Video: Increasing the Lifespan of Your Roof

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO — Host, Sarah Rutan: While most roofs tend to look alike, what really determines the lifespan of roof are its components. Today we’re in South San Francisco with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Carlos Rodriguez of Mr. Roofing, to learn more.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Carlos Rodriguez: So, in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Mateo County, where we work, there are predominantly two types of architecture. There’s like a steep-slope roof and a flat roof. And when you look at my roof and someone else’s, another company’s roof, it’s going to look the same because it might be the shingle you’re looking at or the tile. However, what really determines the lifespan of, let’s say, a steep-slope roof, are the components that are inside.

And so a couple things to look out for are things like the underlayment, nowadays, premium underlayments that really help assist a roof system to last a long time. One thing that most roofing contractors don’t include is something like this leak barrier. The leak barrier is what will keep the property dry, let’s say, in wind-driven storms which is what we get a lot around here. It’s important in the critical areas like the valleys, skylights, chimneys, all of those areas that are prone to deteriorate within three to seven years.

And then I think something like there’s a study that shows 98 percent of homes in America don’t have proper ventilation. So, one thing to look out for is some sort of ventilation system for your shingle or steep-slope roof.

This here is a ridge vent where you notch out at the peak of the roof or the ridge, because hot air will naturally rise and then you want it to escape somewhere. The other components important is on the bottom of this there’s an intake vent that kind of blows the wind or the air through there. So, these are a couple of things to look out for to make sure that your roof lasts, you know, 20, 30, 40 years versus just three to seven years.

The other type of architecture that’s in our area is a flat roof, and the most important thing to make sure with a flat roof is that the water is draining properly. Because if it’s not draining properly it provides an extra load where the structure can actually collapse or, you know, leaks can occur if the drains are clogged, et cetera. So, the important thing there is to make sure that it’s being looked at or maintained.

And one of the things that, you know, as a consumer regarding your roof, you should have something like a checklist, a maintenance checklist. That’s something that we provide for our clients to help them stay on top and make sure they have a lasting roof system.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local top-rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified expert reports at experts.diamondcertified.org.