Why can’t I use laundry soap on my roof to control moss and fungus growth?
Not too long ago, laundry detergent was the moss control of choice for the do it yourselfers in Portland. The EPA just about has a fit when your environmentally concerned neighbor calls in a report. 7 days later, you get that letter in the mail telling you to never do that again and it goes on to tell all the damage that the phosphates in the laundry detergent cause downstream from your roof!
Nowadays, it is a double edged sword for home owners. The EPA got the phosphates out of the soap, but allowed different types of degreasers to be added in, as the new cleaning agents. The problem with using the new laundry soap now is the degreasers eat away the asphalt that holds your composition roof together! This of course will void any warranty from the manufacturer.
Seems like quite a pickle, doesn’t it?
That’s where Roof Life of Oregon comes in. We have an exclusive product that self cleans moss and fungus off any roof in Portland. It is a 100% environmentally safe product, with a zero negative impact on the roofing material so you can maintain your warranty. Every three years we apply a coating and it will keep your roof moss free. Your roof will look good and it will allow Portland’s rainwater to travel directly down the roof and into your gutters. As you know, horizontal water-flow on a roof designed for vertical will cause premature leaks and roof failure.
If you need help maintaining your cedar, tile, or composition roof, call Roof life today @ 503-925-0125.
Top Quality Cedar Shakes, direct from Canada to Portland
It may have gone unnoticed by most, but this morning another super sized load of freshly milled and preserved shakes rolled into Portland from Canada. These were not your run of the mill cedar shakes, the kind you can buy anywhere. These are not the kind of shakes the builders used on your home that end up needing constant attention and care. At Roof Life of Oregon, we think a custom ordered shake is the best way to start a re-roofing project. You get the best wood designed just for you.
These shakes are milled for you per the request of Patrick D. Morin at Roof Life of Oregon. All of them are 100% clear vertical grain and edge trimmed, all of the highest caliber. Then they are pressure treated and put through a “fixing process” that sets the preservative and gives you one of the lowest maintenance roofs in Portland.
The tree that provided the raw material took 100-200 years to grow, and then 50 years to harvest. Loggers bring the cedar down when harvesting spruce, hemlock, and fir - species of lumber mostly used in the building of homes. When these big giants are found as “downed” or “dead”, they are cut into mill/usable sizes. Only then, can you have a chance to purchase what is truly considered the best roofing material in the industry. If the loggers didn’t bring the dead fall down, the cedar would just rot in the woods. That would be a shame!
Just look at all the good that happens when you choose to use cedar roofing. You increase your insulation by 50%. It’s gorgeous and makes your home and buildings look better; a renewable resource with vast reserves. Cedar’s carbon footprint is the smallest of all roofing material. It’s affordable and if put together with the right components, it will last 30-50 years. (The right components include decades of experience plus Feltex underlayment, stainless steel fasteners, lead pipe flashings, and correct ventilation)
Let us know if we can help you with your new roof. Call Roof Life of Oregon at 503-925-0125.
There’s moss on my tile roof. Is that a problem in Portland?
In Portland over the last 25 years, homeowners have repeatedly told us that they want their roofs to look good, work right, and last longer. Using that as our premise, here is the problem with moss buildup on your tile roof…
Of course, the first issue is appearance. Compare a moss-ridden tile roof to a clean, well-maintained tile roof….you make the call. Most of the reasons for a tile roof are for the beauty and longevity with no hassles to the homeowner. Let’s face it, the appearance of your home says a lot about you, and since your roof makes up 1/3 to 1/2 of your home’s appearance, having a good looking, well working roof is a top priority in Portland, Oregon. The only time function takes over 1st place is when a client is concerned about a leak.
All roofs are designed and engineered to traffic water vertically (down the roof). When moss is allowed to grow and tree debris is allowed to accumulate the growth and debris diverts the water horizontally.
Leaks caused by high winds, or a puncture from a falling tree limb is just another day in your roof’s life in Portland. But 95% of all other leak calls that seem to develop out of nowhere are generally caused by the buildup of moss and/or tree debris.
Another leak issue with tile roofs is that as moss and debris sloughs off, it falls into the valleys (drain areas that carry a lot of water off your roof). Unfortunately, most tile roofs installed in the Portland area used a closed valley system because some people think it looks better than an open valley. After fixing hundreds of tile roofs and their valley failures, I think that the problems caused by using a closed valley far outweigh how it looks. As the moss matures, it dies and falls into the valleys and other flashings. As the decaying matter builds up under the closed valleys of your tile roof, a lot of water is fed into the attic and ceilings of your home. This is when you call us and say, “I don’t know what happened it just started leaking.”
The best advice I can give you to extend the life of your roof, is to maintain your roof no matter its type or age, and you will receive in return a roof that will keep you as dry as possible and will do it for a long time.
Do you have a roof question? Leave it in the comments and we’ll include it in a future blog post.
Can I finance my roof replacement?
Let’s face it, replacing your roof can be an expensive venture.
