Energy efficient roofing is indicated by its Solar Reflective Index (SRI). The SRI designates a roofing material’s ability to stop the material from absorbing the sun’s heat by how it reflects the sun.

You can save quite a bit of money over the years by covering your home with a high quality, energy-efficient roof. Of course, if you have a poorly insulated, low-efficiency roof your heating bills in the winter might be higher and your cooling bills quite a bit more – leading to exorbitant energy bills.

A “cool roof” is an energy efficient roof that has been constructed so as to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof. Cool roofs are either a sheet covering, made of a highly reflective type of paint or else highly reflective tiles or shingles. Almost any home or building will benefit from energy efficient roofing but an evaluation of the climate and other factors is smart to have done before spending the money to install one.

A standard or “dark roof” often reaches temperatures of 150°F or more in the summer sun. A cool roof would be expected to stay more than 50°F cooler under the same conditions. This has been found to save a considerable amount of money over a few years’ time using less air conditioning.

It works a lot like wearing light-colored clothing on a sunny day. The light-colored roof or light-colored clothing reflects the sun and does not absorb as much heat.

Many more details can be found at a US Government website called energy.gov.

J and J Roofing can help you with your evaluation of your new roof and help you to choose the best energy efficient roofing option for your home. Having been in business for almost three decades and trusted for the high quality service and workmanship makes them a good choice.

For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.

Sounds like a silly question, if there’s water dripping from your ceiling you probably know the answer but it’s not always so simple.  A lot of times a roof leak doesn’t show up inside the home and you simply may not be aware of it.  There can be many causes for this. A lot of homes have extensive overhangs and any roof leaks there probably will not show up inside the home. Most homes have insulation and a roof leak that drips down onto the insulation will get soaked up and may not actually show up on the ceiling. Leaks can drip down inside walls and not show up as wet spots.

You get the idea: roof leaks can happen without being very visible and these often lead to mold or damage to framing that the homeowner is not aware of until it becomes extensive. That is not speculation, as a roofer for 20 years, I can tell you that on a weekly basis, I remove roofs, only to find extensive dryrot to the wood deck and even framing (structural) which occurred due to leaks which have been ongoing for many years, in some cases, decades.

It’s important to have your roof checked every year, usually in the early fall, by a professional roofer. Roofing estimates should not cost you anything, and they should be free of any obligation. And if a roofer says you have roof problems – don’t take his word for it – make him prove it to you (to the best of his ability and note, that is not always possible so take that with a grain of salt). But for example, in-as-much as possible I take photographs of every problem area on a person’s roof and even if it’s not obvious I can digitally edit the photograph to show the homeowner what I’m talking about and I email those pictures along with the proposal.

How Do You Know if You Have a Roof Leak?

The best time to do this is before winter or after, but regardless, if you haven’t had your roof checked for a roof leak in a while, make an appointment with your roofer and if you don’t have one, check Yelp/Google/Angie’s List, etc, for the top-rated roofers in your area.

For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.

Roofs in the Southern California area are worn out. The drought affects roofing — I see it every day and some roofs are so bad, it’s unbelievable. Our sun is the great destroyer of roofing materials, leaching the petroleum oils out of the membranes causing them to dry up and crack and cause leaks.

Why is this happening now?  What is different? Isn’t this normal? Well it’s nothing new but the drought affects roofing is fairly epidemic now and that is because over the last 10 years we have had a far greater quantity of days filled with sunlight than we have had at any other time in decades (several of the warmest/driest summers ever recorded). One of the side effects of being in a great drought is getting so much sun (with few clouds and of course little rain).

Simply put, those things which do not respond well to the sun get a lot more of it. And, outside of the 2010/2011 winter season where we experienced slightly above normal rainfall, most roofs in the LA area have not been seriously tested with rain since 2005/2006.  And even in the 2010-11 winter, none of those rainfall events were very serious. They did not involve raging storms with high winds and great volumes of rain in short periods of time in most areas.

I’m looking at roofs every day that are so worn out and full of holes that in any other part of the country, the home would be destroyed – these homes have been in need of a new roof for many years. I believe there are a LOT of roofs in LA that are primed for bad leaks. The reason drought affects roofing matters is that when we do have even a normal amount of rain (16 inches), never mind 25+ inches (which I believe, statistically, we are due for), the roofing industry in Southern California only has so many roofers and will be instantly overwhelmed.

Your average roofing company can only process about 50 appointments a week for estimates and can only handle 4-5 major jobs along with maybe a dozen small repairs. In other words, all the roofers in Los Angeles can only handle a few thousand people a week. In an area of some 13 million people, it’s a recipe for disaster. If we suppose that 5% of the area had roof issues, at the rate of 3000 jobs/week, it would take 217 weeks for SoCal roofers to get it done.  I recall wait times in 2005 of 6 months.  We’re due.

