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Roofing and Siding since 1985
Sat, May 16 2026,12:12pm [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3] ]
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 24 2002,10:49pm
Author: A Roofer
Subject: Re: Need roof help
In reply to: AM Hawkins 's message, "Need roof help" on Mon, Sep 30 2002, 8:20am

Sounds like the dying pang of "trac wood" shakes. Well, you definitely will ruin your roof by walking paths into it. I would never tear off just a back side of a house. You most likely need some repairs. Paper can last for a pretty good amount of time when you keep the ultraviolet rays off of it. Cheap shakes are terrible because you can't do nothing with them after ten years. I never install that stuff they install in housing tracs (trac wood).

When you have someone pressure wash your roof do you go with the cheapest bid? There are power washers that cost over $4000 that are used in the industry and then there are the $800 to $1400 washers that you can get at Home Depot.

For more money you get a high volume / lower pressure washer and the other option is a high pressure / low volume washer. More water less pressure is easier on your roof doing a better job and the higher pressure usually beats your roof up and damages it. Your roof should be in better shape at 15 yrs of age with only two washes on it.

YOUR REPAIRS:
Make sure you find someone that will be gentle in removing shakes in need of replacement. They make tools that can pull the nails before the shake is pulled. When repairs are done by tugging to roughly at the shake it destroys the shakes next to it. Make sure they use enough shakes to cover all the places where the paper is showing. You don't want them to leave any of these areas exposed. They will be the first areas to fail. If its done with care and it doesn't get beaten up to bad by a pressure wash you should get your 20yrs out of this roof. This is easy for me to say from here. I have just seen a roof installed with #2 grade shakes that was shot after 13 yrs of use. That roof could still probably last another possible 2yrs by paper alone.

In the future when you go to replace this roof make sure to have premium cedar shakes installed on you roof. Make sure they say premium and you'll need ten labels to validate the 40yr warranty given on these by the manufacturer. It will probably be more affordable to go to composition on your next roof.

Ask someone who would know when they are up there what they think of the workmanship of the original installer. Ask them if they see a lot SHINERS. Its takes over 20,000 fasteners to install most shake roofs. You should not be able to see these. I can install all my roofs without a single shiner. If you see a lot of them I suspect that your roof will be one that will be out lived by others in the neighborhood. A roofs greatest potential to meet its life expectancy is in the quality of workmanship the roofer used in the installation.

Hope this helps,
Tim Soth / a Roofer

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