I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.
Hmm,
Were they the lowest bidder for that roofing job?
If that was the case, what can you expect?

On Nov 8, 9:15*am, dgk wrote:

I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Rock a and a hard place. Of course all roofers - all anybody - are
not crooks. What you may consider a ripoff, may be good advice.
Without seeing your roof personally, I can't say.

Here's what I can say.
Plumber's putty - really? That stuff will bake out in the sun in no
time.
Rubberized flashing - you put on a bandaid. Flashing a roof to a
demising wall that projects through the roof requires counterflashing
cut into the mortar joints and covering the top edge of the flashing.
Otherwise that top edge will come loose and just collect rain. After
a while it could very possibly make the leak worse than before.
Existing eight year old roof - who says that the existing eight year
old roof was installed correctly? You're having leaks, so it's very
possible that they didn't do something right. The devil is in the
details in roofing. Just because the existing shingles look
presentable, that doesn't mean that there isn't a horror show going on
underneath and at the edges.
Trust - if you don't trust someone to do a good job, you shouldn't be
hiring them. Asking a guy working in the neighborhood is a crap
shoot. Ask friends, check references - some new some old, BBB, etc.
Do your homework.
Doing DIY work on a roof if you're not comfortable - who is going to
check up on the roofer that you'll have to hire to finish the job
after you get hurt? Medical bills and problems are pretty much
infinitely more expensive than roofing.

R

No. Only those as stupid as you are.

Some repair guys do the minimum, and others want to provide
full service, do the job right. It sounds like YOU are a "do
the min" kind of repair man, and the roofer you consulted is
a "do it up right" kind of guy.

To my way of thinking, it's just a different perspective.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"dgk" wrote in message
news I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I
noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors
down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water
damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was
amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been
about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick.
I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past
Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the
house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the
roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly
afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't
very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet
aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back
onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or
find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was
peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the
rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away.
That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since
it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on
the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall.
My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and
down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more
than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few
hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good
to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice
old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a
liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just
hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing
stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the
politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something
that I can't
see.

On Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:15:21 -0500, dgk wrote:

Am I wrong in thinking

Read what Rico wrote.

On 2011-11-08, dgk wrote:

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff?

Only if you can't get a bead on 'em cuz the sun is in yer eyes.

Turn the hose on the roof every couple days.

nb

On Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:15:21 -0500, dgk wrote:




Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick.

Many years ago, flat roofs like that had 20 year pro-rated warranty,
but it was reduced to ten and then one or two. I don't know how much
the material has changed. I don't know what material was used on your
roof and how well it was installed, or what your climate is. Anything
I'd say about longevity would be pure speculation.
..





went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?


He may or may not be. Give the repair a few months and see how it
holds up as well as the rest of the roof. If it leaks in a year, he
was correct. If you et another 10 years, he was wrong.

Some roofers are very honest and do great work. Some do not, so be
sure to check the reputation of the one you want to hire.

On Nov 8, 9:15*am, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Has it rained hard since you patched the roof ?

On Tue, 8 Nov 2011 18:54:38 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 8, 9:15Â*am, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Has it rained hard since you patched the roof ?
The ONLY effective repair for a flat roof is a pitched roof.

On Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:15:21 -0500, dgk wrote:


I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

It's a lot easier if the ladder goes 4 feet above the roof.

On Nov 8, 2:15*pm, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Get a second opinion. Next Spring get three quotes if neccesary. Roof
repairs are cheaper in the Spring than just before Winter.
You have made repairs that are pretty temporary, probably see you
through tthe Winter.
Has any of your nieghbours needed roof repairs?

"dgk" wrote in message
news
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Yeah, ALL roofers are rip-offs as you suspect, just like the barbers.
Ask any barber if you need a hair cut. They'll all tell you it would be a
good idea.
Bob-tx

On Nov 8, 9:15*am, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

In this case properly fixing this roof is beyond your capability...

Your house will only stay dry if the roofing material is properly
let into the demising walls and then properly flashed and
counter flashed... Sounds like you lack the proper skills in
flashing, rubber membrane roofing and masonry to do any
sort of actual repair yourself...

To argue that the membrane roof you have "is only 8 years
old" and you *think* it shouldn't need to be replaced is
ridiculous... It has been out in the weather and UV light
for 8 years -- your spendthrift ways would catch up with you
as you would need to be making many many linear feet of
joint along each wall where the damaged, pulled out sections
of rood are cut out and removed and the new material applied
and sealed to the sheet on the flat section of the roof....

That is fine to do when the sheets of rubber are still new and
are 100% clean but you won't find a professional who will
warranty any repairs on something that old for more than
90 days and from your reluctance to go up there at all, it
sounds as if creating water tight joints in the membrane is
well beyond your skill level...