Get your roof in order now because this winter, it may be too late.  For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.

It’s not a good idea to put your roofing interests off to the last minute. Checking for roof damage annually is so important. And when is the last minute? …as soon as it might start to rain. So summer is “officially” over – we are slipping into fall and (hopefully) that means that the rains are gonna’ come!

If you put off your roofing needs, you will have to stand in line with all the other Southern California homeowners and building managers who assume that they can just phone a roofing company a few weeks before the rains begin and get immediate service. Honestly, that is NOT the case, especially in SoCal. “Everyone” waits until the weatherman forecasts rain to call the roofer.

But first, how about a little self-check to see how your roof is doing? Regular inspections will allow for early detection of roofing problems. Then, if you perceive the something you can call for a professional roofer to verify what you have seen.

Begin with an interior inspection of your home. You first check all ceilings and walls for signs of leaking. Look for spotting or check for mold or a musty smell. The most common problem leakage areas are important to check such as around chimneys, vents and other holes in the roof. Make sure to grab a flashlight and make a trip to the attic.
Check for outside light showing through the roof and any signs of leaking.

When you take a look at the exterior of the roof, pay attention to such things as torn, cracked, bald or missing shingles. Look for areas of the roof that may be curling, blistering, buckling or rotting. Algae growth may appear as green or dark stains and most often occurs in humid climates.

Checking for Roof Damage

Inspect around the chimneys, pipes, vents or other penetrated area for loose material or deterioration. Roofers use flashing material that is placed to prevent water penetration. Closely check the flashing for any signs of wear and tear. If you notice quite a bit of shingle granules in your gutters – your shingles are likely wearing thin.

Checking for roof damage includes checking for weakened decking or decking that sags between the rafters. If both the rafters and the decking are damaged it is time to consider a new roof. We rarely suggest a re-roof over the existing roof in this situation as it tends to lead to major future problems. When there is extensive damage to rafters or decking you should plan to remove the old decking and put on a new roof.

An annual roof check is not just good planning, it’s a necessity. J and J Roofing will inspect your roofing system and do any minor maintenance that we find is needed for the cost of $155.  But if the inspector finds that you actually need more than a simple roof check-up then your $155 roof check becomes a free inspection and you will get an estimate for the work needed. No obligation!

For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.

If you have a predominantly flat roof, you need to know about TPO roofing. TPO is a chemical acronym for ThermoPlastic-Olefin. Basically, it’s a somewhat stiff, white plastic that is rubber-like. It’s been around longer than you think (roughly 20 years) and in the genre of roofing is known as “single-ply”. The first single-ply product was EPDM, and then PVC which came about several decades ago. For most applications, TPO became the go to product and most all single-ply installations are now constructed using TPO.

TPO is great because it comes in many colors. Especially white which is the most ultra-reflective surface you can really put on a roof. It’s easy to clean, durable, lasts 20-plus years when done right using a good product. Most homeowners can locate and possibly repair problems themselves temporarily. Because it is such an environmentally sound product, reflects the sun, often doesn’t require removal of the existing roofing. It is ultra-lightweight and costs about the same as most conventional flat roofing material installations. I predict that by 2025, this will be the predominant flat roof product.

TPO Roofing as a Solution for a Flat Roof

Hot tar and torchdown are inherently messier, more dangerous (requiring special insurance, etc.) and more environmentally unfriendly. And because they are asphalt based (oil based) they are tied to the cost of oil. Asphalt is at the bottom of the chain of products that result when refining petroleum. As the process has increased in efficiency, there is less and less asphalt to be had.

While no conventional flat roofing product, including TPO, is covered by warranty under ponding water, most roofers agree that TPO is the best choice where ponding water is unavoidable or is deemed to not be practical or cost-effective to correct.

Most major institutions, corporations, and commercial entities, when specifying new roofs, will specify TPO. They are interested, usually, in long-term solutions so it’s notable that the pro’s consider TPO the way to go, and as a 3rd generation, Certified Master Installer, and of course licensed roofer, I tend to agree.

This article is contributed by Matt Glass, Vice President of J and J Roofing, servicing homes and businesses for all roofing needs in the greater Los Angeles area including Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, Studio City, Burbank, Encino, Woodland Hills and Glendale. J and J Roofing offers commercial  TPO roofing providing expert installation with a veteran crew and top-of-the-line equipment.

For a Free Estimate – contact us at 323 913 4190 or on our website.