We sent a survey to our clients and they had some pretty nice things to say about J and J’s Roofing work…  We asked: How would you describe your experience?

“The cost was very reasonable. The quality of work was fantastic.  The job was done on time as promised. They left the job site very clean after each work day. Would hire them again!”

“They did a great job, were on time, and the price was very fair.”

“Have used your services several times and have been happy each time.”

“Excellent!  Rick Harder and other staff made sure we had clear communications at each step in the process.  J&J removed three old roofs, and installed new one.  We were offered the option of installing solar heat fans in the attic.  We chose to do so, and it lowered our heating/air conditioning bills substantially.  Job was done on time and within budget.  Crew completely cleaned up debris.  Overall, a surprisingly pain-free experience.  I have and will continue to recommend J&J to others needing a new roof.”

“Excellent.  John Glass a professional, very responsive, very helpful.  We  really rely on his input.”

“Very good experience.  Solid work, performed on time, and as promised.”

“Positive, informative.”

“Overall great. I used you guys again a few months later, when I bought a new house that needed a new roof.”

“It was excellent – I received terrific advice, great service and the results were top notch. The price was fair and I felt as if the team was organized and focused.”

“Very professional and knowledgeable. Very satisfied with service.”

“Excellent-have used them many times.  Honest and efficient.”

“I’m very glad I called that day, you were absolutely professional and friendly, I felt like talking to a friend.”

“Fantastic!  Jush and company were honest and easy to work with.”

“Excellent. You did so much more for my thousand dollars than any of the other three bids proposed. In addition, none of the others was willing to tackle tying in new shingles to the existing ones, and one company actually told me it couldn’t be done. You guys proved them wrong. The most extreme disparity was a guy who bid the same price to squirt sealant into a lot of possible holes and gaps, and nothing more. He justified the price by telling me that his long experience would guide him exactly where to do the squirting! I actually took him inside and showed him your bid on the computer. Impressed, he turned to me and said, “You should use those guys.” And I did.”

“Fair, honest, informed, reasonable.”

“Great-seamless.”

“Very positive. I was contacted right away and even though the work couldn’t be done right away I was able to meet with someone to see what was needed. They didn’t forget about me but came out to do the work when they said they would. They did a good job.”

“J&J was the best.  The estimate was comprehensive and our options were explained in detail.”

“Perfect.  Found the leak and repaired it.”

“I’m sure we were happy since we have not used anyone else for years.”

“J&J was professional and did a good job replacing my roof.”

“J and J was great. From the first visit to examine my problem with leak, the repair work and follow up the company carried out business professionally with timely service during repair. The work by J and J was properly done. When they showed me the basic roofing errors done by the other company I was disappointed how poorly the other company did the previous work. I have used J and J for other roofing needs and recommended them to friends.”

This should give you an idea of how you should feel about the roofing work done on  your property.

It hasn’t rained much in the last few years. How do you know that you need a new roof before it rains again?

Make sure to look for peeling paint or bubbling plaster on ceilings or walls. Also, look for new stains on your ceiling after it does rain, this is a sure sign that something is leaking.

Make sure to keep an eye out for shingle debris in your gutters or on your lawn. Climb up to the roof and look over your roofing material. Check for shingles are curling or buckling or blistering.

Your roof is always exposed to the harsh elements of Southern California – the heat of the sun and the winds even when it does not rain. The daily ultraviolet rays with SoCal extreme heat of the sun does eventually age roofing materials, so make sure to check the south and west facing slopes, especially.

The occasional strong winds can cause your shingles to lift. Once lifted this can cause dry rot and threaten the structural integrity of your roof.  When we have really strong winds like the Santa Ana’s or strong winter currents of air, these also can cause your shingles to lift, then forcing the rainwater and even debris underneath the shingles. Once that some of your shingles have come off, this may make it more likely for remaining shingles to loosen and rip or blow off.

What about leaves? Make sure you clean the gutters twice a year, or more if you have large trees. Leaves in gutters and on your roof can cause rot from the moisture they hold. The leaves can also block drainage causing standing water. Remember that tree branches touching your roof can cause damage to your shingles.

So whether you need a new roof or just a roof inspection or repair, J and J Roofing is known to be one of the top Los Angeles roofing companies. Visit our website to schedule an appointment or just give us a call.

