Orange County

Welcome to our Orange County Roofing Company Blog. Our goal is to not only offer you the highest quality roofing solutions in Orange County, but also to educate you on best practices, offer roofing contractor tips and inside secrets that only a professional roofer would know. We hope you find this information helpful and invite you to comment and ask questions.

Roof Maintenance - Orange County roofing companies are not all cut from the same cloth. Our number 1 goal is your satisfaction and we're happy to come out and discuss with you the options you have and give you a fair and honest estimate.

Aug
01

Moldy Roof - What to Do...

The state of your roof can tell you a lot about your home, in general. Water stains may mean that you have backed-up gutters, for instance. And a roof that is waving or denting in places may have storm damage or underlying structural issues. One other thing your roof can tell you about: mold.

Mold under the roof is a less common issue in SoCal than in wetter areas of the country, but that doesn’t mean it never happens. After all, it only takes a little water damage for mold to crop up in otherwise sheltered areas.

So what should you look for to tell if there’s mold happening on or just under your roof? And when should you call an Orange County roofing contractor to take care of the problem? Here’s what you need to know about finding, dealing with, and preventing mold on your roof.

Signs to Look For

First, it’s always important as a homeowner to know what signs to look for as a problem might arise. When it comes to mold in or around your roof, you might notice actual visible stains and streaks that seem to spread on your roof, for instance. If your roof is poorly ventilated, mold can actually grow on top of the roof or just under the shingles, causing discoloration that seems to get worse as time goes by.

It’s more likely, though, that mold signs will be visible inside your home. For instance, you might notice cracked or peeling paint on your ceilings, or even water stains coming through to the ceilings. If you notice signs like these, you either have recent water damage or, potentially, mold.

Also, you should always be on the lookout for worrying physical symptoms in yourself, your children, or your pets. Symptoms of mold reaction can be subtle, and may look like cold, flu, or seasonal allergy symptoms to begin with. But if you notice family members who have increased respiratory issues, itchy skin, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, or sore throat on an ongoing basis, it’s a good idea to look for mold. Other mold exposure symptoms include rashes, headaches, or chest tightness.

If these symptoms are ongoing and out of the ordinary, you’ll want to talk to a doctor, of course. But you may also want to talk to an Orange County roofing contractor who can thoroughly check the top of your home for mold. This is especially true if you notice these symptoms in connection with other physical signs of mold around or outside of your home.

Dealing with Mold on Your Roof

When it comes to dealing with mold on your roof, it’s really best left to the professionals. Mold and mildew growth on the outside of your roof, such as between your tiles, is less likely to cause serious health problems for your family. However, you’ll want to have contractors take care of this unsightly problem before it does further damage to the roofing underlayment.

Usually, contractors will clean the roof thoroughly if exterior mold is the problem. They may use a bleach solution to kill the mold growth, and they may need to replace some of the more affected tiles or shingles, if necessary.

Mold growing under the roof can be a larger problem to deal with, and you may need to talk with a contractor who specializes in mold remediation.

Mold growing in the attic may be harmless cosmetic mold that can be scrubbed off or even left alone. But if the mold variety is potentially hazardous, you’ll have to decide whether to clean it up or actually replace the roofing underlayment.

Replacing underlayment is a costly venture, but could be more efficient than trying to scrub mold off of the wood, treat it, and then keep mold from coming back. Again, though, this is a question for an experienced contractor, and you’ll need to have them come to your home to scope out the problem in order to get a feel for this particular issue.

If you do decide to replace the underlayment, be sure to find out what was likely the cause of the mold growth in the first place. Take steps to prevent such an expensive issue from cropping up again in the future!

Preventing Mold on Your Roof

Preventing mold on and under your roof comes down to two things: design and maintenance.

Design is important because you’ll want to be sure that your attic has enough ventilation. Lack of ventilation traps humid air near the roofing underlayment, which can encourage mold growth. But too much ventilation can also be a bad thing for the health of your home, in general. This is why it’s important to consult with a professional when deciding on the layout of your roof and its ventilation system.

Maintenance is also important. The major cause of mold in and under roofs is leaks, which are often caused by lack of proper maintenance. If your roof isn’t maintained properly, it’s more likely to crack and have leaks, which can, in turn, allow for mold growth.

It’s important to have your roof inspected regularly by an Orange County roofing contractor who can catch small problems before they turn into major issues. During regular inspections, you may find minor issues that the contractors can fix quickly, thus preventing underlayment damage and costly mold problems down the road.

