San Clemente, CA
Flat roof work in San Clemente, CA
Almost every flat roof problem is a drainage problem wearing a disguise. Standing water finds the one seam that was not welded properly.
Describe the flat roofing job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three San Clemente contractors who do this work.
Your request is in.
We are matching it now against roofing contractors working in San Clemente and the surrounding area.
- Today, usually within the hour. The first contractor calls or texts the number you gave us. ASAP requests go out first.
- Up to three of them, no more. We cap it at three so you can compare without your phone melting.
- They come and look. Estimates are given after somebody has been on the roof, not over the phone.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
If you do not hear anything today, check your voicemail and spam folder — contractors often call from a mobile number.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a flat roofing job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Whether a coating is being sold as a repair
- How the flat section is flashed into adjoining walls and pitched roofs
- Drain, scupper and overflow provision
- Whether water ponds anywhere after rain
- Which membrane, and how the seams are joined
Look at the flashing where the flat section meets a wall. That transition leaks far more often than the field of the membrane does.
Single-ply membranes — TPO, PVC, EPDM — are heat-welded or taped at the seams. The seams and the terminations are the whole job.
Coatings can buy a sound roof several years. Coating a failed roof buys you a wet roof with a fresh top coat on it.
Locally
The thing roofers see most often in this market is salt and onshore wind working on the metal long before the covering wears out. Close to the water, fasteners, valley metal, vent collars and gutter hangers corrode years ahead of the tile or shingle they hold down. Wind then finds whatever the corrosion loosened.
About flat roofing here
Should I repair or replace?
Rough rule: if the covering has more than about five years left and the damage is confined to one area, repair. If it is at the end of its life or you are patching the third leak in two years, you are paying instalments on a replacement.
What warranty should I expect?
Two separate things. The manufacturer covers the material for its rated life, but only if it was installed to their specification. The contractor covers workmanship, commonly five to ten years, and only for as long as they are trading.
How many contractors will contact me?
Up to three. That is a hard cap, not a guideline. Three is enough to compare and few enough that your phone stays usable.
Why does ventilation keep coming up?
It is the most under-sold part of a roof. Trapped heat and moisture shorten shingle life, warp decking, and in cold weather it is what turns snow into an ice dam.