a result of your DIY roofing job.

Professional roofers don’t get their name by accident.

There are so many online websites out there that offer “tips” to help homeowners install their own roofs, and do-it-yourself television shows that many homeowners are lured into thinking that roofing, like other home repairs, is an easy job. But while those websites may look helpful, they don’t give you the most useful information: testimonials from do-it-yourself roofers that almost doubled their cost because they missed some smaller details that the books and websites leave out.

Manuals for novices are written for a general audience, meant to be read by millions of home owners who all live in different climates, with different regulations and different homes. No professional roofer approaches assumes that every roof is like every other. That is why the first step of any professional roofing job is an inspection. That’s because professional contractors have training and experience. They don’t miss out on small, expensive details because “it wasn’t in the manual”. I mean, technically, your uncle could build you a car just by getting the right parts and doing a little research. But would you drive your kids around in it?

Doing your own roofing job, even if its done well enough to keep you dry, also means that you may shorten your roof’s lifespan by not getting a professional inspection. In order to ensure the quality and integrity of even a professionally installed roof, it is necessary to have inspections done at intervals determined by a professional contractor. Not all roof problems can be spotted by the untrained eye. A good contractor can identify problems before they become obvious (like leaks in the roof). Catching problems early can save you on energy costs, and prevent the high cost of replacing the roof entirely.

How do I Tell a Good Roof Contractor from a Bad One?

As many homeowners have discovered, even so-called “professional” contractors can make major mistakes through negligence or ignorance. So, how do you make sure that that happens?

Do your research. Verify their permanent place of business and phone number. Next, ask if they are appropriately licensed to work and insured. Put in the time to call the Better Business Bureau to make sure that there have not been any negative reports against the company. Ask for references. Ask if they have done the type of work that you require. Take the time to do your homework, and you won’t have any regrets.

The best way to save money is to hire a professional, reliable contractor to handle the job. A do-it-yourself job may seem like the cheaper option, but the hidden costs can be astronomical and not always immediately evident. You may decrease the re-sale value of your home, or decrease the effectiveness of your insurance plan. And when the job is done by a professional, you gain peace of mind and a warranty which money can’t buy.

Today, fortunately, there are some better methods for roof maintenance.  But first, let’s quickly review the older method for cleaning and treating roofs in the Portland Metro Area.

Going back 25 or 30 years, power washing started gaining much popularity as a method for cleaning roofs.  It was found that moss, lichen, and algae would quickly come off of the roof with the spray from a power washer. Once the operator learned how not to cause immediate damage to the roof, it proved to be an efficient way to handle the job. Then, as portable power washers started coming down in price and appearing at the big “box” stores at more affordable prices, do it yourselfers where able to join in the fun.

Professionals, however, realized early on that even without causing immediate damage to a roof, the high pressure caused damage to all roof types (cedar, composition, tile) that reduced the roof’s life. Granule loss and shingle tearing are most common for composition roofs, tile roofs will lose some of their protective glaze and crack, and cedar shake roofs actually have a layer of the wood completely removed by power washing. The shakes actually become thinner with every cleaning in addition to being stressed.

A partial solution to this was to use special machines that had lower pressure and higher water volume. While this is an improvement, however, the underlying negatives are still present. The principle of being rough on the roof in order to perform necessary maintenance is just flawed.

Regarding treating roofs, it is common to use treatments that were derivatives of metallic solutions, such as zinc and copper. While effective at preventing moss or preserving wood, they often are not long lasting as new treatments and can have some environmental repercussions.

Sometimes, a new way of performing a job comes along and it involves an entirely new process. Other times, what seems like a new approach might actually be a rediscovery of an older method. And then there are the other times, when it may be a little of both.

One method involves employing an old fashioned solution; hand brushing moss off of the roof. The end result is a much more gentle, albeit slower moss removal method. It isn’t flashy or high powered, but it is often what is best for the roof. Coupled with the availability of lightweight backpack blowers or compressed air to further aid the removal and cleaning, roofs are more able to realize the longer life expectancy they were designed to obtain.

Treatments also have advanced. The use of sodium silicate base products has been revolutionary. Not only do they offer greater longevity than the metal-based solutions, they are much greener. They are much more friendly to the surrounding environment and occupants. Combining these old and new methods now allows for maximize the life of your roof like never before.

If however, your roof was treated poorly over it’s life, we will gladly give you an assessment as to whether it still has reasonable life left or whether it is time to consider a new roof.

The decision to invest in a new roof is not one that should be made lightly, and once that decision has been made it is just as important to find the right roofing contractor. Choosing a roofing contractor in Portland can be a difficult and time consuming process, but the results of choosing the wrong roofer can be even more devastating.

The right roofing contractor should be not only competent and experienced but also willing and able to communicate during each step of the roof replacement process. It is important for the homeowner to choose a roofing contractor he or she feels comfortable with. After all the roofing contractor and the homeowner will be working closely together for the duration of the project.

The Importance of the Roofer’s References

References are important in many home repairs, but it is even more essential for a roofing contractor to come highly recommended. It is important for homeowners to seek recommendations from family members, friends, colleagues and others who have had their own roofs repaired or replaced.

It is also important for homeowners to ask for – and check up on – the references provide by any potential roofing contractors. Checking references is a vital part of the shopping process, and one that should not be given short shrift.

The Importance of Roofing Contractor’s Rating

These days,  company ratings from various services are becoming increasingly important and valuable.    The best ones are predominately online.   Look to services such as Angie’s List or ServiceMagic to provide you with unedited reviews of a Portland area roofing company.   Companies can not self review or alter what a customer has written about them.   These services provide an opportunity for you to see what past customers really think about the companies you are considering.   Look for both good ratings and at least a reasonable volume of ratings.

The Importance of Experience When Selecting a Roofing Company in Portland

Experience is a vital consideration as well, especially when specialty roofing materials are involved. The processes and experience needed to install a new metal roof are quite different from those needed for an asphalt or tile roof. It is important for any potential roofing contractor to have plenty of relevant experience working with the roofing materials the homeowner has chosen.

No matter what type of roofing materials are chosen it is important to insist on a highly detailed estimate before making a final decision. It is important for the estimate to provide a detailed listing of the materials to be used, as well as a detailed evaluation of the labor needed to make that new roof a reality. Replacing a roof is a big expense, but choosing the right roofing contractor can make it a true investment.

We will be happy to work with you in making this investment – please give us a call today.