A leaking roof can be the start to a very big problem. Not only can a leaking roof require to fix the roof itself but It can damage a wide range of things around and under it. Structurally other issues in the building can be caused by a leaking room. Things like damage to the walls and ceiling causing dry rot and discoloration of paint and sheet rock. The best way to deal with a leak is to stop it as soon as it is discovered and fix all affected areas.  If you want to do some preventative maintenance be sure to check the top ten places that roof leaks can be found.

If a skylight is not done properly it can be the cause of a serious roof leak.

Here is an example of some damage that can be caused by a roof that has a leak.

This is what water damage on a ceiling looks like!

Dry rot is a term that is used to describe wood and timber that has been eaten away by fungi. The fungi feed on the wood particles eventually breaking it down and making it either brittle or soft. There are two forms of fungi that are responsible for dry rot. Both forms of fungi require a certain level of water or moisture to grow and survive. Dry rot is the product of elevated levels of moisture trapped on or around the surface of wood.
The term dry rot is most commonly used in reference to construction timber, and in the construction world most commonly found in wood roofing materials. It isn’t uncommon for wood responsible for keeping the roofs structure sturdy to get wet and rot. This is usually the result of a poorly executed roofing job, or a damaged roof that has was not repaired.
If a roof has dry rot in the wood then it will compromise the structure and continue to worsen until the problem is properly fixed. This can often be fixed simply by replacing a leak in a roof and or replacing the effected wood. However, depending on the severity of damage the roof repair could turn into a roof replacement.

When doing any form of roof work it is important to use safety precautions. The more steep the pitch of the roof the more precautions that need to be taken. Use this “pitch finder tool” to find the pitch of your roof.

Based on OSHA standards there are a handful of rules that must be followed based on the height of the roof from the ground, the pitch of the roof, and a few other specifications. See Cal OSHA roofing standards for more info.

This is an example of one of the requirements OSHA has on certain roofs.

This is a picture of a safety harness used on high pitch roofs.

A very steep pitched roof. Can you guess what the pitch is?

San Juan Capistrano Job:

Hoytroofs removed the flat roof from this home and installed a 4 ply B.U.R. roof system. ( Built-Up-Roof) This roof system consists of 4-5 layers of roofing using a hot asphalt embedded method.

Side View of Flat Roof Job

Completed Flat Roof Job

We have recently installed insulation and a new commercial PVC roof system on a building in Knotts Berry Farm.

We started the job by installing 2″ insulation followed by the installation of CDX plywood and 1/4″ drywall. We added two roof crickets to aid and direct drainage.  The PVC roof is a single ply commercial grade roof.

Building Roof Crickets to Divert Water

Completed Commercial Roof