Would you Believe your Roof Moves?
Have you ever looked up at your roof or your neighbor’s roof and noticed strange looking bumps or see 4 x 8 sections that look as if they are rising from below? Have you asked yourself “How can it look like that?” Your roof may only be 5 to 7 years old. Unfortunately, time and time again in the Portland metro area, we see this sort of thing. Would you believe your roof moves? This movement is called expansion and contraction. As the temperature heats up and cools down from day to night and from summer to winter, so does your roof. As your roof heats up, it expands. As your roof cools down, it contracts, and so does the plywood under the roofing. If the plywood and rafters were put on with NO space between the sheets then what will happen to the plywood when it needs to expand? This is a picture of what happens to your plywood when it can’t move.
The roof in this picture is only 6 years old, and the contractor pushed the plywood together with no space. This is the kind of work done by a roofing contractor that puts on roofs as fast as they can, for as cheap as they can, and who knows as little as they can. Oh yes, it happens, more than what is talked about. Why isn’t it talked about? You now know the down side of cheap!
At Roof Life of Oregon, we take the time to put your roof on correctly. Sure, it may take us a fraction longer to finish your roof than most contractors, but wouldn’t you want us to take the time to put on your roof correctly the first time? We think so also. That is why we offer Portland’s only Lifetime Workmanship Warranty; to give you peace of mind that your roof will last and work as it should.
Roof Life owner Patrick D. Morin to be featured on….
Be sure to tune to KPAM 860 AM tomorrow from 9am to 11am to hear Handy Randy interview me about the unique challenges of keeping your roof in good shape here in Portland!
If you want to stream it live at home or at work click on the Listen Live link at the top right of the page – http://www.kpam.com/programming/handy_randy_home_crew.shtml
Looking to buy a home in the Portland Area?
Home inspectors check all aspects of your home, while they are useful, you are not always guaranteed an expert in all aspects of the home. A large percentage of home inspectors will never walk your roof.
We offer REAL ESTATE inspections for pending home or property sales. This is a very thorough and professional statement of the condition of a roof. Since the inspection is made with no expectation of future maintenance business, we cannot offer them free of charge. Please contact us for pricing information.
If your roof needs a check up or you have questions, call us.
503-925-0125
Can Vents and Proper Ventilation of your attic.
Patrick talks about what is required for proper attic ventilation. If your home hasn’t been inspected for proper ventilation you could be wasting energy all year round! Roof Life can inspect your home and let you know what is needed to keep it in peak performance!
Do you want the company working on your roof to be environmentally conscious?
Green is a trendy color these days and Roof Life of Oregon is part of the style. We want to help Oregonians feel like they are giving back when it comes to their roof, just one step in helping the earth stay young and beautiful. Sometimes not thought of, but your roof can be a big energy waster! Especially, if your home is not properly ventilated or insulated, you could be wasting as much as 34% of the energy your home uses. Every roof that we are asked to inspect, we make suggestions in writing to correct not only the air flow, but debris and moss problems, and help with the UV exposure.
Roof Life of Oregon is Green many ways. We use only environmentally safe products on and around your home. Our proprietary roof treatment will keep the moss off your roof and lower the UV exposure while being 100% safe for your home, family, yard, and pets; our goal is to leave as small of an environmental foot print behind as possible.
We also recycle. When you choose to use any of our services, remember that all of the roofing materials that we remove from your home are recycled. Wood shakes are ground up to be used as ground cover. Asphalt Shingles are ground up and re-used in paving our roads. Any and all metal scraps are separated, recycled, and the proceeds are donated to the Shriners Children Hospital in Portland, OR.
When we repair or install your roof, we follow a procedure that ensures all components are installed correctly and that your roof and attic are properly ventilated. This procedure is tightly managed and audited. It is all part of our warranty; this ensures your home will perform at its best for the years to come. You will receive a Transferrable Lifetime Workmanship Warranty with your new roof ; we know by history that two-thirds of all roofing problems are traced to improper installation. Many times, improper workmanship happens because of improper or poorly managed procedures. When this happens, manufacturer warranties are voided, leaving the homeowner hung out to dry.
We want to bring you peace of mind that y
our home will work right, look good, and last longer. In Portland, a transferrable lifetime workmanship warranty on a roof is worth its weight in gold.
When you choose Roof Life of Oregon to serve you, whether it be maintenance or replacement, we make it a priority to give you the best service and benefit possible.
What is a Ridge Vent?
A Ridge Vent is an option to homeowners to ventilate their attic space. A ridge vent is a 2 inch wide strip cut right on the ridge line, giving the most convection type pull of air possible. The ridge of your roof is then roofed over top of the ridge vent, so there is no visible evidence of the ventialtion.
This diagram shows how air enters our home and what hapens in the summer and the winter when air can’t ecscape properly vs. proper ventilation.
Have You Checked Your Attic Ventilation Lately?
Did you know that 90% of the homes in the Portland Area are wasting 30% of their energy due to improperly ventilated roofs?
An under ventilated attic will retain moisture. Just a 2% increase in humidity will cause your attic’s insulation value to drop by 30%!
Improper ventilation is a leading cause of premature failure in roofing today. Improper ventilation creates many problems for homeowners in the Portland Area:
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Higher Cost of Heating/Cooling Bills
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More wear on HVAC system
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Less life span and loss of value to your roof
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Toxic mold and mildew that can cause allergies, respiratory issues, and other ailments
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Structural damage to your roofing system unseen to the homeowner
When air enters your home it rises to the attic space and can become confined. Improperly vented homes trap air and moisture, causing a reduction in your insulation’s value (R-Value). In addition, this trapped moisture will cause premature agin of your roof and deterioration of your roof structure. Causing the homeowner concerns with long term monetary stress and possible health issues.
Proper ventilation in your home occurs when the air exchange is equal. This gives your home the chance to breathe and expel heat in the summer and moisture in the winter. Remember also that construction has become efficiency focused; using house wraps and sealants around windows and doors. These home wraps force all moisture in the home to travel upward into your home’s attic space, increasing the need for higher ventilation standards.
As a Green Screened Contractor, with every roof inspection we do we are checking the ventilation to be sure your home will be working in it’s best condition.
Roof leaks caused by no-caulk pipe flashing
Here’s how opting for the cheaper, no-caulk pipe flashing will cause rainwater to enter your home.
It’s worth having us come inspect your roof to make sure the rubber on your pipe flashings hasn’t deteriorated in the Portland weather.