Hawaiian Gardens, CA
Flat and low-slope roofing in Hawaiian Gardens
Flat sections on an otherwise pitched house are where the leaks are. Additions, porch roofs, and the bit over the garage.
Describe the flat roofing job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three Hawaiian Gardens contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in Hawaiian Gardens and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a flat roofing job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Whether water ponds anywhere after rain
- Which membrane, and how the seams are joined
- Drain, scupper and overflow provision
- Whether a coating is being sold as a repair
- How the flat section is flashed into adjoining walls and pitched roofs
Look at the flashing where the flat section meets a wall. That transition leaks far more often than the field of the membrane does.
Single-ply membranes — TPO, PVC, EPDM — are heat-welded or taped at the seams. The seams and the terminations are the whole job.
Drains and scuppers need to be checked every season. One blocked drain can hold enough water to matter structurally.
Locally
Then, less dramatically: sudden dry winds that test every lifted edge on the roof. Dry offshore wind lifts material that damp coastal air had been holding down. Most wind losses here happen on a handful of nights a year.
About flat roofing here
How long does a re-roof take?
Two days is typical for asphalt. Add days for steep pitch, multiple layers to strip, tile work, or a roof with a lot of valleys and penetrations.
Can I just put a new roof over the old one?
Often you legally can, and it is usually a poor idea. Overlaying hides the condition of the decking, adds weight, shortens the life of the new shingles by trapping heat, and doubles the cost of the next tear-off.
Is moss on the roof a problem?
Yes, eventually. Moss holds water against the shingle and lifts the edges as it thickens. Zinc or copper strip at the ridge suppresses it. Pressure washing an asphalt roof strips the granules and does more harm than the moss did.
Why does ventilation keep coming up?
Because a badly ventilated attic cooks the roof from underneath and takes years off it. Intake at the eaves and exhaust at the ridge, in balance. It is cheap during a re-roof and awkward afterwards.