Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) recently became aware of a roof consulting company ("Company XYZ") on the East Coast of the United States that had stolen a significant portion of our website and used it on their own website.

Company XYZ stole ORC’s entire business model along with photos taken by ORC owner Joe Sardotz and huge chunks of ORC’s original text that were simply copied and pasted onto Company XYZ's website. Company XYZ's website was similar in content, overall message, arrangement, and text. Company XYZ's billing policy, fee structure, and FAQs were identical to ORC’s website, which pre-dated Company XYZ's website and domain name by at least two years.

Upon learning of the rip-off from his website manager, ORC sent Company XYZ harsh emails demanding they remove from their website every item they stole from ORC. ORC’s lawyer also sent them a Cease & Desist letter warning them to remove stolen content. Within days, and after a few stern follow-up emails from ORC, the copied material was removed from Company XYZ's website.

These copycats found ORC's website, liked what they saw, and decided to pirate it. We will be watching Company XYZ closely and will vigorously defend our intellectual property from anyone who attempts to steal our copyrighted material without permission.

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* Company XYZ's name has been changed to protect privacy.

This article has been cross-posted to Precision Computing Arts blog with permission from ORC.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this new Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membrane roof.

The contract specified 'Tear Off Existing Roofing.' Problem was the roofer "forgot about" that part of the contract and put the TPO over an old lumpy, bumpy roof. Some bumps and divots were 2" high/deep. TPO must be installed over a smooth, clean surface free of debris.

When confronted with our findings, the roofer became very cooperative and agreed to redo the roof from scratch. Another hammer on the truck!

11/23/15 Update: ORC returned to inspect the second attempt at roofing this house. The roofing was removed and half-inch CDX plywood (NEVER wafer board) was applied as a base for the TPO membrane. The roofers even added ventilation this time! It is a very nice job. Next the sheet metal company will install new perimeter metal. We are still trying to figure out why they didn't do it right the first time! Sure would have saved the roofer a lot of money.

➲ See Alyssa S : Realtor / Homeowner Testimonial (12/15/15)

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was contacted by the owner of an apartment complex in Ashland, Oregon about a recently completed new roof installation. Joe drove 287 miles south to inspect the job over a two-day period. In addition to being concerned about proper installation, the owner suspected the materials specified for the job and the materials actually used were an entirely different number. The 'roofer' provided a materials list which the owner ordered and paid for.

Joe contacted EagleView Technologies and requested a premium report for each of the five buildings. EagleView is the premier aerial measurement provider in the country and is used by contractors, insurance companies, lawyers, banks, and roofers. The difference between the EagleView reports and the materials invoice from the roofer was significant: Somehow $6,800 worth of materials grew legs and walked away.

In addition to the 'unaccounted for' materials, the new roof install had many issues, including :

• Ridge vent installed without cutting openings for the ridge vent;
• Utility vents not connected to required stem/flapper/baffle type vents;
• Drip edge and rake edge flashing used in some areas and not in others;
• Intake vents not installed on all buildings and on only parts of other buildings.

 The owner is quite pleased with ORC but is furious with the cowboy roofers of which there seems to be no shortage. The owner will be bringing these items up with the roofer soon. A lawyer is involved. Stay tuned!

Update:  11/17/15    The roofer will be correcting all of the errors on this apartment complex and ORC will return to Ashland soon to re-inspect all five buildings. As for the missing materials just as I told the owner what the roofer response would be....."waste". The owner isn't buying it. There is just too much. It is not possible to have 41 squares of waste for 9 squares of TPO. Enough nails were ordered to install 420 squares of shingles. There are 164 squares of roof area. 200 squares of shingles were delivered. The roofs are all right angles which means no more than 3-4 squares of waste maximum. 33 squares of shingles disappeared! Hmmmmmm.........

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect this new roof in SE Portland. It is one of the worst roofing installs I have ever seen! This "roof work" was done by a general contractor. Jack of all trades and master of none. You name it and they screwed it up.

For starters the "contractor" hoodwinked the homeowner into paying in full, up front, which may explain why a one-week job took four months. The homeowner even gave an extra $500 that he was not obligated to give!

Upon arriving at the property, I noticed nails and roof debris everywhere — on the driveway and footpaths, the deck in back, and in all the flower beds. The gutters were full of roof debris.

