Category: Roofing

Flashing is a thin layer of metal that is used to direct water away from certain areas of a roof, such as vertical features like chimneys.

What is flashing on a roof made of? Usually, non-corrosive metals, including aluminum, lead, or steel. Copper is used occasionally for custom roofs. Flashing can alternately be made of plastic, rubber, or roofing felt.

When flashing is installed, it is sealed to prevent water from getting under it and damaging the roof. If you need new residential flashing, ensure that it is installed correctly by finding an experienced, well-reviewed roofing contractor near you. And if you manage a commercial roof, you’ll need to occasionally inspect the flashing and other features on it.

What Is Roofing Flashing’s Purpose?

Roofers install flashing around roof points that could be vulnerable to water damage, such as skylights, chimneys, and vents. Without flashing, water could run off of shingles and into the seams or spaces around those features. But flashing channels the water back onto the shingles and ultimately into the gutters or off the side of the roof. 

Flashing can be crucial to the long-term integrity of your roof. A single point where water persistently enters could eventually lead to rotten roof boards (decking), along with water damage in the home itself. And that could mean tearing up the shingles and replacing many of the materials underneath. 

Poorly installed flashing is a common culprit when your roof springs a leak. It could even lead to the collapse of decking materials, which is one reason flashing is covered in local building codes.

Does Your Roof Need Flashing? 

A professional roofer can tell you how much flashing—if any—your particular roof needs. Certain features of roofs are more likely to create leaks than others. These include roof valleys, the place where the walls of a dormer feature meet the roof, and skylights, among others. 

Does your roof include any feature that will create an unusually high volume of rain runoff? Does it include opposing surfaces (like a roof and chimney)? Vulnerable areas like those may need to be sealed with flashing.

Does Flashing Go Over or Under Shingles?

Flashing is often installed under roofing materials like shingles. In a roof valley, the flashing is placed between the two intersecting roof edges to channel water down the valley. Shingles are placed partly on top of the flashing, causing more water to drop into the valley, where the flashing is often left open to the air. 

Around a chimney, multiple pieces of metal flashing are laid down. They are often shaped like an L, and attached to the chimney with mortar. Shingles are then laid over the horizontal part of the flashing; the flashing and shingles together should direct water away. However, flashing can sit on top of the shingles on the front of the chimney (the part farthest downslope).

Flashing is also placed around pipes and vents. A watertight seal is applied around the pipe itself. The metal flashing is attached to the roof. And shingles can be placed over the flashing on the highest point of roof, but the flashing will often be placed over the shingles at the lowest point, allowing water to run off the flashing and back onto the shingles.

What Are the Types of Flashing on a Roof?

Various shapes of flashing have been invented for different roof features. Examples include: 

• Apron or Continuous: Long sections of metal, which often include expansion joints.

• Valley: Placed where two roof sections meet in a valley.

• Base: The downslope piece of flashing installed on a chimney or similar feature that requires multiple pieces of flashing.

• Counter: Used on the upslope area and sides of features like chimneys and paired with base flashing.

• Skylight: Flashing specialized in protecting skylight seams.

• Step: Bent sections of metal placed at the base of a wall that intersects a roof; often paired with kickout flashing, which channels water from the wall into a gutter.

• Drip Edges: Thin strips of metal at the edges of roofs to ensure rain runs off without touching the wooden surface underneath.

Get Professional Flashing Installation & Maintenance

Working with metal flashing pieces is a difficult and important job. Installed correctly, it prevents major, expensive roof damage, but incorrect installation can put your home or business at risk. That’s why you should contact Roof Repair Specialist for this job or any other roofing needs you have.

If you’re looking for commercial roofing in Los Angeles, there are several roofing options to choose from. TPO roofing is one of them, and it is a relatively new roofing material that offers many benefits. In fact, it is fast becoming a favorite among businesses and commercial property owners. So just what is TPO roofing?

TPO roofing, short for thermoplastic olefin, is a lightweight single-ply roofing membrane. TPO roofing material is commonly used on commercial buildings, particularly large buildings and commercial structures with flat or pitched roofs. Additionally, TPO roofing offers many of the benefits of PVC and EPDM roofing without the added costs and complications of the other materials.

What Are the Benefits of TPO Roofing?