J and J Roofing services hundreds of communities in the LA area:  Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Griffith Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Mount Olympus, Nichols Canyon, Beachwood Canyon, Mandeville Canyon, Brentwood, Beverlywood, Balboa Park, Canoga Park, Benedict Canyon, Bel-Air, Beverly Glen, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Burbank, Encino, Pasadena, Woodland Hills, Porter Ranch, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Reseda, Reseda Ranch, Kagel Canyon, Benedict Canyon,Encino, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, Lake Balboa, La Tuna Canyon, Mission Hills, North Hills, North Hollywood, NoHo Arts District, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Reseda Ranch, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sylmar, Kagel Canyon, Tarzana, Toluca Lake, Toluca Woods, West Toluca, Tujunga, Valley Village, Beverly Glen

In order to understand flat roof repair, you must know what style of flat roof you have. Most common is found to be the smooth white roof with a mineral grit surface. This roofing has either been applied with flaming torch (torchdown) or applied with hot tar. The other most used flat roof type is found to be a gravel roof, which is also applied with hot tar.

You can tell that your roof is getting old when you notice the granules wearing away. The black membrane will begin to show through. If it’s just a spot or two where you have foot traffic or in front a drain, that is normal wear. But if you notice that the granules are missing all over in different places, it’s likely time for flat roof repair or new roof.

Have it checked, you might be able to squeeze another few years out of it with repair.

Looking for a leak on a flat roof, even for a seasoned pro, can be difficult. Sometimes they are apparent: a seam that has come loose, a random puncture and so on. The most common area for roofs to leak are the drain area and repairing these usually demands expertise for flat roof repair.

If you have leaks on a gravel roof, it’s best to call a pro to inspect for needed flat roof repair. We have found that with a gravel roof it is not as straightforward to identify wear. If you have any equipment platforms or parapet walls look for deterioration in places where the smooth white membranes where used.

J and J Roofing offers free inspections (except for homes listed or in escrow) for all roofing needs including flat roof repair and services the entire Los Angeles area including Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, Studio City, Burbank, Encino, Woodland Hills and Glendale.

The rains came. There’s more on the way. And you heard the dreaded drip, drip… Now you need to know if you need a new roof or a roof repair? You know you can’t just climb up on the roof and check for yourself. You first need to find a reputable roofer. Either ask friends and relatives, check Angie’s List and YELP or do a Google search, check for reviews. Ideally you do all of that AND find a local roofing supply company and ask them for a referral.

A reputable roofer has a lot of experience – seeing various leaks, over, and over, and over again.  But even then, they see something new every day.  First, they are looking the obvious signs of water entry.  This might be water stains on the ceiling or sediment under shingles in places it should not be – this indicates water entry or rusty nails heads underneath, etc.

Sometimes it is obvious what is causing the leak. Sometimes they will look and cannot immediately figure out what is the source of the problem.  It can take destructive testing (tearing open the roof) in order to find out where the leak is.

On a shingle roof, there are signs to tell a good roof from a bad one, some are that the shingle lines are not straight but wavy and sometimes you can actually see exposed nail heads.

On a flat roof, it may look “too clean” – where the rolls overlap there should be black lines, unless they covered them with extra white granules.

You should be able to get a free roofing estimate. Call a professional roofer and have them check your roof so you know if you need a new roof or a roof repair. If you call J and J, there should be no charge, and no obligation.

Los Angeles roofer, J and J Roofing, also servicing all areas including Burbank, Encino, Northridge, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Los Feliz and Silverlake for all roofing needs.

Roofing and “El Niño” conditions go hand-in-hand. When it pours, all roof leaks are exposed and roofers can be so busy it takes weeks or months to get an appointment. Which can make for a very messy scene inside your home.

NOAA, in partnership with NASA, monitors “El Niño” conditions.  The chief element in dictating an El Niño is the size and position of the annual warm water mass off the Pacific coast.  It is now of almost unprecedented size, rivaling even the 97/98 El Niño. Indications for a large El Niño event are +90% – they probably don’t really go higher than that on their predictions.  This is the most certain I’ve seen them in a very long time.

We all know that every year the local news guys shout out “El Niño – El Niño!” – to the extent that they can legitimately be accused of crying wolf, but there is one guy we always listen to because he calls it like it is and doesn’t seem to have an agenda, and that’s Dr. Bill Patzert of JPL and he is on board with a major El Nino event this year.  If Bill Patzert says it’s going to rain like hell, it’s probably going to rain like hell, after all, he is the one predicted the 97/98 El Niño when everyone else, including all the local meteorologists laughed at him.  In fact last year he predicted another year of intense drought while everyone else was predicting El Niño (you get the idea).

We may just be heading into the heaviest rain in decades.  Naturally we roofers are happy because roofing and “El Niño” conditions bring work but we’re actually concerned it’s going to bring too much work, much like it did in 2005 when most companies (including us) were booked out 6six months. You may think we enjoy having too much work but really, we don’t.  It’s no fun telling someone you can’t help them for six months.