Then I got on the roof and saw the rest of the mess! The first two images at right show the report I sent to the homeowner detailing all the problems and violations of manufacturers specifications. Just tap or click on the images for a larger view.

Roof coverings must be installed to manufacturers specifications according to the Oregon Residential Specialty Code. It is any contractor's responsibility, obligation, and legal requirement to know how to properly install roof coverings. They advertise and promote themselves as professionals. Just imagine how much of this ripoff roofing is happening all over! Amazing.

Update : 3/25/16

There was an onsite CCB mediation meeting to try and resolve the dispute. The CCB is successful about 40% of the time. No such luck on this one. The homeowner wanted a full refund so he could then have his roof done by a qualified & experienced professional roofer (unlike last time). The 'roofer' wanted an extra $3,500!! Amazing. He may as well have asked for $35,000.00. Now the homeowner will contact a lawyer and pursue this within the legal system. It is astounding when 'contractors, justify and stand behind such terrible work. Stay tuned............

Update : 6/17/16

The homeowner's lawyer sent a demand letter to the 'roofer'.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this roof in Beavercreek, Oregon, off Leland Road. We found many installation components that are not even close to the manufacturer's specifications, including these :

1. The contract states metal vents. Plastic vents were used.
2. Stem vents were not used for utility vents.
3. Plastic vents are marked "Do not nail into flange." Flanges include holes for nails to allow for expansion. In this job, the nails were in the flanges and not the provided holes.
4. Drip metal was over instead of under the underlayment.
5. Shingles were not lapping past T metal at rake edges.
6. 24" valley metal is required. They used 18" valley metal.
7. Bottom of the valley metal was not cut to fit the inside corner.
8. No sealant was placed between the valley metal and lapping shingles.
9. No sealant was placed at vents and pipe jacks.
10. Most ridge nails were over driven and in the sealant.
11. Many exposed nail heads were at ridge junctions and the vents were not sealed.
12. Broken plywood was not replaced, resulting in sags and soft spots on the roof.

Other than the above, it's a great install! This "contractor" is on his fifth license. He is a jack of all trades and obviously a master of none.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) received a phone call requesting a roof inspection. A 'Roofer' had told a retired couple in Oak Grove they needed a new roof. The couple was skeptical and called us. The location was close to home, so I arrived within 3 hours. As you can see from the photos, the shingles are in good condition and have many years of service left.

The so called 'Roofer' showed up in a car — with no ladder — and told the owners the roof was shot. Having a low slope pitch, the roof cannot be seen from the ground. The 'Roofer' actually told them he looked at the roof on 'Google Earth' satellite and was able to determine roof condition. Of course this is total malarkey. The price the 'Roofer' quoted for a new roof: $13,000!! The price should be more like $6,000 to do it correctly when needed.

This 'Roofer' is nothing but a fraud, con artist, and a thief. Cowboys like this give honest roofers a bad name. We hate to think how much of this behavior is happening all over. Before getting a new roof, do your due dilligence. Be informed.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was called to inspect this newer 6200 sq ft roof in the Council Crest area of SW Portland. It is a Tamko Lamarite® Slate composite faux slate roof product made from recycled tires. This failed product is no longer made and this $44K roof is falling apart.

The marketing feel of this product at the time the owner installed it was 'Go green'. Unfortunately, the real story was more like: "Spend tons of money! Get robbed! Oh, sorry, this roofing is garbage but at least your heart was trying to do the right thing."

Here is a data sheet link with the manufacturer’s claim of Tamko Lamarite® Slate Features & Benefits (no longer available on the Tamko website):

• Data Sheet Link

Here are two links about what really happens with Tamko Lamarite® Slate:

• Consumer Claims to SaferProducts.Gov
• Better Business Bureau Filings

There’s much more to be found on the Internet. If you’re interested in learning more about the pitfalls of Tamko Lamarite, fire up Google or your favorite search engine and look for “Tamko Lamarite Complaints”.

UPDATE:   9/20/15

The homeowner reached a satisfactory settlement with the Manufacturer. Pending is the complaint against the roofer for improper installation. The owner is going to put on a new roof next year. ORC will write the specs for the new roof and will also monitor the new roof work.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked by a general contractor who is involved with Fannie Mae homes to inspect this brand new roof. There were so many fundamental and aesthetic errors on this job that it will be torn off and done again...correctly this time.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect this brand new roof in early May 2015 because the homeowner was leery of the contractor's overall performance. Smart owner!