TPO is a relatively new material that was developed in the early 1990s. That means many of the benefits are still being discovered as the material becomes more common and as it ages over time. That being said, TPO roofing offers a number of advantages that are quickly making it very popular among commercial property owners.

Lower Cost

One of the major advantages of TPO roofing in Los Angeles over PVC and EPDM is its cost. It offers many of the benefits of the others at a lower price point.

Ease of Installation

TPO roofing is also easy to install. It can be laid quite quickly as a single layer across virtually any commercial roof. A company whose roofing services include a strong track record of installing TPO roofing can get the job done in a relatively short amount of time.

Versatility

TPO roofing is versatile in that it can fit many types of roofs. TPO roofing can accommodate varying sizes, shapes, and slopes of roofs. The key to effective installation is to find a roofing company that is experienced with TPO roofing.

Energy Efficiency

TPO roofing is highly energy-efficient. Its white surface reflects the sun’s heat in warmer times of the year, which reduces air conditioning needs and energy costs. This helps make TPO roofing even more cost-effective.

Durability

TPO roofing has shown itself to be strong and durable. While the material is relatively new, it has already established a strong track record. In fact, TPO roofing can be expected to last 20-30 years, and perhaps even longer.

To ensure the durability of a new TPO roof, a business or commercial property owner should make sure the roofing company they select has enough experience with TPO roofing. While some companies may have just started working with TPO, there are others with enough installation experience to ensure a great job.

What Are TPO Roofing Disadvantages?

While TPO roofing offers a wide range of compelling advantages, there are a few concerns to take into account when considering TPO as a commercial roofing solution. The main TPO roofing problems come from the fact that it is a relatively new roofing material. This contributes to two disadvantages.

Installation Expertise

As previously mentioned, the fact that TPO roofing hasn’t been around as long as PVC or EPDM means that fewer roofers have a lot of experience with installing it. A roofer new to TPO could make errors during installation that could compromise your roof’s performance and durability. 

The solution to this issue is simple. Finding a roofing company, like Roof Repair Specialist, with a solid history of TPO roof installation will help ensure that you can take advantage of the many benefits of the material.

Shorter Track Record

As the years pass and more TPO roofs stand the test of time, this becomes less of an issue. But the fact remains that TPO roofing is relatively new, so there is less data on the longevity of the material. TPO roofs have shown themselves to be durable and lasting, and future data will bear this out. Until then, TPO roofing doesn’t yet have the years behind it like other roofing materials.

Is TPO Roofing Better Than EPDM or PVC?

TPO roofing is a great solution for commercial properties and businesses looking for the convenience and durability of EPDM or PVC at a lower cost. TPO roofing can be a better roofing option for cost purposes and for the fact that it is relatively low maintenance. A TPO roof can provide roofing protection for 20-30 years or longer.

How to Get TPO Roofing for Your Commercial Property

To learn more about TPO roofing and its potential benefits for your commercial property in the Los Angeles area, contact Roof Repair Specialist. We can answer your questions, repair or add life to your current roofing, or replace your roof with a number of options, including TPO roofing. Call us today for commercial roofing Los Angeles!

The roof over your head is one of the most important things you own. It shelters the people and things that mean the most to you, helping to keep everything safe and sound. When your roof develops leaks, the security of your home is compromised. While the severity of leaks varies, any leak is a bad leak.

If this problem arises, does homeowners insurance cover roof leaks? Like most important questions you might have about owning a home, the answer depends on a few different variables.

Continue reading “Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Roof Leaks?”

Now and again, replacing a couple of shingles is all you have to reestablish excellence and capacity to your rooftop. Black-top shingles are intended to keep going for a considerable length of time, and the present current material plans are built to keep going for whatever length of time that you possess your home.

Before you choose to replace shingles, it’s essential to have an expert assess your rooftop to decide whether any of the underlayment or decking is harmed. There’s a major contrast between a couple of missing shingles lost during overwhelming breezes and a release that stretches out through the different layers of your rooftop. On the off chance that the harm is broad, it’s generally a superior thought — and a superior worth — to re-roofing the whole rooftop.

