Finding Roofing Professionals In San Jose, California

Roofing In San Jose

During one of our inspections of roofing in San Jose California, we found that a laborer was trying to cover 30+year-old 3-tab shingles on top of wood shingles with a 3rd layer. Why is layering shingles bad, you may ask?

Adding a 3rd layer of shingles to a roof is against local building code as well as international building standards set forth by the International Code Council. There are multiple reasons why this has been added to building code, which we’ll go into detail about in a minute.

To make matters worse, on this specific repair, the laborer was also improperly installing the new shingles on the roof! Not only was the work being performed putting the roof and possibly the entire structure at more risk, but it was also creating more costly repairs for the homeowners.

Home repair can often feel stressful enough as it is; finding out the repairs are being done incorrectly are a nightmare no home or property owner should have to deal with.

The Danger of Improper Layering of Shingles

As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. While quality repairs don’t need to be exorbitantly priced, choosing the cheapest solution can (and often does!) lead to a load of future problems… and future money! When roofing, there are some risks that need to be considered before agreeing to layering shingle in particular:

• • Shingle layers that have begun to curl will cause the new layer to not lay flat. If shingles do not lay flat, this allows water, debris, and other unwanted items to enter underneath the shingles and potentially cause damage to the roof.

• • Adding unnecessary layers can cause moisture to build up and rot the wood below.

• • The weight of the roof can exceed building code and cause the decking and/or joists to bend, damaging the integrity of the entire structure. This is especially concerning for homes or structures in areas that are vulnerable to earthquakes or other extreme weather conditions.

• • Having multiple layers of old shingles under a new layer causes roofing nails to be located further from the sheathing, weakening their hold. This can cause the new shingling to become damaged or inefficient more easily than if done correctly, leading to a quicker need for repairs.

• • Eventually, the roof will need to be replaced, likely quicker than if done correctly for the previously mentioned reasons. Unnecessary layers will raise the cost of the tear-off phase when repaired, resulting in much higher total costs than if done correctly in the first place.

• • Damage can be hidden under the layer of unnecessary shingles. Who knows what kind of vulnerabilities could be hiding under these shingles that the home or building owners would never have known about? Imagine dealing with incredibly costly repairs due to roof damage, right after getting a repair done!

It is important to know when it is appropriate to add another layer of shingles to the roof.

Our inspectors are highly experienced from intensive training criteria, doing over 3000 inspections a year and attending ongoing training sessions afterward.

They provide clear reports of the status of each roof. In many situations, Roof Doctors can extend the life of the roof to give the owner’s an opportunity to save money to replace in a couple years instead of immediately. If the roof needs to be replaced they will let you know and give advice on how to move forward.

How to Protect Your Roof?

Get Your Roof Inspected

First things first: get your roof inspected. We recommend this as a first step because having an inspection regularly will catch any problems quickly so that they can be addressed before they become a major issue or, even worse, cause a need for a complete re-roofing of the home.

We recommend that a roof is inspected:

• Every 2-5 years
• After any construction
• When purchasing or selling a home
• After significant weather conditions.

After each inspection, our teams sends a report that gives details how to best protect your roof.

Each report covers:

• Age of Roof
• Remaining Life of the Roof
• Number of Layers
• Type of Roofing
• Certification Status
• Structure
• Pitch
• Recommended Repairs

As they say, ‘knowing is half the battle,” and once your roof has been inspected you can use this valuable knowledge to help protect your roof and structure far into the future!