Six items on the proposal weren't done. The roof also failed many fundamentals, including an overlay done on too low of a pitch. The front porch section was FLAT and shingles were installed on that section! This roof needs to be torn off and done correctly.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) participated in an onsite mediation with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB), Homeowner, and Contractor. The meeting lasted 7 hours. There were several fundamental mistakes made on this roof. Several roofing contractors looked at this job. Most said it should be torn off and done again. Three said it required extensive repairs. ORC believes it can be repaired. The homeowner prevailed to the tune of $4,500. ➲ testimonial (Queenie S)

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this 5-year-old roof in Warren, Oregon on February 23, 2015. A real cowboy job. The owners ceilings were falling to the floor. This roof has been leaking from Day #1.  It was not remotely close to Oregon Residential Specialty Code or shingle manufacturer's specs or industry standards and must be torn off and re-done, correctly this time! Of course when the 'Roofer' was confronted he denied everything and insisted the roof was done correctly. He mocked ORC's credibility (LOL)  Here are the issues found:

• Staples were used. Oregon Residential Specialty Code Chapter 9 Section 905 requires nails only.
• The staples were too short. They don't penetrate far enough into the deck.
• The roof has two layers of shingles.The slope was 2 1/2 in 12 which is too low for overlay. It just doesn't work.The shingles cupped and water was seeping in sideways and entering via the shingle end joints.
• On slopes between 2/12 & 4/12 a peel & stick ice and water membrane or double felt must be applied. In order to achieve this the old roofing must be removed in order to have a smooth flat clean surface.

 Update: 8/7/15

 Homeowner hired a lawyer. After a couple of months back and forth the Roofer agreed to pay $6,500.00 settlement. Another hammer on the truck.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this brand new roof in Clackamas, Oregon in February 2015. This roof was done so poorly that it must be replaced. Here are the issues found on this Cowboy Special:

• Most nails improperly applied meaning over driven, under driven, and/or angle driven. Properly applying a nail is one of the most basic and rudimentary aspects of any type of construction. If a person cannot correctly apply a damn nail they have no business being up there.
• Shingles had wide gaps between the end joints.
• Some shingles were over lapping up to 4" on the ends!
• The shingles were cut even with the T metal on the rake edges. The shingles must lap the edge metal.
• None of the protrusions were sealed as required by the manufacturer.
• The 'roofers' slammed the heavy shingle bundles down hard on the plywood which did significant damage to the sheetrock inside.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect this brand new roof. There were good aspects to the work, but the negatives included very bad nailing and none of the protrusions were sealed. ORC provided spec sheets from the manufacturer, a printed email from the factory rep, and spec sheets from national roofing industry organizations such as ARMA & NRCA along with our report.

The long-established roofer also began $1,700 worth of additional work without a change order or getting the OK from the owner. This is one of the larger companies in town and has been around a long time. Among roofers, architects, and many homeowners this company has a very bad reputation but to look at their website you'd think they were #1. Not even close. Over the years I have looked at many of their jobs and it's always the same story. No legitimate quality control, high prices, shoddy work, poor customer service.

A lawyer advised the homeowner not to make the final payment until these items were addressed.

CertainTeed recommended Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to a homeowner who wanted his new 8000 sq. ft. Presidential TL roof inspected by an independent party. The owner is a custom home builder and remodeler.

A few items were done incorrectly and will need rework. The ridge vent wasn’t sealed and too-short nails were used to fasten the ridge pieces. The nails barely reached the plywood. The nails are supposed to penetrate the underside of the plywood by at least 1/8". In some places roofing nails were not used. Instead they used a common vinyl coated nail with a small head. There is considerable mold growth throughout the attic. None of the valleys or protrusions was sealed as required by the manufacturer. The shingles at the rake edges were cut too short and all will need replacing. Various types of lead pipe jacks were used with many of them not down tight to the roof deck, one was on sideways!

The builder will have ORC inspect a few other new homes because he is concerned about similar issues with those roofs. Stay tuned.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was contacted by a Realtor (who has hired me several times) to look at this new roof. The buyer was concerned with the install and rightfully so.