If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to Luke Roofing. A long-established Orange County roofer in Villa Park and surrounding areas, we provide prompt, reliable expertise for every residential roofing need and situation. Wherever and whenever you need roofing services in OC, you definitely can count on Luke Roofing.

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Jun
15

Does Your Roof Need Cleaning this Summer?

Part of maintaining your roof is actually keeping it clean, as odd as this might sound. But debris built up on your roof can cause some serious problems, from leaks to backed-up gutters. Just like you need to clean your gutters regularly, you’ll also need to regularly clean your roof.

How often you’ll need to clean your roof depends on a variety of factors, including the type of roofing material that’s on your roof. Talk to your Orange County roofing contractor about whether or not your roof needs cleaned regularly.

If you can see debris

Built-up debris from tree leaves and other things on your roof can cause some serious problems. Debris can itself start rotting, which can cause certain roofing materials to do the same. But even if rot isn’t a problem, debris can stain your roof, causing your property values to lower. Or debris can keep your roof from functioning as designed, since it can block the flow of water from your roof into your gutters.

Heavier debris, such as sticks, can also puncture your roofing materials, causing holes and leaks in the roof. Of course, this is a problem you want to avoid at all costs!

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Jun
01

5 Tips for a Solid Roof Maintenance Plan

Your roof is one of the most important components of your home, since it protects the rest of your home from wear and tear. Even the best-installed roof from the best materials will need replaced eventually. But you can mitigate the need to repair or replace your roof by establishing and following a maintenance plan early on. Here’s how you can establish and keep track of your roof’s maintenance plan.

1.First, understand the whys

Before you’ll take time to follow a maintenance plan for your roof, you’ll want to know why you should do such a thing. Talk to your Orange County roofers about this, and they’ll tell you why it’s important to actually follow a roofing maintenance plan.

You need to change the oil in your car to keep larger problems from cropping up down the road. The same thing goes for your roof. Though you don’t need to replace the oil, you do need to be sure your roof is in good repair on a regular basis to avoid more expensive repairs down the road.

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Feb
29

Why Roof Flashing - Roofing Contractor

As part of your overall roofing system, you may not think about flashing much. But whether you’re in for roof repair or full replacement, rest assured that your Orange County roofing contractor is thinking about flashing. It’s an essential part of the weatherproofing system for your home, and should be used in more places than just on the roof. But as part of the roof, it’s essential.

So what is flashing, and why is it so important? And how do you know if it’s been damaged and needs repaired or replaced?

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Feb
29

Roof Rain Gutters - 5 Things

5 Things to Know About Your Roof Rain Gutters by an Orange County Roofing Professional

If you’re working with an Orange County roofing contractor to repair or replace your roof, you may consider having your contractor check out your gutters, as well. Though you might assume they’re in great shape, new gutters can work wonders for the efficacy of your roof and the overall look and feel of your home.

When it comes to gutters, most homeowners don’t think about them until something is going terribly wrong--like they’re starting to fall off the house. But the right gutters can protect your home during a deluge, and can even add to the overall style of your home.

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Sep
01

Maintaining a Tile Roof Tile in Orange County

orange-county-tile-roofOne of the benefits of installing a tile roof on your home is that they’re virtually maintenance-free. But “virtually” maintenance-free doesn’t mean the same thing as totally maintenance-free. You still need to do some maintenance with your clay tile roof - or hire OC roofing companies to do it.

Luckily, maintaining a clay tile roof is relatively simple. Here are the steps you should take to keep yours in excellent shape:

1. Inspect regularly

First, make sure that you regularly inspect the clay tiles on your roof. This is especially true after a storm or strong wind. While clay is very durable and not likely to break, it does happen sometimes. And you definitely want to replace a broken tile as soon as possible, before more damage occurs.

If you do notice broken, slipped, missing, or chipped tiles, be sure that you call a qualified Orange County roofing company, like Luke Roofing, Inc. to fix the problem. Clay isn’t as simple for DIYers to fix as asphalt shingles.

2. Power wash

Like all roofs, you definitely need to be sure that you keep your clay tile roof clean. Dirty roofs invite all sorts of problems - from nesting critters to mold growth. So make sure that you regularly clean your roof, especially if it gets debris on it from nearby trees.

One of the easiest ways to clean your clay tile roof yourself is with a power washer. Power washing can be done in an afternoon. If tiles are growing algae, rinse them in a special roof rinse that will break down the algae without harming the environment around your home. Talk to OC roofing companies about how best to wash your roof.

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