03/22/2024
Thank you GAF for a wonderful week in Puerto Rico! The educational classes, contractor/manufacturer conversations and events were top notch.
I do these events every year for my required Oregon Construction Contractors Board continued education. Also to stay current on the changing roofing industry standards and codes. How roofing was installed in the 1980's is quite different than how we do it today.
Some of the biggest roofing issues that I see on a day to day basis are:
#1 Improperly placed nails and nails overdriven through the shingles. I solve this problem in my company by training my crews directly from my training and 38 years of experience in the industry.
#2 Improper ventilation. There are very specific calculations that need to be made for every individual building. 1 sq foot if ventilation for every 300 square feet of flat heated area, ceiling space. Half of this is at the intake venting near the lower edge soffit and the other half is at or near the ridge. Upper attic ventilation can not be from more than one source. For example you can not install ridge vent and metal turtle vents on the same roof. You also can not install power fans with ridge vent and or metal turtle vents together. By doing so, it affects the proper flow of air from eave intake venting to the upper attic exhaust venting. This causes granular loss on the shingles which in return voids the manufacturer's warranty. It can also cause mold and roof deck deterioration.
#3 Improperly installed flashings. End walls, sidewalls, valleys, vents, roof penetrations, etc all require leak barrier under or on them. Sidewalls, end walls, chimney and skylights all require leak barrier to be turned up the vertical surface at least 4". Leak barrier is expensive and rarely gets installed by builder grade contractors.
#4 Intake air vents installed wrong. I fix these all of the time. Most contractors usually cut the vent hole in to low to the shingle courses and also leave exposed nails. Some do not use the required leak barrier. These end up leaking in wind or ice storms.
#5 Valleys installed incorrectly. Nails installed to close to the valley and small shingle pieces installed in the valley. There are very specific ways that valleys should be installed. Unfortunately unskilled labor does this entirely wrong frequently.
I am here to help educate homeowners to make smart decisions when they replace the roof on their homes or businesses. If you have a need you can contact me through the office at 503-585-2338.
