Roofing is a trade and craft. Sure, there are friends who get together to help a buddy and over a nice weekend they’ll tear off an old roof and put on a new one.
After all, you can buy roofing materials at several different locations in the San Gabriel Valley like the Home Depot locations in Monrovia, Alhambra, and El Monte. Or, if you really want to feel like a pro then you’ll stop in at ABC Roofing supply on Peck Road in Monrovia, or in Whittier or La Mirada.
Just knowing where to get the materials, though, doesn’t make you a craftsman.
Before we go any further, note that Garvey Roofing provides:
- Free roofing estimates
- Guarantees labor and materials on all roofing jobs—a unique offer in the roofing industry.
Why is roofing a specialty?
Read along.
A Craft is a Specialty
Craftsmen have been creating necessary items like horseshoes and specialty items like pewter mugs and plates for centuries. If you’re from back east your mind likely goes to the tradespeople who hammered out silver and gold to make things that people needed around their homes.
We have craftsmen today building cabinets, specialty furniture and installing and repairing roofs.
A roofing contractor is a tradesman who knows the craft of installing and repairing roofs.
A craft is a learned technique that requires skill.
Thomas Garvey started roofing as a teenager. He went to work for a busy roofer in the Monrovia area, then served in the army as a mechanic. When he left the service, he launched Garvey Roofing and has been running the company for the past 30 years.
He’s stayed up-to-date on the latest techniques and has made sure the company is well-positioned to service customers properly and effectively.
Garvey Roofing holds four licenses:
- Roofing
- Fireproofing and ventilation
- Insulation
- General Contracting
Garvey Roofing knows the craft of roofing. It’s much more than rolling out underlayment and nailing down shingles or tile.
Since roofing is a craft, there are people in the industry, like all industries, who give roofers a bad name because they cut corners.
Drip edge may not be properly installed. If it’s not, then rain water curls up at the bottom edge and runs to the fascia and eventually causing wood rot.
Metal flashing around vents and other protrusions like a chimney and rooftop air conditioner may not be flush on all sides. If not, water can seep down in.
Are shingles completely laying flat? If there’s a bulge for whatever reason, then either the decking wasn’t set down correctly or warped wood was used. That can also mean a row of shingles was put on sloppily.
Ridge caps need installed. Sometimes roofers will run short and use regular shingles to finish the ridge line instead of the actual ridge cap itself.
There should be a clean line along the edges of the shingles that outline the roof. Sometimes, extra shingle gets stuffed in and the homeowner will never notice. But these will blow off easily in Santa Ana wind conditions and become an entry point for water.
However, let’s keep the topic positive and see all that goes into a roof.
Take a look.
Roofing is a System
Know the building
Roofing is a system in what’s known as building science, a discipline that advances the “widespread development of high-performance homes that are energy efficient, healthy, and durable,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Aim for energy efficiency
Roofing done right is mission-critical for keeping your house energy efficient. A contractor has to choose the best materials to reflect the sun’s rays and reduce the roof’s surface temperature.
It isn’t just rain that degrades a roof. The sun can cause far more damage since a roof can reach up to 180 degrees on the hottest days. We want that heat reflected back into the atmosphere.
What kind of materials achieve this? Check the Garvey Roofing page for Therma-Sheet.
Insulation is also important. Garvey Roofing offers Insulsafe, blown in insulation from CertainTeed that has the best r rating.
Another key in keeping a roof healthy for its entire lifetime is air flow.
Plan for air flow
Ventilation helps keeps attics dry in the winter months, thereby reducing the growth of mold, and reduces attic heat in summer.
Garvey Roofing installs roofs for maximum air flow in the summer.
This is why Thomas Garvey says his company offers a roof for all seasons.
As you walk and drive around the cities of the San Gabriel Valley, what do you notice about the homes?
That’s an important topic for any roofer to tackle.
Roofing Adapts to the Style of Home
We live in an historic area. Pasadena began in the 1870s for people escaping the Midwest and seeking a cure for tuberculosis. The area was first known as the Indiana Colony since that’s where the residents came from.
What that means is Pasadena and neighboring Altadena have quite a few historic homes. There’s the well-known Bungalow Heaven area south of Washington Boulevard and just west of Hill Avenue.
Altadena has Janz Village with homes that have extra steep roofs.
Monrovia, Temple City and South Pasadena also have their style of historic, bungalow-style homes.
If you like to hike in the foothills above Altadena and Pasadena, you’ll find a large development of mid-century modern style homes above Loma Alta Drive and Rubio Canyon. The sleek architecture has lower slope roofs and often no attic space.
Roofing today’s more sprawling homes built in the last five to six years in Arcadia requires a different attention to detail.
It’s fun having so much variety in home styles but this means that roofing, along with insulation and ventilation isn’t just a one-size-fits-all approach.
An older wood frame home that’s 70 years old or older is going to have different weight needs and requirements compared to a wide, powerful looking home or ranch-style home north of Foothill Boulevard.
Local roofing contractors may say it doesn’t matter or won’t talk about these differences, but Thomas Garvey finds that they’re key to a long-lasting and healthy roof.
The next part of roofing is knowing about the latest trends.
Thomas Garvey’s advice is to stick to the basics.
Roofing and Trends
Solar roofing is here to stay and improvements are being made all the time.
Elon Musk’s Tesla company didn’t just turn out electric cars, but attractive solar roof tiles as well.
And they’re not the only ones.
The oldest roofing manufacturer in the U.S., GAF, is now in the solar roofing market.
Solar can make sense for homeowners who want an energy efficient home and Garvey Roofing will work with industry partners to get the best solar roof available.
But there’s something else you should know whether you’re roofing with asphalt shingles or more traditional looking tile. The right stack of decking and insulated underlayment can make a home just as energy efficient as a solar roof and cost maybe a third of the price.
Just like we’re talking about the differences between historic and contemporary homes, a new roof using the latest insulated materials can perform or outperform a solar roof.
Asphalt shingles sound Old School, right?
The layers are coated with granules that reflect the sun’s rays quite effectively. On the GAF website it notes that “A cool roof minimizes the solar heat gain of a building by reflecting incoming sun rays and re-emitting the absorbed energy. Timberline® CS is an ENERGY STAR®-certified product.”
Building Codes and Inspections
Garvey Roofing is careful to adhere to the building codes that govern roofing in all cities of the San Gabriel Valley, including places like Pasadena, Alhambra and Bradbury to Hacienda Heights and Azusa.
City and county inspectors won’t be coming back later to find problems. Handling all local codes and permits is a significant part of knowing the craft and trade.
Call for a free estimate: 626-358-9208.
Garvey Roofing guarantees all labor and materials to give homeowners peace of mind on every project.
Thomas Garvey prides himself on not getting calls from customers after a heavy rain, wind or blasting summer heat.
His knowledge of building science, use of the right roofing materials and installing with an understanding of ventilation means customers have a roof for every season.
Read these other helpful posts
How to Know if You Should Repair or Replace Your Roof
Attic Insulation and a Well-Ventilated Roof are Keys to an Energy Efficient Home
Your Best Roofing Guide for Homeowners in the San Gabriel Valley