Just because you think that something is still fine doesn't
mean that a professional is *wrong* to tell you that it needs
to be ripped out and redone because it is up on the roof...
The edges of your roof failed after only 8 years, that is a
testament to the lack of experience of the roofing crew
that did the previous work for you... If you think that saving
ANY of that work is a good thing to do, you deserve the
future leaks you will get...

This kind of roof is better left to a company who specializes
in doing roofing for commercial buildings, which will cost you
more but you will get what you pay for in this situation...

~~ Evan

On Tue, 8 Nov 2011 07:28:21 -0800 (PST), RicodJour
wrote:

On Nov 8, 9:15*am, dgk wrote:

I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
...
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Rock a and a hard place. Of course all roofers - all anybody - are
not crooks. What you may consider a ripoff, may be good advice.
Without seeing your roof personally, I can't say.

Here's what I can say.
Plumber's putty - really? That stuff will bake out in the sun in no
time.
Rubberized flashing - you put on a bandaid. Flashing a roof to a
demising wall that projects through the roof requires counterflashing
cut into the mortar joints and covering the top edge of the flashing.
Otherwise that top edge will come loose and just collect rain. After
a while it could very possibly make the leak worse than before.
Existing eight year old roof - who says that the existing eight year
old roof was installed correctly? You're having leaks, so it's very
possible that they didn't do something right. The devil is in the
details in roofing. Just because the existing shingles look
presentable, that doesn't mean that there isn't a horror show going on
underneath and at the edges.
Trust - if you don't trust someone to do a good job, you shouldn't be
hiring them. Asking a guy working in the neighborhood is a crap
shoot. Ask friends, check references - some new some old, BBB, etc.
Do your homework.
Doing DIY work on a roof if you're not comfortable - who is going to
check up on the roofer that you'll have to hire to finish the job
after you get hurt? Medical bills and problems are pretty much
infinitely more expensive than roofing.

R

Thanks, good advice. I suspect the last guy didn't do a very good job.
It's hard to imagine that the bandaid could cause bigger problems
since the existing stuff had pulled away a good two inches for four
feet but I'll keep an eye out for signs of more leakage.

The problem with references for roofing is that problems take years to
show up. If someone asked about the guy who did mine, I would have
said that they did a fine job, until now. Maybe Angie's list? But
that's really the same since references tend to be on current stuff.

I'm a software guy so I do tend to leave the hardware for folks who
know better, but money is limited and I do what I can.

On Tue, 8 Nov 2011 11:32:04 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

No. Only those as stupid as you are.

Ah, but if your computer isn't working you're likely to want me
nearby. Incompent in roofing perhaps, but not computers.

On Tue, 8 Nov 2011 18:54:38 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 8, 9:15*am, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Has it rained hard since you patched the roof ?

No, and we have had some monster downpours this summer. But it is
never an obvious 'water pouring through the ceiling' type of thing.
It's a creeping stain/paint peeling. The roofing material was peeling
away pretty high up on the wall, and the ceramic overhangs that so the
rain has to hit it at an angle to really get in.

The rain will come soon enough. And then the snow.

On Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:41:48 -0500, micky
wrote:

On Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:15:21 -0500, dgk wrote:


I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

It's a lot easier if the ladder goes 4 feet above the roof.

That makes sense. It should go up another few feet. Thanks. I really
do hate that though.

On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:14:23 -0800 (PST), harry
wrote:

On Nov 8, 2:15*pm, dgk wrote:
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Get a second opinion. Next Spring get three quotes if neccesary. Roof
repairs are cheaper in the Spring than just before Winter.
You have made repairs that are pretty temporary, probably see you
through tthe Winter.
Has any of your nieghbours needed roof repairs?

Sure, one was up there with me and patched a few areas. The neighbor
on the other side bought the house a few months back and gutted it,
then rebuilt the inside with a few rooms for rent. Blatently illegal
but he does seem to know what he was doing construction wise. He has
his contractor van sitting in the driveway all the time.

The local civic did inform the Buildings Department but they are
either paid off or just too short staffed to investigate all of that
stuff that goes on.

He's Chinese and doesn't speak much English but did manage to convey
that I had a few areas that needed attention but that the roof was ok.
I should have mentioned that in the original post; that was another
reason that I suspected that I didn't need a new roof.

On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 06:06:59 -0600, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact
wrote:



"dgk" wrote in message
news
I have an rowhouse in the middle of 12 attached homes. I noticed that
the A_One Roofing company was working on a house a few doors down and
asked them to take a look at mine. Since I've had water damage in one
top corner of the main bedroom, I knew that something was amiss.