The "roofer" installed a laminated shingle over a laminated shingle, which gives an uneven and unsightly appearance. A professional roofer just doesn't do this. Also the nailing was poor, with most nails over driven and way above the nailing line. None of the protrusions or flashings were sealed. The shingles were cut even with the edge metal  which is fine with some manufacturers. Other manufacturers want you to lap past the rake metal. In our opinion it is best to lap past the rake metal. This is one of those many 'gray areas' of roofing. So cloudy it's crystal clear! Just a cowboy job all the way around. The buyer has called the seller on this bad roof job and a lawyer has been retained. Stay tuned.

A son called Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to inspect this new roof because he was concerned his Mom had been snookered by an unscrupulous roofer. She had!

This "roofer" broke the law. He knowingly had employees do the install when he's 'exempt,' meaning he's not allowed to have employees. The Construction Contractors Board (CCB) has been notified by the homeowner.

The resulting roof was terrible! Improperly nailed. Not installed with proper pattern — instead put on randomly, creating an aesthetically objectionable appearance. Skylight flashings were all on top of the shingles and fully exposed! The four 'eyebrows' were roofed with any available scraps — just put on any which way.

UPDATE  5/25/15:

This roof will be torn off and done again per agreement between both parties' attorneys. The homeowner is not paying for any of the new work. The contractor is.

This is what happens when an unqualified, unlicensed crew attempts to install a roof. The new owner is calling the seller on this install.

Lawyers are involved and Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) will be an expert witness at an arbitration hearing in February.

Too short nails were used and most were over driven; nearly all were way above the nailing line. Behind the chimney an underlayment product was used as roofing! The entire 346' of drip edge is leaking because the drip edge is pushed up, creating a 'Pagoda' appearance. The front fascia board was raised to accommodate the original tile roof.

This board should have been trimmed to plywood level. Now, all of the new gutters must be dismantled and set aside, then the edge trimmed, then the gutters put back. The old worn out underlayment was reused!

Just a terrible install overall.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was contacted by the owner of this commercial building with concerns about the new, recently installed flat roof . Many basic rules were not followed, including layout and poor adhesion. The roofers also set fire to wiring at one of the exhaust fans. The perimeter metal was not replaced and the edges were left open to the weather. Improper pipe jacks were used and poorly installed.

Oregon Roof Constuling inspected this new CertainTeed Presidential roof in Beaverton. Whoever did this roof had no business installing a roof. The nailing was not remotely close to manufacturers specifications. Many shingles had only two or three nails, whereas six are required. Most nails were over driven. Short rows were found in many areas. Roofers used many dozens of mangled or deformed shingles that should have been discarded. At the exposed overhangs, CDX plywood was used instead of plywood with one good side. Now here is the zinger, the roofers started at both sides of the roof and met in the middle! Really! I had never heard of that one before. Just when I thought I had seen it all. Amazing!

An install like this is incompetent, fraudulent, and border-line criminal. The owner retained a lawyer. As always the first thing the roofer says is that they know how to do a roof job and they have never had a problem before. In other words they never got caught before. Once these photos were sent to the roofer their tune changed quite a bit. It's hard to argue with facts. The owner and roofer agreed that the owner will pay $2,000 for a $19,000 roof. That's it. The $2,000 pays for the tearoff and drop box. This roof will be torn off and re-done by a COMPETENT roofer. The homeowner was very grateful and pleased with ORC's efforts. My fee for doing this was $210.00.

This is a brand new home in Wilsonville, Oregon that Oregon Roof Consulting was asked to inspect. The owner was very leery of the builder (for good reasons). There will be 2,500 new homes in this development.

Just about all nails were badly over driven. The builder has agreed to do significant repairs including renailing the entire roof, adding a metal valley, extra vents, a 50 year material warranty and a 25 year labor warranty which is transferable. No arguing. No lawyers.

The owner is pleased with our efforts. A full home inspection team agreed with my findings. Along with the new roof, the front porch and rear driveway must be torn out and done again. The sewer line has collapsed and must be dug out and redone. This is a huge housing development that has recently begun. Most roofs are likely as bad. I will be going back to look at more. Could be one heck of a can of worms. Stay tuned.

Oregon Roof Consulting was asked to inspect a brand-new roof at a veterinary clinic and animal hospital in Florence, Oregon. Not only was this a terrible install, the roofer tried to charge the owner for $10,500 for work that wasn't done. Lawyers are involved.

