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Cedar roofs, unlike metal, fibreglass, composite or asphalt roofs need to be maintained in order to get the greatest value and longevity from them.
Many factors in the environment can seriosuly affect a cedar roof including leaves from trees, dirt in the air, animal activities, excessive shade and moisture and too much sunlight.
It is claimed that a cedar roof should last about 20 years. This statement is about as valid as how long one's hunger is satisfied after eating Chinese food. Simply, there are too many variables that play into determining how long a cedar roof will last. Factors include thickness of material, the cut of the material, grade of the material, how the material was treated prior to being cut, whether the material has been treated with cuprinol (a chemical preservative), how well, the roof is installed and the slope of the roof.
The one factor we can include in determining how long the cedar roof will last is care and maintenance.This is the reason we have created the 5-year cedar roof maintenance program.
The term is 5-years because if a roof qualifies for this program, it has to be in a reasonable condition to start with. Once the roof has been cleaned, repaired and treated, there should be little deterioration in the material quality in five years.
Some competitive companies offer a 10 year warranty. There are two problems with the concept of the 10 year warranty. Firstly, ten years is too long to leave a roof without a thorough going over. A problem caught at 5 years can be correctable, but the same problem left for ten years will cause it to have to be replaced. Secondly, most companies that offer a 10-year warranty will not be in business by the time the later years of the warranty are in effect.
South-West Roof Restorations Inc has been in business in the Lower Mainland of BC for 23 years. It is locally owned and the management is accessible. We will be here when your 5-year warranty is completed.
Here's the process for the roof maintenance program.
The roof is first inspected to determine if it qualifies for the program. If the roof is in too rough of a condition, we will only offer repair or replacement. This is good for you, the customer, as well because it gives a realistic picture of what future is left in the roof.
Once the roof is given the go ahead and the contract is agreed to, the roof technicians prepare the area for the work. Clean up is messy, so it is best to get anything in the way either out of the way or covered.
The first step is the repair or replacement of ridge caps to prevent any water ingress during washing.
The roof is then lightly power washed to remove any dirt and moss. This brings the roof back to bare wood. Is power washing okay for cedar roofs? Only if it is done by a professional! It is critically important that the wash person does not damage the wood surface. It is also critical that the roof be treated soon after the washing.
Next, the shakes are repaired and replaced. During the inspection , the number of shakes needing to be replaced in order to allow the roof to be warrantable is determined. Once these shakes are installed, the roof should be good for the five years.
Not all questionable shakes are changed, only ones that are likely to allow water to seep in. Shakes that are broken at the end or are slightly curled may still be considered useable. If more shakes need to be replaced in order to make the warranty viable, the technician will install them. However, it is important to note that this program is nnot full restoration, therefore if the customer desires to have more shakes replaced, it is considered an additional expense to the homeowner.
The final aspect of the maintenance program is the treatment. It is very important to treat the roof after washing. It is critical that the treatment be a product which protects the roof from the sun and from algae while allowing the fibre of the cedar roof maintain respiration. Products that are silicone or acrylic base cause premature death to the roof by suffocation. This is basic woodworking.
The product we use is manufactured by Timber Pro Coatings Ltd of Richmond BC. It is called Timber Pro UV. The website is: www.timberprocoatings.com. Although on the site you will see a variety of colours for the product, we only offer a light red cedar colour, so that the roof is returned to its most natural looking shade. (There are 45 shades of red cedar, so don't go looking for uniformity of colour).
Once the initial treatment and repair is completed, a 5 year leak proof warranty is provided on all of the cedar roof ( no gutters or fascia or skylights, etc) and the roof is set for five years. If your roof develops a leak during the five years, just give us a call and we will come and repair it .
In five years, the roof should only need a minor tune up and a light wash and treatment, then the warranty is extended for another 5 years. This process can be offered several times depending on how good of quality the roof was initially.
At the very least, one should be able to expect another 10 years from the life of the roof and likely quite a bit more for about 25% of the cost of replacement with like product.
A good value for the homeowner!
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