When the Santa Ana winds blow through the San Gabriel Valley, you can see leaves, limbs and roofing shingles scattered down the streets and in your yard. It’s understandable that you could think about how well your roof will do when those windy gusts blast through.
Guess what?
Will your roof stay or will some it go in the winds?
A roof that’s installed properly will survive Santa Winds, the heaviest winter downpours and the blazing summer sun. Why? A roof isn’t just a product. It’s a system that’s put in place that includes proper decking, nailing techniques and ventilation.
You’re going to learn why new roof installation and repair is such a big deal. But first, let’s go back several years to 2011. Remember what happened then?
When the High Winds Hit Hard
In early December 2011, record high winds sped through the area downing power lines and uprooting trees. Streets around the Altadena Golf Course were closed as pine trees got knocked down. The Pasadena Star News called it the biggest local story of the year.
From Patch.com showing impact of 2011 windstorm in San Gabriel Valley.
So many cities lost power in the high winds from Sierra Madre to Arcadia and so many more. The streets were so clogged with tree branches that prison crews were summoned into residential areas to use chainsaws and cut up the debris.
Were you without power? It took up to a week to restore power in many places because the winds were historic and so powerful.
Guess how many calls I got to replace missing shingles and roofs?
None.
That’s right. I didn’t get any calls from customers because of wind damage. Yeah, I pat myself on the back once in a while. But it’s important for you to know because you want peace of mind with a new roof installation and even a roofing repair.
So why do Garvey Roofs stay in place when the high winds hit? It’s because of our installation techniques. We say we offer roofs in all seasons and here’s what that means. Here’s an easy-to-understand view of a complete roofing system.
Roofing System
- Decking
- Underlayment
- Shingles and Flashing
- Ridge Caps
- Ventilation
Each one of these elements creates a great roof as we note on our webpage Your Roof. You can see piece by piece roofing system as noted by GAF, one of the leading manufacturers that we use at Garvey Roofing.
The Decking
Plywood is referred to as the roof decking. Not all sheets of plywood are created equal. This is one time where I find that using the less expensive wood is often a smarter buy. Here are two choices:
- CDX 15/32
- OSB 7/17
The CDX is more expensive and it has a memory, meaning that if It comes slightly buckled or bent from the store then it’s likely to retain that shape.
Can you see that it makes sense for plywood to lay completely flat?
I find that the less expensive OSB is easier to lay down and it stays down.
That’s point one on why a roof can withstand high winds.
Nailing Patterns
The right nailing patterns are essential so shingles don’t get blown off. Let’s face it. You’re not going to stand up on a roof and watch how many nails a roofer is going to use across the line of shingles. It’s easy just to use the minimum amount of three nails per shingle. Garvey Roofing uses four.
Nailing patterns are especially important for the ridge caps as well as the shingles on slopes of the home where the wind will hit hardest.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation keeps a roof healthy.
Air flow is essential and indirectly impacts the health of the roof throughout the year. In the summer, roof temperatures can reach between 160 degrees to 190 degrees, according to the building website InspectAPedia. That heat year in and year out degrades roofs that aren’t properly ventilated. It weakens the shingle and the grip of the nail.
The shingles begin to curl at the edges as they age and—guess what happens? The wind sweeps along and aging, curled shingles that are degraded from the heat can blow right off.
A healthy roof will stay intact when the Santa Ana winds blow their hardest or a wind suddenly blows through the canyons along the San Gabriel Mountains.
Our Experience at Garvey Roofing
We know that the reason the winds blow is because its Mother Nature’s way of finding bad roofing jobs, right? Okay. That’s a joke.
But you’re paying good money for roofing installation whether you own a home or commercial building and you trust that the roofer is going to do the job right.
I’ve been in roofing since I was a teenager. Instead of playing sports, I was fascinated by roofs and loved the work. I have more than 30 years of roofing experience and I’ve learned how to make roofs withstand high winds, pouring winter rains—especially the downpours that hit hardest in February—and how to achieve the best possible airflow.
For me and the guys who work in my company, we treat roofing as a craft. We stay up to date on the latest in research from the major roofing manufacturers like GAF/Elk, Certainteed and Owens Corning.
Now scroll to the next section.
The Garvey Roofing Guarantee
We guarantee labor and materials. That makes us unique. Not every home should have the same style or weight of shingles or tile. I’m a student of building science.
It’s all of these reasons that roofs from Garvey Roofing can withstand the hardest winds that hit the San Gabriel Valley. It’s a big claim to make but I know the craft well enough—and the reasons why residential and commercial roofs stay intact.
I’m always upfront on what you need. And if you’re wondering if a roof repair can work then let’s take a look at that. You don’t always need a new roof.
If you have a question on your roof’s condition please call.
Our estimates are free.