The nailing was not close to manufacturers specifications or the local building code. It failed the local inspection. six nails per shingles are required. ORC found 3-4-5 nails per shingle. Most nails were over driven and nearly all nails were far above the nailing zone. This won't work in a high wind area such as the coast.

The roofer charged the owner $1,700 for $550 worth of stainless steel nails.

The roofer billed for 253' of ridge vent at $20 per foot. They installed 99 feet.

The roofer based his bid on 7500 sq ft of roof area in writing. The roof is 4,472 sq ft, not including waste. Add 5 squares for waste and call it a 50 square roof.

View aerial measurement report done for ORC by EagleView Technologies, which confirms roof size (PDF, new window).

Update ;  11/02/15

An arbitration hearing was just recently held in Eugene. The 'roofer' didn't bother to show up. The hearing was still held. The arbitrator was satisfied with Oregon Roof Consultings' report and declaration. The property owner was awarded the cost of a new roof and also $10,500.00 in over charges as well as all costs and attorney fees.

This is a brand new 4000 sq ft roof in SW Portland, Oregon. Beautiful job except for one item: Most nails were over driven.

The roofer was contacted and was sent my report and photos. The roofer was very professional about the situation and sent  three employees to lift all 2700 shingles. A nail was placed next to each bad nail. This took 3 days. The roofer was very nice about it. No arguing. No lawyers. Facts are hard to argue with. The owners were very happy with Oregon Roof Consulting's services. My fee for doing all this was $200.00.

➲ See "Cathy L: Homeowner Testimonial - SW Portland, OR (10/14/14)" on our Testimonials page.

This is a terrible install in SW Portland, Oregon. Bad nailing, no starter course, terrible chimney flashing. A real cowboy job. The owner reached a favorable agreement with the roofer. It's hard to argue with facts.

Oregon Roof Consulting was asked to inspect this new flat roof in SE Portland. The roofers removed the perimeter metal, mangled it all up, and then put it back on. The owner was furious. A few other items on the roof also needed rework. Another cowboy job. Thanks to ORC's help, the owner had $6,000 deducted from the bill.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was contacted by a home buyer to inspect a brand new roof on a home he was seriously considering buying. His home inspection report stated that the roof had zero ventilation installed as well as shingles being installed on a nearly flat section. These are things you learn not to do in Roofing 101. This roof definitely not installed by a qualified crew.

These fundamental mistakes had the prospective buyer concerned that other issues could be present. Sure enough, multiple problems were found including:

• Five different colors and four different profiles of metal flashings used. Normally they are all the same for continuity.

• Intake vent screens installed where the bays were completely blocked. Another screen placed over two 3/4" holes instead of cutting the proper size rectangular hole.

• 80% of shingle nails not remotely close to manufacturer and industry standards.

• Shingle ends in the field with overlapping ends.

• Shingles in the field an inch apart with a scrap strip placed over the gap.

• Two different valley installation methods.

• Starter course and first shingle row end joints too close.

On my second visit, the owner / flipper arrived, jumped out of his truck with guns-a-blazin', and ordered me to leave. In my 37 years in the roofing business, I have never experienced such a loud, insulting, name-calling, threatening, confrontational, profane, obnoxious performance. I think he was angry about the prospect of being caught. The full home inspection report was full of items that needed addressing. The sale of the home is now in jeopardy.

Classic unscrupulous house flipper. Buy low, hire moderately skilled at best workers to do shoddy repairs, then sell the house to an unsuspecting pigeon....I mean buyer. Not this time!

➲ View our report to the customer (PDF, new window).

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was contacted recently by a homeowner in SE Portland who was concerned his roof was improperly installed. He was right! The nailing was not remotely close to shingle manufacturers and industry standards. You name it, they did it: Nails overdriven; angle driven; too far from shingle joint; right in shingle joint; too high; too low; no nail at all.

The owner requested a meeting with the roofer and his "quality control" guy, and were shown ORC's photo and text summaries. The roofers then got on the roof, came down after 20 minutes, and admitted that the roofing job wasn't close to their or industry standards. The company agreed to tear the roof off and do it again, even offering to upgrade the shingles at no extra charge.