Schedule a Roof Check Now. If you don’t already have a newer roof, call us at 877 7MY ROOF (877-769-7663) to schedule for our roof check-up service so you can.   We do Roof Checks for $155.00 which is an industry leading price and this includes on-the-spot minor repairs, sealing, drain cleaning (flat roofs), etc.  Most roofs qualify for this.  Exceptions are large commercial buildings or extremely steep roofs and the like. If your roof does not qualify for the $155.00 service, we’ll just give you a free estimate on what needs to be done, so don’t sweat it!

A common question for the home  or building owner is “how long do roofs last?”. The two most common roofs are sloped roofs with composition shingles which generally last 30 years or flat roofs with some kind of white roll roofing which last around 20 years. There are several other different kinds of roofs which can have variable life expectancies depending upon how well they are constructed (leaving aside poor workmanship).

For example a concrete tile roof or a slate roof or a clay tile roof, if it is installed with excellent, high quality, thick rubber underlayments can easily last 50 years and in some cases well past that. But generally speaking a quality tile roof will last 40-50 years.  In the past, they would last 25 – 35 years.

With a tile roof, always insist on a thick rubber membrane – particularly with old school Spanish tile which relies more heavily on the underlayment being a part of the waterproof system, whereas, for example, a one piece interlocking concrete tile system can (and this is proven) perform for decades without any underlayment at all (originally, they were installed this way).

With composition shingle roofs, there are thicker and longer lasting shingles which will last 40 to 50 years or so but my feeling on those is that while they may not leak after 30 years, since they share essentially the same granule surface as their 30 year shingles do, I don’t really see why the surface is going to look any better, so they won’t leak look, but they may look like garbage.

 

With flat roofs it’s generally more difficult to get them to last longer than 20 years without adding more membranes and significant cost. With a hot tar roof your typical system would involve 3 membranes and that would last about 20 years and if you added in another membrane with hot tar you can add another four to five years to it and so on – up to a point. There are certain aspects to how long a flat roof lasts such as drains and drip edge metal that have a tendency to fail after 25 years no matter how many membranes are involved. Probably the two most common flat roof membranes nowadays however are torchdown systems and single ply rubber systems.

With a touchdown system the only way you can make it last longer than 20 years generally speaking is by adding a second layer which will almost double your cost although there are pretty good white coatings that will add life to your roof, when done correctly these are not cheap at all but can be done by the homeowner. With a single ply rubber roof you would simply go with a thicker membrane and they are quite a bit more expensive.

How long do roofs last? Each type is different. But, remember, with shoddy workmanship and cheap labor or untrained, inexperienced roofers, any roof with last less than it should. Always choose a high quality roofer.

This article was contributed by Matt Glass, one of the family owners of J and J Roofing – servicing the Los Angeles area including Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Burbank, Encino, Pasadena, Woodland Hills and Porter Ranch.

Are you searching around for a roofer with good recommendations and positive reviews?

The J and J GOOGLE Rating is 4.6 with 32 reviews. And the YELP Rating is 4.5 from 70 reviews.

Here are some reviews…

These people are the real deal! John Glass is a roofing expert! He has been able to fix what no other roofer tried to do countless times! I have no hesitation recommending J&J Roofing to everybody and anybody. They are fair, honest and courteous. Rock on roofers! R.S.

“I appreciated you taking the time to do the work, as it was a small job. The man you sent out was wonderful. Polite and kind, as were you too John. Thank you for helping me.” M.R. – Los Angeles

“We are still proud owners of two La Canada/Flintridge homes, homes that do not leak, thanks to you. But as a true and valued friend, I want you to have our new address and encourage you to come and visit some time.” C&J B – Wisconsin

“Thanks – the house sold in [the] first 24 hours it was on the Internet!”

“All the guys were very much so [courteous], [the Office Manager] was patient and helpful with my end. I was treated with courtesy and respect during my first and subsequent meetings with John. His suggestions for repair of front house and postponing the guest house roof replacement built confidence and trust, earning my business with you.” T.T. – La Crescenta

“Very efficient. I sure knew what they were doing (and my garage floor hasn’t been that clean in ages).” B.K. – Westchester

“I appreciate the timeliness and courtesy of everyone involved. The foreman was very good about showing me what the crew was going to do, and explaining the procedures.” A.C. – Pacific Palisades

“Keep up the good work – you’re my roofer of choice now!!” A.W. – (So Cal Contractor)

“[I] appreciate the personal introduction to [the] foreman in charge, explaining what we will be doing and how long. Very efficient and done well in a timely manner.” M.G., Agoura Hills

Call J and J Roofing in Los Angeles for a free estimate from a good roofer.