You may or may not have planned the expense for this calendar year. Most of us try to plan for big expenses. Others have their money out working for them or just want to retain their cash for other purposes. And then there are those who can do home projects if the costs are spread out a bit.
That’s why Rooflife of Oregon offers to its clients the best financing in Portland. Smart Money Financing is underwritten by EnerBank USA, located in Salt lake City, Utah.
With a short 10-15 minute phone call, qualified homeowners can get approved for a standard unsecured loan of up to $30,000. They have rates that reflect your good credit too!
Rooflife of Oregon also offers 180 days same as cash financing at no charge, on approved credit.
“We install now, you don’t pay for 6 months!” ASK US HOW.
Every project we estimate for you comes with this special offering. Just think, it all starts with you and your dreams of what your home will look and function like. There are a lot of really neat and fun things to do to the exterior of your home. We are excited to help you to begin, give us a call 503-925-0125.
5 Most Commonly Asked Questions to our Roof Maintenance Crews
Q. How long until the treatment starts to work (WPC-R5)??
A. 3-4 months of rain will thoroughly clean the moss and fungal growth off of the wood.
Q. What kind of shakes do you use: good, best, better?
A. We use the absolute best I can find. 80% twin pack, 100% vertical grain premium shakes.
Q. Will this treatment hurt my dog, cat or plants?
A. All of our treatments are non-toxic and will not harm you, your animals, or your plants.
Q. Is this treatment toxic?
A. NO! Sodium silicate is a PH changer, and by changing the PH, the moss growth must exit.
Q. What is the best way to maintain my roof…clean it with pressure washing or use the WPC-R5?
A. The absolute best way to maintain your shake roof is to use an air compressor blower to rid the roof of tree debris, and then to use a self cleaning 5yr preservative that is non-toxic. That’s WPC-R5
What about Composition Roofs?
We get this question a lot: Do you guys take care of composition roofs too?
And this one: Do you guys put on nice composition roofs?
One more: Do you guys do roofing?
The truth is we do…and we are the best at it. We established our reputation with years of quality cedar roof maintenance service. As a full-service roofing company, we’ve established our service record by gaining the top credentials offered in our industry. So, I’m not just bragging when I tell you that you won’t find better roofers in Portland. And considering the type of climate we have, I believe that we have more challenges in Portland than you’ll find just about anywhere else in the world.
In Portland, no matter what type of roof you have, tree debris, moss, fungus, wind and rain demand that you pay attention to your roof yearly. Allowing heavy tree debris or moss to remain on the roof not only looks really bad but it blocks the water drainage off of the roof and causes the water to travel horizontally which allows water into your home. We even experience a bit of snow and ice each year which also aggravate the condition of your roof.
So, what do our customers really want out of their roofs? Based on their requests, the order of importance to our clients is as follows.
- They want their roof to look good (as it represents 30-50% of the frontal appearance of their home).
- They want it to work right.
- They want it to last longer.
The only time this changes is when they have a leak and then it becomes the most important topic for a short duration. It’s been like this for the entire 25 years I’ve been in this business.
So, our reputation is built on giving our customers what they want; a good-looking roof which is designed to work correctly and last a long time.
Isn’t that what you want?
How Does the Portland Rain Find Its Way Into Your House?
Earlier this week we talked about a few of the things you should do if the rains are getting into your house. Let’s dig a little deeper!
A 10-year storm creates over 3 inches of rain in a 24-hour period of time. The storm that Portland experienced on December 2nd and 3rd had 3.85 inches of rain in a 24-hour period of time.
It’s not a thrill to notice water coming down an interior wall or finding it dripping into a light fixture or off a beam. It’s frustrating (even scary) to look up and see a dark stain on the sheet rock ceiling or worse yet a bulging, ever growing area that looks ready to explode at any minute.
What is a homeowner to do?
Here are some steps you can take to take to minimize the damage and save you some heartache, money, and a mess.
- Protect the floor from getting wet. Have yourself a 10×10 tarp in the garage that you can grab quickly and put it under the wet zone. You never know what coming, it’s like a flash flood, you should expect the worse and appreciate the best. After you have put the tarp down then put a bucket or a large pan to directly catch the water.
- You should grab a flashlight and a large bowl or pan and head for the attic. Some homes have two-attic accesses or more. It depends on style and size of the home. Smaller homes usually have just one garage access. When you go into your attic make sure you only stand on the wood rafters and not the sheet rock that makes up your ceiling. A narrow 4 ft by 2 ft piece of plywood can help you traverse your rafters. Either way what you’re looking for is where the water is coming from. Sometimes you will find that a leak is uphill from the actual drip. Put a drip catch in place and give us a call so we can come out to find where the hole is in the roof. It’s a good idea to watch the leak for a few minutes so you can describe the size of the leak. In very severe storms, we try and get to the biggest volume leaks first which of course are creating the most damage.
What if I have a open beam or vaulted ceiling with no attic access? And what about a skylight leaking?
