Blog Archives
Roofing Value – How a new roof is a good investment, in certain cases
Where do you live? Homes in different parts of the city have different expectations, depending upon the area. One would expect a high end roof in the nicest neighborhoods of Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana and Woodland Hills. Whereas, most roofs in Northridge or North Hollywood are not expected to look expensive. There are certain circumstances where it’s relatively certain that you will be spending your money wisely if you replace your roof. For example, if you are certain you will sell your home, but not immediately, say, you intend to live there a few more years and your …
Does a New Roof Affect the Value of My House?
Different areas of Los Angeles have different roofing standards – for example Burbank and Glendale, where in certain areas the entire neighborhood has Slate roofing or Spanish tile. As a roofing contractor I do a great deal of inspections and reports for real estate agents and people who are making offers on homes. The function of the report is, of course, to determine the condition of the roof but the objective of this is usually for the buyer to negotiate funds for fixing items in the house which need replacement. If you’re not selling or buying a home (you’re just …
(More About) How Long Will My Slate or Tile Roof Last?
In my last blog I was discussing this prevalent question about the longevity of a new tile or slate roof. Below you will see a picture of a new Spanish tile roof such that is sold at Burbank Roofing Supply, where contractors buy our materials. Slate is a natural product. Some manufacturer’s make a smooth surfaced “slate” look (versus a rougher shake look) but it is just concrete or sometimes other man-made materials. Slate is completely different in look and feel and cost to a man-made slate imitation product. Slate will be similar to one piece tile. (See my last …
How Long Will My New Slate Tile Roof Last?
While there are many homes throughout Southern California with tile and slate roofs, I was recently in Pasadena when a client asked me “How long will my roof last?” I decided that I should answer this roofing question thoroughly. My home in Altadena has a tile roof, as well. Slate tile roof underlayment First, one must understand that in addition to slate or tile, a “felt” is installed on this type of new roof. A “felt” is a fiber mat impregnated with asphalt and is used beneath roofing materials to provide protection for the wood deck the roofing materials are …
How long will a new roof last?
I recently visited a Silver Lake roofing client, who wanted to know how long a new roof will last. His sister had a new roof installed in her Los Feliz home and was wondering why she had to replace her roof and now it seemed he needed a new roof too. I thought that it would be of interest here to offer an understanding to this question. A shingle roof generally lasts twenty to fifty years. This covers a number of types of material including composition shingle, asphalt shingle, dimensional shingle, 3-tab shingle and more. Shingles come in four major …
How much does a Roof Repair cost?
How much does a Roof Repair cost? Is it more costly in Los Feliz than Silverlake or Sherman Oaks? Roofers in the San Fernando Valley (such as Sherman Oaks) will charge the same as roofers in Los Feliz or Silverlake, and here’s why… There are some guidelines to how much it costs to repair your roof. Let’s assume: • Roof is walkable – not very steep. • Roof is an everyday product, such as composition shingle. • Roof is not in terrible condition. • Roof access is normal (not 3 stories, up 3 flights, on a hill, 100 foot walk, …
What is Flat Roofing Made Of?
I’ve been a Los Angeles roofing contractor for well over a decade and in that time I think I’ve had more questions or confusions concerning flat roofing than any other roofing. The two most commonly used and least expensive flat roof types are known as torchdown and hot tar. Hot tar is just that, it is hot tar, or more correctly stated, hot asphalt. It starts as a 100 lb keg (slightly larger than a 5 gal water bottle), gets chopped up and tossed into a large hot kettle to melt. This is then literally mopped out onto a membrane …
How Do I Know if I Need a New Roof?
Working in the Los Angeles Area, repairing roofs, building new roofs and replacing existing damaged roofs, seeing roofs day in and day out (for me, that’s just about a thousand roofs a year) I get to interact with homeowners and learn to see things from their perspective. I want to learn why it is that people call on me – down to the little details, not just “I need a professional roofer.” Why exactly do they need a professional roofer? That’s the question I ask myself because my job depends on knowing the answer. Certainly one of the more common …
The Big Rain Months are Here – Time to Check Out Your Roof!
Want to be on top of your roofing troubles? One of the owners of Los Angeles roofer, J and J Roofing, Matt Glass, Pasadena homeowner, explains here what to do. It’s been a pretty dry winter for roofing but Farmer’s Almanac says January and February are supposed to be above average in rain for the Southwest part of the United States and those are the big rain months. So far, early January hasn’t proved out for us in SoCal but don’t count your chickens just yet, we could get many inches of rain between now and early March. Inspect Your …
How Do I Know When Roof Replacement is necessary?
In Los Angeles, roof replacement is not required as often as other areas with more severe weather. Roofing in areas like Woodland Hills or West Hills, where the weather is hotter and the sun more relentless may have a slightly shorter life. Of course, homes in Los Feliz, Silverlake, Burbank or Pasadena may find longer roof life and less roof replacement issues. Regardless, there are two inspections necessary to know when a new roof is needed for a home or building. Of course, the exterior of the roof should be thoroughly inspected by an experienced and reputable roofing company. …