Needless to say, the homeowner was very pleased with the services provided by Oregon Roof Consulting. Another hammer decal goes on the company truck indicating VICTORY.

➲ See Geoff G : Homeowner Testimonial (06/17/2014)

Roof Certification opinions can vary for many reasons. I inspected this roof on North Polk Street in North Portland and was able to give it the requested certification, as it has a good 10 years remaining with just a few very minor repairs needed such as rework around four utility pipes using new roof flashings & storm collars. Also a poor wind damage repair (6 shingles) must be redone. That's it!

Prior to my inspection, a 'roofer' sent by the realtor told the owner the roof was shot. This roofer was most inaccurate with his 'findings'. He was just trying to make a sale, which is fine providing you are being level with the homeowner. Don't be dishonest and tell them the roof is what it isn't. Shameful indeed!

➲ See Lisa B : Homeowner Testimonial (05/20/2014)

Oregon Roof Consulting was hired to inspect these new roofs at the Rosewood Apartments in Gresham, Oregon. They failed inspection badly. You name it, the "roofers" did it wrong, including:

• Too long of nails at overhangs.
• Terrible nailing, not remotely close to manufacturer's specifications.
• Sloppy detail work everywhere.

Adding insult to injury, the "roofers" left the roof open over one unit without tarping it, leaving one apartment with significant ceiling and wall damage due to significant water entry. Plenty of mold too so the necessary repairs will be very costly.......for the "roofer".

UPDATE: 6/15/14  The owner filed a complaint with the CCB and a meeting with them, the owner, the roofer, their lawyers and ORC will take place in mid July. Stay tuned.............

UPDATE: 7/24/14 The meeting with the CCB mediator took place with all parties present. The property owners prevailed.

ORC is grateful and most thankful to all the incompetent "roofers" out there for without them we would have no work! By the way, how well was your new roof installed?

This is a new home in Milwaukie, Oregon that Oregon Roof Consulting was hired to inspect. Yet another terrible nailing job — not close to being correct. In some areas the % of bad nails were 70% in others over 90%! After two inspections with 8 hours on the roof and hundreds of nails observed and most photographed the exact % of bad nails was at 76.1%. One row of shingles 24' long had NO nails at all. Valley shingles incorrectly installed and valley metal badly scratched with rust already starting. Like I have said, legitimate quality control almost non existant in the roofing trade. Hurry up and slap it on then race to the next job. This happens all the time! The owner is NOT pleased. ORC could make a career just out of bad nailing jobs. We see a lot of these. Way too many. It's very unfortunate.

UPDATE: 9/20/14

In April 2014 when I inspected this roof as always I didn't ask for or want to know who installed the roof. That way I can't be accused of picking on anyone or repeat offenders. I'm not out to get anyone nor do I have an axe to grind with any contractor. My job is simply to inform property owners of what they have and how it should be done. No more no less.

This roof dispute has lawyers involved and will soon go to arbitration.

UPDATE:  10/1/14

The arbitration hearing was today. The first arbitration hearing I have ever been involved with. It lasted almost 7 hours and was very interesting to see the process. We'll know the result in a week. It's non binding arbitration.

UPDATE:   10/22/14

Arbitration ruled the roof has value but not full value due to improper nailing which is what the whole conflict was about. A substantial monetary award was given to the home owner. It's always best to do the job properly to avoid situations like this.

UPDATE:   9/10/15

This roofer is no longer in business.

Oregon Roof Consulting was asked to inspect a new roof in Vancouver. The owner lives in Seattle and wanted to be certain the job was done correctly.

From the street and on the roof it looked great. Then I started checking the nailing. At least 90% of nails were driven mostly or completely through the shingles. The owner contacted the roofer. The roofer sent employees back to lift all 1500 shingles and put a correctly applied nail next to every bad nail. This took 25 man hours. The owner was very happy with our efforts.

➲ See "Connie M: Homeowner Testimonial - Seattle, WA (9/2014)" on our Testimonials page.

Here is another classic example of cowboy roofing. This roof in Vancouver was done by a major national retailer who subbed the job out to a marginally skilled 'roofer' and tacked on a huge middle man fee. This job has a 'a lifetime' labor warranty.

The chimney as well as a complex junction on the back side leaked. The homeowner notified the large national retailer and a crew was sent to fix the mistakes that shouldn't have been made in the first place.

