Welcome to our blog. This page is important because many people in the roofing business have absolutely no business being in the roofing business. The huge amount of negative customer reviews on the Internet is mind boggling. You need to stay away from these folks (aka Cowboy Roofers*) and know how to get the best roofing job for the best price possible. This blog will help you do that with fun, informative, and educational factoids about all aspects of roofs and roofing.
*Cowboy Roofers are the folks you should avoid hiring because they put their interests above yours and are marginally to moderately skilled at best. Cowboy roofers give a bad name to the roofing trade and worse yet they give a bad name to the large number of quality-oriented roofing contractors out there. Check out our Hall of Shame for examples of what happens when cowboy roofers get on your roof.
If you have a question that you would like SuperRoofer Joe Sardotz to answer in his blog or FAQs, please complete the Ask SuperRoofer form. Visit Joe's Contact page if you would like Joe to provide roof consulting and inspection services for you.
Oregon Roof Consulting recently received an official notice from the State of Washington that was sent to all licensed roofers in Washington regarding widespread improper underlayment installation on low slope roofs. This is a nice start. Now, along with Oregon they need to send similar notices regarding proper fastening, proper installation of vents/pipe jacks and other protrusion fixtures, chimney & skylite flashing, proper perimeter and valley flashing installation, etc.
ORC is the only 'independent' in our entire region that does roof certifications. We have done hundreds of them.Oregon Roof Consulting does roof certifications for realtors, home owners, home buyers, banks, FHA, lenders, etc. A certification for 2 years, 3 years, or 3-5 years is a staple of nearly all home sale transactions. Some roofers provide certifications; most don't. If a roofer is on your property for an hour they would rather use that hour trying to sell you a $20,000 roof instead of a certification. ORC has heard from many homeowners that roofing contractors have told them their roof is "shot". Then we get up on the roof, look at it with an unbiased eye, and inform the owners their roof still has 8 or 10 or even 12+ years left. This happens all the time. That's the advantage of having an 'independent' look at the roof. We aren't selling anything, therefore we can afford to be honest.
Example: An established local roofer who provides certifications generally charges $300 up front (non-refundable, of course). If repairs are required, they will certify the roof after the repairs are done and only if they do the repairs. The roofer will also offer a warranty for the length of the certification — for between $1,000 & $4,000. Another roofer wants $200 up front non-refundable and the cost of their certification is 1/3 - 1/5 of the cost of a new roof, which translates into thousands of dollars. When we do a certification it is straight-forward and you do not have to jump through any hoops or take out a second mortgage to pay for it. Certifications provided by ORC (view a sample roof certification from Oregon Roof Consulting ) cost a minimum of $250. Most are at or near this price, depending on the ease of access to the roof and the size of the roof. For long distance jobs driving time is charged (see my fees page). To date, none of ORC's roof certifications have been rejected. A few have been questioned but none rejected. Occasionally a home inspection report will differ from my summary. Home inspectors look at 30-40-50 things. I look at one thing. Most home inspectors have never worked on a roof. Let's just say that we look at a roof from entirely different perspectives.
All shingle manufacturers have regional representatives, and these reps have a variety of duties. They travel a lot. Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) has personally met five of the six local reps. The sixth one has been phone contact only. I have known a few of these reps for many years. They are all certainly professional and very good at what they do. They represent their employers well.
Recently, a rep who I haven't spoken to in about five years called. We were having a nice conversation when he took an abrupt left turn and proceeded to lecture me about not being as "unbiased" as I claim on my website. What set him off was that he had been told that I had the audacity to tell a client that my personal preferred shingle was not the one he promotes. Now, all shingles are good quality. They must be in order for manufacturers to be competitive and remain in business. In my opinion the install is just as important as the shingle, if not more so. You can have the best shingle obtainable but if it's installed incorrectly then issues will arise.
All shingle manufacturers offer rebates and incentives to contractors who sell their products. They reward contractors who support them and who demonstrate 'distinctness'. At times reps tout roofers who predominantly use their products. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Wink wink, nod nod. This is a long-standing and perfectly fine arrangement. In this regard the reps can be considered 'biased'.
Now, the last time I checked we still had free speech (for the most part) in this country and I am entitled to my opinion, which I occasionally offer to clients for their consideration. How they use my opinion is beyond my control or concern. With 39 years experience as a grunt, installer, contractor, estimator, project manager, and now consultant I feel confident offering people an opinion based on my career experiences, personal anecdotes, and observations.
I explained to this rep that I am indeed biased in some regard, meaning I believe plywood is better than waferboard; tearoff is better than overlay; hand-nailing is more efficient than air guns. Don't put anything rubber or plastic on a roof unless there is no other option. I am completely unbiased in that my reports and advice are not influenced by any outside source. My findings are never automatic and pre-conceived just to please someone. Sometimes people don't like my findings. I stick my neck out for nobody.