Additionally, remember that shingles are presented to rain, day off warmth. Regardless of whether you have an extra box of shingles left over from when your rooftop was introduced, you may make some hard memories coordinating the “new” shingles to the ones on your rooftop. Contingent upon the area and the size of the territory needing substitution, it may be hard to mix substitution shingles into the remainder of the rooftop.

In any case, if the territory needing new shingles is situated in a subtle region, or the area is moderately little, you may have the option to pull off nailing down some substitution shingles.

Tip: If your rooftop is feeling the loss of a couple of shingles, don’t stand by to replace them. The shingles are there to shield your rooftop’s decking from dampness and wind. Indeed, even a little uncovered region can enable water to saturate the underlayment and into the deck, where it can cause spoil and in the end spillage.

Fixing Damaged Areas

Naturally, numerous property holders wonder in the event that they can fix a harmed or crumbling segment of rooftop as opposed to re-roofing the whole thing. They may even select to rooftop over the current shingles as opposed to detaching the old rooftop.

Fixing can work, however it represents the entirety of similar issues — to say the very least — as replacing a couple of shingles.

Similarly as you would when choosing if it’s alright to just supplant shingles, it’s essential to counsel with a home material expert in case you’re thinking about fixing your rooftop. A home material expert will play out an exhaustive examination to decide whether a fix will broaden your rooftop’s life expectancy without prompting future harm.

A home material master will inspect both the outside of your rooftop, just as the sheets in your upper room, which will by and large show if dampness has cleared its path through the decking and into your home.

Outwardly, indications of a progressively difficult issue incorporate shingles that are twisting at the edges or beginning to clasp. Another awful sign is the nearness of granules — the little, rock like pieces that coat the outside of the shingle — in your drains or on the ground.

Besides, a hanging rooftop is a certain indication of a progressively significant issue. In the event that you notice any hanging, don’t hold on to call a material contractual worker. You should re-roof the whole rooftop as fast as could be allowed.

Regardless of whether it’s conceivable to fix your rooftop, the result probably won’t be tastefully satisfying. On account of a fix, the harmed region is normally a lot bigger than a spot needing a couple of shingles, which by and large makes it increasingly hard to mix the fixed segment in with the current rooftop.

After a terrible storm, your roof may have terrible damage. Whether or not it’s obvious at first, water infiltration, mold, mildew, ruined possessions, and ill health all follow major roofing damage. You’ll need emergency roofing repairs to protect you, your loved ones, and your home from further harm. 

Emergency roofing usually starts with a tarp (a large sheet of plastic or rubberized fabric that temporarily keeps out water)—but it’s not as simple as it sounds.  Continue reading “Emergency Roof Tarp: How Long Should It Last”

Well, yes, in fact it will. Every home, cottage, and business ought to have comfortable, and properly put in roof ventilation. You might be wondering why, and how you are able to tell if your roofing system is ventilated underneath?

Knowing the signs can facilitate to confirm that you will get the roof ventilation that you would like, before important roofing system repairs are made.

Why does your roofing system need correct ventilation?

For starters, keeping your attic sufficiently insulated will certainly aid to cut back your energy bills, but there will perpetually be some residual heat loss. If your attic doesn’t have the correct quantity of ventilation, the hot air can become cornered, resulting in wetness buildup and dangerous black mildew growth. Improper or scarce roof ventilation may result in ice damming within the winter time. Ice damming happens once the temperature of your attic becomes considerably hotter then the air outside, inflicting snow to soften and refreeze on your trough, and on your roof itself. This is often a significant issue that may cause an incredible quantity of harm to your roofing system, and a large amount of headaches for you, too.

How are you able to tell if your house requires added roof ventilation?

As a general rule, your attic ought to be able to systematically keep inside some degrees of the temperature outside. The signs that this is often not the case are noticeable, even to the primitive eye. Throughout the colder months, put aside your time to require a peek in your attic house, if your rafters square measure damp, or frost lined, you possible have roof ventilation problems. The intense drawback of black mildew growth in your attic are exacerbated by an absence of correct ventilation. As mildew growth tends to flourish in hotter temperatures, you’ll need to visualize on this within the season. Take care to throw on a mask and a few gloves and slightly separate your insulation. If your attic insulation seems flat or clumpy, this is often conjointly a really smart sign that you simply have wetness problems inside your attic. If you’ve noticed that your home suffers from constant, thick ice buildup, and/or icicles on the roofs edge and trough, you’ll need to contact a professional roofing company as soon as possible.

