FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily. Leaking can result because a portion of the roof has been damaged, or some flashings have become loose. Roof may have had poor or improper work performed on it in the past.

Roof problems are frequently discovered after leaking or other serious damage occurs. Periodic inspections (at least once a year) can uncover warped or missing shingles, loose seams and deteriorated flashings. Further signs are excessive surface granules accumulating in the down spouts or gutters. Indoors, signs of damaged roof areas may be shown by discolored plasterboard or cracked paint.

Your two basic options are: 1. Choose a complete roof replacement, involving tear off of the old roof. 2. Recover the old roof, Involving the installation of a new membrane and surfacing. This can only be done if the old shingles are lying flat, and the deck is in good decondition. (Check with building code compliance.) If your original roof has already been recovered once, check with a professional roofing contractor to determine if your roof can support an additional recover.

Yes. The building code regulations require the use of 30lb. felt along the eave line for both shingles and shakes, as well as 15 lb. for shake interlayment. Also, new warranty require complete deck coverage.

No, not at all. Inadequate ventilation is what causes the underside of a roof to sweat and eventually rot. Good ventilation will not only add many years to the life of the roof, but it will also keep your room cooler in the summer.

The condition of your roof depends on the type of roof you have and the maintenance which the roof has received as well as the effects of your local environment.

The most common covering used on residential properties in the Vancouver Lower Mainland are Asphalt roof shingles. In general, they are made with fiberglass mat and Asphalt mineral combination with the top surface coated with mineral granules (sunlight and water resistance), and the bottom coated with materials to prevent the shingles from sticking together in storage or shipment.

Most work should not be “do it yourself”. Professional roofing contractors are trained to safely and efficiently perform a roof repair or replace a cedar or asphalt roof. A novice can harm a roof using improper roofing techniques. They may also injure themselves by falling through a roof in need of repair or replacement.

The most significant difference is the amount of material that is exposed to the weather. An 18″ shake has 7.5″ exposed. An 18″ shingle has 5.5″ exposed to the weather. Thus, shingles applied at 5.5″ becomes a 3 ply roof (there are 3 layers of shingles at any spot on the roof), while shakes are 2 ply. Shakes are layered with felt between each layer, thus having 2 layers of felt at any spot. No felt is required for each layer of the shingles.

The difference between an organic and a fiberglass shingle is the type of mat that is used in the production of the shingle. Organic shingles are composed primarily of cellulose fibers. Fiberglass shingles are composed of glass filaments of various lengths and orientation, bonded together by inert binders. Both shingles when installed properly on well made roof decks perform similarly.

Algae growth is generally seen on light colored shingles. It exists as brown to black discoloration of the shingle and is caused by and algae known as Gloeocapsa.