In closing, I told the rep that if someone doesn't like how I operate my business or if they object to my website content, they should seek entertainment elsewhere. It's kind of like TV. If you don't like what's on then change the channel.
Direct sun and 80 degrees and above can make shingles more delicate. You can walk on the roof when it's hotter but be careful. Walk gingerly. Don't twist your feet back and forth. In heat, the shingles get soft and damage, scuff, scar more easily. The hotter it gets, the easier it is to damage them.
When roofers roof in hot weather, they should put plywood scraps where they are installing so the new shingles don't get damaged. Move the plywood scraps as you progress on the roof. I used to make a plywood scrap trail from the ladder to the work area and rearrange as necessary. Just takes a minute.
Also if painters or chimney sweeps are on your roof in hot weather, have them put plywood scraps on the shingles by where they are working.
On new construction, you see damaged shingles all the time because the builders always want to get the roof on ASAP so they can begin the interior work. Problem is that the siding and painting and windows and gutters aren't done, so all those trades will be walking on and scuffing the new shingles. It's very common.
How cold is too cold to walk on or work on a roof?
Do it anytime as long as no ice is on the roof.You can walk on frozen shingles, but you can't work with them. Frozen shingles don't cooperate. Too brittle and rigid.
How often should zinc be applied to prevent moss growth?
If you live in a damp climate such as the Pacific Northwest, apply zinc at least once a year; or apply zinc every other or every third time if you perform quarterly gutter and roof maintenance (see next question).
How often should gutter and roof clean-off be performed (gutter and roof maintenance)?
It's a good idea to blow leaves, pine or fir needles, and other debris off the roof and clean out gutters on a quarterly schedule. While you're up on the roof, you also can apply zinc to discourage moss growth (see previous question).
How should downspouts be configured to prevent water from seeping into the foundation?
It's a good idea to divert the water from gutter downspouts out to the yard instead of down into wells right next to your foundation. This will help prevent water from seeping into your foundation.
Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) had a busy September - October 2015, with Joe traveling far and wide to help property owners get a fair shake on their roofing. Here is a summary of each job, with links to more details and picture galleries. What do the Red Ryder Truck's golden hammers mean?
For details, please click the links and search for the title.
Summary of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (October 2015) - Summary of roof inspections, roof certifications, and new roof installation monitoring that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) performed in October 2015 in both Washington and Oregon. Oregon cities included Ashland, Clackamas, Damascas, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, N Portland, NE Portland, NW Portland, Oregon City, SE Portland, Tigard, and West Linn. Washington cities included Vancouver.
Photo Montage of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (September 2015) - Photo montage of roof inspections, roof certifications, new roof specifications, and new roof installation monitoring that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) performed in September 2015 in both Washington and Oregon. Oregon cities included Beavercreek, Beaverton, Cedar Hills, Gresham, Happy Valley, N Portland, NE Portland, Newberg, NW Portland, Sellwood, St. Helens, SW Portland, and West Linn. Washington cities included Vancouver.
Radisson Airport Hotel Roof Inspection (September 17, 2015) - Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected a 300 square roof at the Radisson Aireport Hotel in NE Portland, provided specs for a new roof, will help find a good roofer, and will monitor new roof installation for a repeat customer.
In 1930, Edmond Fitzgerald built a cedar shake roof on his home that lasted 70 years. (He also built a great lakes ore carrier that did not last through a November gale as well as his roof did.) Good materials and good construction methods are why the roof was durable.
In 2000, Matt Millen of Millen Roofing Co. published a case study of this exceptionally good roof, with topics including Roof Deck, Slopes, and Climate; the Shingles; Underlayment and Interlayments; Fasteners; Flashings; and References.
For details, please click the links and search for the title.
Top 5 Worst Roof Ever - SE Portland (August 31, 2015) - Inspected a new roof in SE Portland that was one of the worst roofing installs Oregon Roof Consulting has ever soon. The roof work was done by a general contractor who required the homeowner to pay in full, up front, for a one-week job that took four months. The worksite was full of debris and the installation was so shoddy that the roof should be torn off and replaced ASAP.
For details, please click the links and search for the title such as “Photo Montage of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (July - August 2015)”.
Photo Montage of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (July - August 2015) - Photo montage of roof inspections and roof certifications that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) performed in July and August 2015 in both Washington and Oregon. Oregon cities included Beaverton, Forest Grove, Gladstone, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Oregon City, Southeast Portland, Sherwood, Southwest Portland, Tigard, Vernonia, and West Linn. Washington cities included Olympia, Ridgefield, and Vancouver.
Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) had a busy May - June 2015, with roof consulting work that took Joe and Old Red up and down the West Coast from Northern Washington to Central California and Nevada. Here is a summary of each job, with links to more details and picture galleries. What do the Red Ryder Truck's golden hammers mean?
For details, please click the links and search for the title.
Southwest Portland Botched Roof Installation (May 2015) - A brand new roof had numerous problems with the contractor's overall performance (work not done, work done poorly). The roof needed to be torn off and re-done correctly.