Continue reading “Does Your Home Need Roof Ventilation?”

Metal roofing is fundamentally a structure material that is utilized to shield the structure from wind, dampness and different other outside components. The rooftops can either be utilized on business or private structures and they’re normally accessible in a wide-assortment of completions and materials. Metal material is normally picked due to its alluring appearance, long life expectancy and solidness.

Metal material is really one of the quickest developing sections with regards to home improvement. It has too much over the previous decade. The points of interest offered by metal rooftops enable the property holders to redesign homes with rooftops that give a durable worth. Metal roofing gives the following advantages:

• A demonstrated presentation desire for a long time and more.
• Wonderful and appealing styles that match your home or the area.
• Interlocking boards for greatest wind obstruction.
• They offer imperviousness to fire.
• They are vitality proficient since they keep your home cool.
• Low weight which aides in safeguarding the auxiliary respectability and life.

Metal material will enormously expand your home’s solace by avoiding ceaselessly the greater part of the sun oriented warmth subsequently diminishing the cooling bills.

Kinds of Metal Roofing

Metal rooftops are, for the most part, produced using tin, copper, steel or aluminum. Steel is increasingly normal and can be covered utilizing zinc to decrease rust and upkeep. It’s commonly painted nearby or, on occasion, sold with a prepared on finish. Aluminum is somewhat costly however it will in general hold-up much better in the seaside zones given its enemy of destructive properties. Copper is regularly picked for its rich-shading, however it might will in general be very costly. Tin is lightweight and is normally utilized on sheds and outbuildings.

Tin

A ridged tin rooftop is very climate safe if it’s appropriately introduced. Steel is very warmed and dunked in liquid tin in order to make this sort of roofing material. The steel and the tin are fortified perpetually through this procedure. Painting a tin rooftop is very vital in order to shield the rooftop from the outside components.

Stirred Steel

This metal material sort is steel-covered utilizing zinc to fill in as assurance against eroding and oxidizing. This material can be introduced in various structures like standing crease units, shingles or a solitary metal-rooftop. A standing crease unit is aroused steel that is framed in long-sheets, and it is strong and won’t corrupt if daintily damaged.

Galvalume

This is made by covering steel with a blend of zinc and aluminum. It’s a prevalent metal-item for most homes that are near salty waters. It can fix some-scratch harms without anyone else by gliding a little segment of covering over the zones which have been influenced. This makes it an extraordinary standing crease item since installers will have the option to loosen up a smidgen when they are taking care of the long-boards.

Aluminum

The rust evidence characteristics of aluminum metal make this sort of material the top-decision for every metal rooftop in the wet climatic territories. Aluminum should be made a-higher-measure than that of steel in order to make up for its absence of solidarity. It is in any case, more strength than steel.

Copper

Delightful stepped copper material is attractive. At the point when covered utilizing lead it will hold its metallic sparkle, and whenever left exposed it can build up a brilliant patina due to oxidation. It’s anything but a broadly utilized on the grounds that it is somewhat costly. It will likewise require a talented expert to instrument in the boards into the best possible positions.

Structures

Metal material is promptly accessible in various structures which might be utilized to supplement different building stylistic themes and styles. It’s frequently sold-in type of boards, that can be emblazoned or level. Steel is typically introduced utilizing a standing crease framework produced using between locking boards. Most metal roofing materials are explicitly intended to take after tiles or shingles and can be styled to look like customary wood or clay roofing-materials.

Establishment

Metal material is essentially introduced over-compressed wood or OSB rooftop sheathing. The sheathing can be secured utilizing a dampness boundary in order to keep any holes from happening or secured with a froth protection to help in decreasing warm move by means of the rooftop. On a level rooftop, metal boards can be nailed legitimately to the dampness boundary or sheathing. With regards to inclined rooftops, the metal boards are typically introduced into an arrangement of metal machines to help in lessening the commotion and the shaking brought about by wind and other climate related components.

Advantages

Metal rooftops are generally lightweight when contrasted with the record or clay tiles. They essentially require little support and they can without much of a stretch last as long as 50 years or more. Most metal roofing-materials aren’t influenced by wind, day off, or hail and are normally fireproof.