The crew's "repairs" created a great deal of additional damage to the shingles, and replaced shingles were not the same brand as the roof. They just used what they had. See the damaged ares marked in yellow.

UPDATE: 4/28/14: Contact with the large national retailer so far unsuccessful even though the job has a 'Lifetime' labor warranty so the owner will try to deal with the shingle manufacturer with the lawyer option after that.

UPDATE: 6/16/14: Initial contact/response with shingle manufacturer greatly improved when 'Lawyer' was mentioned. The shingle manufacturer promptly sent their guy to inspect the roof and he completely agreed with my entire asessment. The shingle manufacturer instructed the roofer to do all the repairs which have now been done. ORC will re-inspect the roof to be certain all repairs were properly done. Another homeowner saved another roofer on notice. A happy ending and a very grateful homeowner.

UPDATE: 12/2014: Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was called back to this property for the third time. The chimney repairs were not done properly. Still leaking. The big box middleman has ignored the homeowners request for rework. A lawyer has been retained. Stay tuned.
 

This is NOT how to properly nail roofing shingles!

ORC received a call on a recent Sunday afternoon. A high-end roof was being installed on a nice home in West Linn. The roofer is a high profile company in business a long time and they do a lot of jobs. According to their website they are #1 and are affiliated with many regional and national roofing entities.

The homeowner was concerned because the tarps had come loose, with significant water intrusion inside resulting in significant ceiling damage. As soon as I learned the roofer's name, I informed the homeowner that the roofing likely was installed incorrectly as the nailing highly likely not to manufacturers specifications, which is an all too common occurrence. I offered to come out that Sunday to have a look as there would be no roofers lurking about.

I went out about 4PM and got on the roof with the owner. Sure enough, the nailing was not remotely close to being within factory specifications. Nails were overdriven, angle driven, too high, too low, in the joint, no nail at all, exposed nail heads. Anything but correctly applied. Just imagine the many thousands of roofs that are nailed this way that homeowners are unaware of!

Fortunately only about 10% of the new roofing had been installed. ORC sent the photos shown here to others. By Monday morning the roofing was torn off and tossed in the drop box.

The second install promises to be much better than the first install, as the roofer was advised that the finished roof will be inspected both by ORC and by a manufacturer's representative. The homeowner is very relieved and pleased. Another homeowner saved, another 'roofer' on notice.

UPDATE 4/28/14: The roof was recently completed. The improperly nailed shingles were removed and tossed into the drop box then new underlayment installed. The manufacturer will send their guy to inspect the roof as this job has a five star warranty. ORC prevented this homeowner from getting less than what he paid for and he is very pleased with services received from ORC.

Roof Buyers Beware!

Legitimate quality control is nearly non-existent in the roofing business and city permits / inspections are not required. Homeowners are at the mercy of these guys and roofers like them.

Was YOUR roof installed correctly? Call ORC and we'll find out.

Here is not how to install shingles and roof components. ORC recently inspected this roof in Canby, Oregon. The nails were placed improperly and/or were in the factory sealant. Even worse, all vents and pipe fixtures are buried, meaning all will leak every time it rains.

This probably was a homeowner brother-in-law Three-6-pack Special. If you don't know how to install roofing, then don't install roofing!

In Winter 2013, a Portland area roofing contractor put a high-end GAF roof on a house in Troutdale, Oregon (east of Portland). The shingles were not nailed to GAF specifications. Also the shingles should have been hand tabbed or sealed, because hot weather is needed to activate the factory applied sealant and it would be months before any such heat from Mother Nature.

Every January brings high east winds to Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, and this year (2014) was no different. A windstorm blew off a large number of shingles, which is bad enough; however, the shingles went flying all over, heavily damaging an Airstream trailer and three newer vehicles parked nearby. Total amount of vehicle damage was over $45,000.00! Not only will the roofers have to pay for a new roof, but they're also liable for the vehicle damage. If they had hand-sealed the shingles at a cost of about $500, this damage likely would not have happened. GAF inspected the roof, and on a scale of 0-10, the nailing rated a 1.

About a month later, the same thing happened to a different roof. Same negligence by the same roofer, though no vehicle damage occurred this time -- just another roof that must be redone. GAF also inspected this roof, and it also failed. You would think that these 'Professional' roofers would have learned their lesson after the first costly failure. Of course, GOOD roofers would have known the risks of winter installations in the Columbia gorge in our East County even before that.

