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.
Why is My Roof so Ugly?
You should start looking at roof-tops as you drive through your neighborhood. (Hey, I do it all the time!)
Some homes sit under trees and others sit in the open. Some roofs are taken care of and some are neglected. Some cedar roofs have a light ash grey appearance (nice and healthy!) and some have a pinkish reddish appearance.
Some cedar roofs look repaired for only a short time as the new repairs blend in. Others have a permanent “repaired” look and a reddish pink hue.
Let’s talk about that pink roof.
I believe a homeowner should ask three questions of their roof maintenance company.
- Will my roof look good ?
- Will it work right?
- Will it last longer?
Asking a few questions about the future appearance of your roof, could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of embarrassment.
Once you Stain your Roof, you’re stuck with the result!
Once your roof is cleaned, repaired, and treated with a stain, you’re pretty much stuck with the end result for a long time. Roofs that get stained must be pressure washed; this causes undue stress to your wood roof. Now you’re in for more frequent and costly repairs in the future.
The repairs (those brand new replacement shakes) are then stained, but since they are new they only get coated while the original aged shakes soak up the preservative stain. For the first six months, everything looks uniform but then the stain comes off the repaired shakes and you have a permanently marked roof.
This is very frustrating when your home faces a southwest direction because most of the repairs will be front and center for all to see!
Remember that your shake roof was put on your home to enhance the appearance, not to look like a life long repair depot. The time of reddish, pinkish stained roofs needs to come to a close in Portland.
How do you get your exterior painting scheme to coordinate with a reddish, pinkish roof?
Why We Don’t Pressure-Wash Cedar Roofs
If you have Roof Life of Oregon take care of your roof, we won’t need to pressure wash it! This will save you a lot of money on repairs and increase the life expectancy of your roof. We will treat it with a self cleaning five year preservative that allows the color of your roof to be its natural light ash grey. In addition it will allow all the repairs to blend in permanently and go with any paint color scheme you chose for your home.
Why do they use a color stain anyway? Hmmm!
Inspect Your Portland Roof Every 5 Years
The fact is that a lot happens on your roof in Oregon’s 4 season climates. Neglecting your roof is much costlier than maintaining it properly!
In the summer a great amount of heat is generated and all the building components shrink and shrivel exposing weaknesses not previously noted.
In the fall, as moisture returns to the environment, the roof cools and expands. Then, the rains arrive and somehow all of that movement has made openings that the flow of water follows resulting in leaks. That’s pretty much how it stays through the winter and spring here in Oregon. A lot of water and at times it comes with a lot of wind.
If your home is located under or near tall trees you may need to blow the roof annually with an air compressor to ensure that the water runs down the roof and not across the roof. When water runs across the roof it will find a way into your home as almost all roofing is engineered to have water run down to the gutters.
If your home gets a lot of directional wind the ridge caps at the top of your roof line may struggle to hang on and will need to be checked on periodically.
If your home gets direct sunlight and you have a big southwest exposure you may be thinking that all is well. The truth is that direct exposure will wear the roofing material 2 times faster than a northeastern exposure. Checking for erosion holes and cracks over cracks is a good practice of extending the service life of your roof.
The cost of roof maintenance will always be lower than the cost of neglect, in your time, money and pride of ownership.
Pressure Washing Your Cedar Roof
It used to be the only choice for homeowners. If you wanted to take care of your roof, you pressure-washed.
Is it ok to be pressure washing my roof? If I’ve heard that question once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. I would always answer them with the same answer: Our crews are trained and experienced and we use a type of pressure washer that uses a high volume of water with a moderate amount of pressure. They were built to do exactly what we are using them for.
All of the information I gave to my clients was true and we did the best we could with the technology available.
In 1998 I began to research products and processes that could preserve cedar without having to prep it by a pressure wash. After two years of looking I found Dennco Chemical Company in Eugene, Oregon. They had a product that could be applied to shake roofs that were aged and covered with destructive growth and as long as the roofs were free of debris it would clean the roof of black fungus, green algae, and moss.
The product will keep the roof preserved for five full years just by changing and controlling the PH of the roof’s surface.
I also like the fact that ground water was no longer being wasted through pressure washing of the roof and that the products provided by Dennco Chemical to Roof Life of Oregon were 100% environmentally friendly.
Finally, my favorite thing about these unique treatments for your cedar roof by Dennco Chemical: Roof Life of Oregon is the only place in the greater Portland area were you can find them!
What Kind of Roof Did My Builder Put on My Home?
If you have a wood roof, it’s more than likely a ½ inch #1 cedar shake. They usually are the lowest grade in the #1 grade arena for cedar shake roofing materials. In the trade, they’re known as “builder’s grade” because they are very economical for building entire housing developments.
These types of shakes require repair and treatment every five years to help them last 30-35 years. If left unattended and un-maintained the average shake roof will start causing you problems at about 12-15 years, if not replaced.
After 2-3 years in Portland, a heavy growth of fungus covers the wood roof and at about 5 years of age the moss sets in pretty heavy. This growth really makes the shake roof look unkempt and is unsightly for 9 months out of the year during our rainy seasons.
You’re probably wondering why people use shakes if this is happening to their wood roof. The truth is they look pretty good when they are less than 5 years of age and they represent quality and help sell the home. They are also a renewable resource and take very little energy to produce compared to other roofing products while providing twice the insulating value.
So, if you have a home that has a builder shake and you want it to look better and last longer you’ll need to keep it blown free of tree debris (once every year depending on amount of tree fall) and repair and treat the roof once every five years.