- Tarp the floor
- Set out a water basin and give us a call.
What if I have a bulge in my sheet rock, what do I do?
- You really don’t want to touch the sheet rock or you could get a face full of some very nasty water.
- You should prep the floor with a tarp and get the bucket or pan ready. Then find an ice pick or a sharp pencil and put a very small hole in the center of the bulge.
- Turn the pick or pencil as you push it into the sheetrock so it will penetrate and release the pressure. By doing this you will minimize the damage and expense of the leak.
Why is my roof leaking now when it’s never leaked before? (This is my attempt to help you feel better, because everybody asks that exact same question).
- If a builder put on your roof as the home was built and you live in the greater Portland area, your roof was not engineered or installed for extreme weather conditions. Anytime, depending on the circumstances, when we get severe weather, the water will find its way in. Your only true defense is a custom-engineered and installed roof will that handle good and bad weather. (Even with a builder-installed roof, you may never have a leak it all. It depends on the direction of the storm surge and the design of your home. Some of you may never have a leak issue even though your roof is considered a standard install. That is one of those things you end up giving thanks for when the storms arrive and your home stays dry.
- Over a year’s period of time, a roof can collect enough tree debris in the drain areas of the roof, that when a moderate to heavy rain comes, water is diverted horizontally and in doing so, it finds a way into your home. This happens no matter what kind of roof you have. On tile roofs with closed valleys, silt and decaying matter builds up under the tile in the metal valleys causing a diversion. It seems like the leak comes out of nowhere.
- In high wind situations, a piece of diversion metal can be blown off the roof. If this happens in a vital area, water can find its way into your home.
- Cracked pipe flashings and air vents can also be responsible for a water intrusion. Just as Les Schwab Tire Stores try to explain to you why and how your tire blew, these flashing sometimes fail at the worst time. (Have your roof checked every five years to minimize what might fail at the wrong time).
- Your home has weather walls (the walls facing south and west) that take most of the beating as the weather storms come to Portland. These walls wear out 2-3 x’s faster than the other 2 or 3 walls. Before they fail, the siding will show signs of wear. (Cupping and curling, horizontal cracks in the paint, and the caulking is no longer in place in the mid field joints or the corners of windows and doors).
How do I get rid of my newly acquired stain in my sheet rock?
- After getting your roof leak fixed, it’s time to get rid of the stain in your sheet rock. If the water leak hasn’t caused repairable sheetrock damage and only left a stain, the fix can be simple.
- After the sheet rock has dried get a spray bottle and some bleach, cover the carpet and furniture with a sheet and lightly spray the sheetrock’ about 6-9 inches away.
- Do not try to touch the sheetrock or wipe it as that will really mess up the finish. If the stain doesn’t come out in five minutes reapply till the dark stain disappears.
Who do I call to repair my sheetrock?
- In Portland, Oswego Drywall is the only company I would use for sheetrock repair.
What about the insulation getting wet behind the sheetrock? What about harmful mold and mildew forming in my attic or walls from my roof or siding leak?
- Most small leaks caused by storms will not affect the insulation or cause mold and mildew to form in the ceilings or walls.
- Leaks left to leak again create an environment where a lot damage is a sure thing.
- You as a homeowner should have the exterior of your home, roof, siding, gutters, and windows inspected often to lessen the likely hood of undetected leaks causing very costly issues.
Was Your Roof Damaged in the Portland Storms on December 2-3?
If you’ve got a leaking roof, please call us to get on our schedule for emergency temporary repairs. We are working as fast as possible to help our customers stop the leaking and protect their assets. The sooner you call, the sooner we can get there to assess and remedy your situation.
Here are a few of the important actions you can take to help yourself and your neighbors before your damaged roof allows water to enter your home:
If a leak is coming through your ceiling, DON’T TOUCH THE DRYWALL! You’ll very likely get a big batch of nasty water in your face. Simply take an ice-pick or other small pointy tool and poke a single hole into the middle of the leaking area. You’ll allow the water to drain out with minimal damage to your drywall and save yourself a large repair bill.- After the storm, take a look around your property for roofing or siding materials which may have blown off your house or your neighbors’ houses. Look for cedar shakes, asphalt shingles, metal flashing or even pieced of siding. If they aren’t yours, try to figure out which house they came from, so you can let them know that they should have their roof or home inspected.
- Walk around your house paying close attention to your siding and windows. You’re looking for anything that seems out of place (or missing!).
- Step back far enough that you can see your roof. (grab your binoculars) Visually scan your roof, paying special attention to where water changes directions, such as along valleys, chimneys, peaks and dormers. Look for any missing shingles or loose and blowing shingles. A missing shingle may not be causing a leak…yet. But, it will open up the possibility for wind-driven rains to get inside your house in the next storm. It’s much easier to fix BEFORE it leaks.
We’ve been maintaining Portland roofs since 1983 and we’ve seen it all.
Give us a call and we’ll be there as quickly as we can.