Vancouver, Washington New Roof Botched (May 2015) - A contractor involved with Fannie Mae homes hired Oregon Roof Consulting to inspect a brand new roof, which had many fundamental and aesthetic errors and needed complete replacement.
For details, please click the links and search for the title.
Photo Montage of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (May - June 2015) - Photo montage of roof inspections and roof certifications that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) performed in May and June 2015 in both Washington and Oregon. Oregon cities included Aloha, Milwaukie, Mt. Scott area of Portland, Newberg, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Oregon City, Portland, Salem, Sandy, Sherwood, Southwest Portland, Tigard, Tualatin, and West Linn. Washington cities included Ridgefield and Vancouver.
Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was hired by a West Coast-based architectural and consulting firm to inspect the roofs of 19 multi-family properties in four states (Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada). These properties were being sold to an investment group, and part of the due diligence was roof inspections and summary reports along with photo documentation. ORC was given a specific roof inspection schedule and deadline in late June 2015, and we pulled it off without a hitch!
Our West Coast roof inspection locations, in order, were: Seattle, Olympia, and Vancouver in Washington plus Portland, Oregon in the Northwest group. The California and Nevada job locations were: Napa, Alameda, Pleasanton, San Francisco (3 properties), Richmond, Berkeley, Fremont, Oakland (2 properties), Fresno, and Sacramento (2 properties) in California, and Reno, Nevada. ➲ More photos and information.
When roofers are informed that their workmanship has issues, they have reacted in a variety of ways — from polite and agreeable, to profane and confrontational, to everything in between.
It is the contractor's obligation, responsibility, and requirement by law to install roof coverings to product manufacturers' and/or the Oregon Residential Specialty Code specifications. Just because a permit usually is not required doesn't give contractors the right to cut corners and perform shoddy workmanship. Do it right. Gee! What a concept!
Contractors are not used to scrutiny and they don't like it. They are too used to a blank check and a permanent get out of jail free card. It's amazing how willing roofers and their supporters are to justify, condone, and be satisfied with poor installation. Here are a few comments that I've heard from roofers, along with my translation:
"I've been in business xxxx years and have never had a complaint." Translation: I've never been caught.
"You can't put every nail in properly." Translation: We are in too much of a hurry.
"You're picking my roof apart." Translation: Quality is not our highest priority.
"It's not possible to do a perfect job." Translation: Our installers were never properly trained.
"You forensic guys are all the same. You're just here for a paycheck." Translation: I wish you were dead.
"Once the shingles are sealed by the sun it'll be OK." Translation: I sure hope we don't get a windstorm.
Don't Let Cowboys Ride YOUR Roof!
The term "Cowboy" can be used to describe reckless "professionals" whom you should avoid hiring because they put their interests above yours and are marginally skilled at best. Cowboy roofers give a negative image to the roofing trade and they give a bad name to the large number of quality-oriented contractors out there. (No offense to the hard-working cowboys who ride horses on the open range as they tend herds of cattle.)
Our Oregon Roof Consulting Roofing Hall of Shame page shows examples of what happens when cowboy roofers ride YOUR roof. Joe can help you steer clear of cowboy roofers and the headaches that they cause.
Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) had a busy March - April 2015. Here is a summary of each job, with links to more details and picture galleries. (Dates are approximate, reflecting when we updated the website for projects completed.) What do the Red Ryder Truck's golden hammers mean?
For details, please click the links and search for the title.
Northeast Portland Mediation (March 2015) - Participated in onsite mediation with Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB), Homeowner, and Contractor that brought $4500 back to the Homeowner.
For details, please click the links and search for the title such as “Photo Montage of Roof Inspections (March - April 2015)”.
Photo Montage of Roof Inspections & Roof Certifications (March - April 2015) - Photo montage of roof inspections and roof certifications that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) performed in March and April 2015 in both Washington and Oregon. Oregon cities included Aloha, Beaverton, Damascus, Forest Grove, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, North Portland, Northwest Portland, Scapoose, Southeast Portland, St. Helens, Tigard, and Vernonia. Washington cities included Brush Prairie, Federal Way, Longview, and Vancouver.
Updated 4/2015: See "Willow Pointe Homeowners Association (Longview, Washington, March 2014, April 2014, April 2015)"
Updated 4/30/15: See "Apartment Complex New Roof Inspection Federal Way, WA (April 30, 2015)"
Residential and commercial roofing project consulting in Oregon; Portland Metro, Oregon; Bend, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Washington State; and the Pacific Northwest area. Offering professional roof consulting, inspections, project monitoring, and certifications for property owners and homeowners.
Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was hired by a West Coast-based architectural and consulting firm to inspect the roofs of 19 multi-family properties in four states (Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada). These properties were being sold to an investment group, and part of the due diligence was roof inspections and summary reports along with photo documentation. ORC was given a specific roof inspection schedule and deadline in late June 2015, and we pulled it off without a hitch!