Of course, I'm told that I need a new roof. It's only been about eight
years since I had a new roof put on so that's pretty quick. I bought
some roll of rubberized stuff from Home Despot and this past Sunday I
hauled the ladder out of the garage, went to the back of the house,
and my next door neighbor and I proceeded to head up to the roof.

I absolutely hate climbing that ladder; I'm not overly afraid of
heights (it's more a healthy respect), and it really isn't very far
from the deck to the two story roof, but those last ten feet aren't
fun. Nor is knowing that I have to get from the roof back onto the
ladder and head back down. I guess folks get used to that or find some
other area of work.

The part where the roofing meets the dividing wall was peeling away
from the wall so we cut that part off and slapped the rubberized
sticky stuff along about four feet that was pulling away. That
certainly looked like where the water was gettiing in since it was
right over the water damage. Hopefully a cure.

Then we used some plumbers putty to fill in some cracks on the
overlapping ceramic(?) plates covering the top of the wall. My
neighbor fixed a few areas that looked weak on his roof and down we
went.

The peaked area at the front of my roof needs work; more than I was
prepared to do at the time and I'll certainly pay a few hundred for
someone to fix that. But a new roof? It looked pretty good to both of
us, and my neightbor does know something about construction.

Am I wrong in thinking that A-One Roofing is a ripoff? Nice old
Italian guy and his illegal immigrant workers, but I guess a liar?
Before I went up, friends and family asked why I didn't just hire
someone. Well, two reasons, first, I kind of like doing stuff by
myself (or I wouldn't be on this newsgroup (althought the politics is
fun) but I also just don't trust someone to fix something that I can't
see.

Yeah, ALL roofers are rip-offs as you suspect, just like the barbers.
Ask any barber if you need a hair cut. They'll all tell you it would be a
good idea.
Bob-tx



I always do look like I need a haircut. Yes, it was a bad subject I
guess, there are honest ones and dishonest ones. The real issue is how
someone who works mostly with software can tell which is which.

On Wed, 9 Nov 2011 05:23:21 -0800 (PST), Evan
wrote:



In this case properly fixing this roof is beyond your capability...

Your house will only stay dry if the roofing material is properly
let into the demising walls and then properly flashed and
counter flashed... Sounds like you lack the proper skills in
flashing, rubber membrane roofing and masonry to do any
sort of actual repair yourself...

To argue that the membrane roof you have "is only 8 years
old" and you *think* it shouldn't need to be replaced is
ridiculous... It has been out in the weather and UV light
for 8 years -- your spendthrift ways would catch up with you
as you would need to be making many many linear feet of
joint along each wall where the damaged, pulled out sections
of rood are cut out and removed and the new material applied
and sealed to the sheet on the flat section of the roof....

That is fine to do when the sheets of rubber are still new and
are 100% clean but you won't find a professional who will
warranty any repairs on something that old for more than
90 days and from your reluctance to go up there at all, it
sounds as if creating water tight joints in the membrane is
well beyond your skill level...

Just because you think that something is still fine doesn't
mean that a professional is *wrong* to tell you that it needs
to be ripped out and redone because it is up on the roof...
The edges of your roof failed after only 8 years, that is a
testament to the lack of experience of the roofing crew
that did the previous work for you... If you think that saving
ANY of that work is a good thing to do, you deserve the
future leaks you will get...

This kind of roof is better left to a company who specializes
in doing roofing for commercial buildings, which will cost you
more but you will get what you pay for in this situation...

~~ Evan

One of the problems in home ownership is that many things require
doing only once. Some stuff I can fix, other stuff I have to hire
someone. No, I would not do a roof, that isn't my area of expertise.
Having looked at pictures of various rubber membrane roofs, I don't
think that's what's up there. Looks like some kind of white tar paper
and white nodules. Damn, I need some pictures.

On Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:03:51 -0500, dgk wrote:



No, and we have had some monster downpours this summer. But it is
never an obvious 'water pouring through the ceiling' type of thing.
It's a creeping stain/paint peeling. The roofing material was peeling
away pretty high up on the wall, and the ceramic overhangs that so the
rain has to hit it at an angle to really get in.

The rain will come soon enough. And then the snow.

Sometimes roofers will drive nails through the paper into the mortar
joint up high to keep it from peeling away.
There were some nails in my roof.
I could see them stuck through the felt where it peeled away.
Don't know how old that roof was.
Once that felt peels away from the parapet you need a roofer with hot
tar. Any patching you do won't last long.
I don't know if a roofer will redo just the parapets with new felt.
Seems possible, since those walls are the weak spot on a flat roof.
If you get the roof hot mopped every 7 years or so, a flat roof can
last a long time.
Mine was so old I had a tear-off done.
Don't worry about water pooling if the tar is sound.

--Vic