Amazing! And to look at this roofer’s website, you would think that they were the best. If ORC had been consulted prior to installing these roofs, these issues wouldn’t have happened.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this brand new GAF Grand Sequoia roof in Beaverton, Oregon. This is the only new roof we have ever seen that used four different color flashings: Dark brown; black; gray; and the old sidewall tin shingles that should not have been used. The roof flashing for the 'B' gas vent is very rusty and should have been replaced.

Cowboy Roofin' at its finest!

(NOTE: The same 'Roofer' did a new roof in Lake Oswego so badly that it needs to be replaced. See "Roof Inspection New Certainteed Roof: Failed; (Lake Oswego, Oregon, Oct 2013)" below.)

ORC inspected this CertainTeed Presidential roof in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  Will add updated text as situation proceeds.

Manufacturers are very specific about proper nailing. At least 95% of the nails on this roof are either pushed in too far, placed at an angle, and/or at the wrong place. This install also featured many very badly scuffed shingles and very poor flashing detail.

Amazing that these flaky roofers get so much work.

(NOTE: The same 'Roofer' did a new roof in Beaverton that also failed inspection. See "Roof Inspection New GAF Grand Sequoia Roof: Failed (Beaverton, Oregon, Oct 2013)" above.)

This is hands down one of the worst flashing attempts I have ever seen! I wonder if it leaks?
 

This newly installed roof  had to be redone. I have deleted all references to the job location, roofer and homeowner. This job could have been done by one of thousands of contractors in the area. The specifications for the install were clear and the contractor knew it would be inspected. The ball was really dropped here by someone..

What was wrong? Lots!

• The contract specified 30lb felt, 15 lb was used.
• Edge flashing used was not as specified.
• Vents and pipes were not laid in sealant.
• At least 85% of nails were either blown through, at an extreme angle, and/or improperly placed.

All manufacturers are very specific about fastening, and even though a little 'wiggle room' is allowed, this was not even remotely close. Way too much wiggling! Also, the roofers used nails that were too long at the exposed overhangs, which damaged the plywood such that the owner demanded it be done again. Two days after the job was completed, the new roof was torn off and done again. The second install was a beautiful job! Way above average for production roofing. The nailing was excellent as was the detail work.

This incident created a lot of unnecessary stress for all parties, cost the roofer a lot of money, and was unfortunate for the company and the hard-working roofers. Just a bad situation all the way around.

Do it right: First time, every time!

The moral of this story is: "Do it right the first time! Do it to manufacturer specifications. Do what the contract says."

Don't let this happen to you. I hate to think of how many badly done new roofs are out there and how many property owners have no clue about it. Have Oregon Roof Consulting inspect your new roof!

UPDATE:   9/10/15

This roofer is out of business.

See related blog article

The bottom portion of the flange of all roof components must spill out over the shingles directly below them and be visible. (The 'flange' is the flat part of the fixture that sits flat on the roof.) The upper 2/3 to 3/4 of the remainder of the flange must be covered by succeeding rows of shingles.

In the pictured example, the two round pipes close to each other are roofed incorrectly. The bottom portion of both flanges should be exposed. Instead, the flanges of both components are completely buried underneath the shingles. Cowboy roofin' at its worst!

* The space sheathing on the left is typical, just like the picture on the right — EXCEPT instead of installing plywood over the boards, they put boards between the spaced/skip sheathing. Many 'roofers' think this is a perfectly acceptable deck for a new roof! This is one of the ultimate, supreme Cowboy tricks that robs property owners of their hard-earned money! 
 

Here are but a few examples of cheap, poor quality, part time roof components that most ‘roofers’ will use to lower their bid, undercut the competition, and enhance their bottom line. Roofing is one of the most cutthroat of all trades, so beware of these sneaky tactics the cowboys are all to willing to employ. By the time these products fail, these ‘professionals’ will be long gone with you left holding the bag.

• Neoprene pipe jacks offer part-time components for a full-time roof. Avoid them!
• OSB (waferboard) is the cheapo substitute for plywood. Avoid it!
• Plastic roof vents warp, fade, crack, and leak. Use metal roof vents, Stonecoat vents, or continuous ridge vent.