Orange County

So you’re noticing a drip from somewhere around your roof whenever it happens to rain? Luckily, many roofing leaks are easy to fix. Sometimes, it only takes a professional Orange County roofer a few minutes to a couple of hours to fix a leak. On the flip side, it can sometimes take hours to figure out exactly where that leak is coming from.

The first step to figuring out where the leak is coming from is to identify the leak in the first place. All too often, leaks can start out silent, and you won’t even know they’re there until they’ve caused lots of issues. For instance, your roof could be leaking into the attic, but it takes time for the leak to trickle down to the ceiling where you can actually see it.

Every Orange County roofer knows that roofing has a mighty hero. It’s not the crew members, although they certainly do their share of amazing things. And it’s not the people behind the scenes, fielding phone calls and questions . No, this hero is something that’s an important part of your rooftop; yet, it’s seldom noticed by anyone but the keenest observer. The hero in question goes by the name ‘flashing’. Sounds fast. But this hero’s powers have very little to do with speed. The significance of flashing is its protective powers. Without it, people could find themselves battling roof leaks by the dozen.

In a nutshell, flashing is a roll of thin, moisture-resistant metal. Often made of copper, aluminum, lead, or galvanized steel, it serves as a barrier against unwanted water and other elements. Typically, a commercial roofer will install flashing around roof valleys, skylights, and vents.  Bear in mind, installation is no casual affair. Flashing must be precisely placed in order to safeguard vulnerable areas. Once installed, flashing works by collecting pooled water and diverting it away from protected zones.

When protecting a roof valley, for instance, an Orange County roofer will install a strip of flashing beneath the edge of the roof shingles. Any water dripping into the valley will travel down the flashing and into the rain gutter.

Decking is another part of the home that benefits from flashing. For instance, if you owned a beach house in San Clemente, a San Clemente roofer most likely installed these metal strips against the side of the home. This precautionary measure will keep moisture from dripping behind the wooden piece the keeps your deck secured to the house.

If you have any questions about protecting your roof with flashing, be sure to reach out to Luke Roofing. A long-established Orange County roofer, we provide prompt, reliable expertise for every need and situation. Whether you need roofing services in San Clemente, Westminister or anywhere else in OC, you definitely can count on Luke Roofing.

One 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.