Learn about roofing
Your roof provides protection against rain, snow, sunlight, wind and the large temperature shifts we have in Southern California.
Roofing 101
Baker is one of the largest roofing contractors in Southern California.
With over 84 years providing high quality electrical, contracting experience homeowners can rely on Baker for high-quality Solar and Home Battery, Heating and Air Conditioning, Home Energy, and Roofing. Whether you are looking for a complete roof assessment, replacement or getting solar installed, understanding roofing basics will make you a more knowledgeable consumer.
Baker’s Roofing Services
Selecting a professional roofing company is a big decision. All roofing contractors are not alike. Baker’s roofing services sets the bar:
- Roofing Assessment & Onsite Inspection before construction
- Utilize latest industry technology including digital digital imaging and drone technology
- Pull permits on all roofing jobs
- Our roofers follow rigorous safety guidelines
- We offer:
- New Roof Installation
- Partial Roof replacement
Have you received bids from other roofing contractors that seem too good to be true? Be mindful that many smaller or fly-by-night contractor’s below-cost-bids seem attractive, but often the contractor is uninsured and may perform substandard work. Price is only one criteria when selecting a roofing partner. Consider Baker’s professionalism, experience, quality workmanship and reputation.
Roof System Components
All sloped roof systems have six basic components:
- Roof covering: Composite shingles, Concrete tile, Clay tile, slate or metal.
- Underlayment: Synthetic, felt or rubberized asphalt underlayment protects the sheathing from weather.
- Sheathing: Plywood boards or sheet material that are fastened to roof rafters to cover a house or building.
- Roof Structure: Rafters and trusses constructed to support the sheathing.
- Flashing: Metal or other nmaterial installed into a roof system’s various joints and valleys to prevent water seepage.
- Drainage: A roof system’s design features, such as shape, slope and layout that affect its ability to shed water.
Ventilation and Insulation
Proper ventilation is a critical factor in roof system durability. Without it, moisture and heat buildup in an attic area can cause sheathing and rafters to rot, insulation to lose its effectiveness and shingles to buckle. Our roofing team will ensure proper attic ventilation to help prevent these issues.
- Enough open, vented spaces to allow air to pass in and out freely.
- Different types of ventilation include low profile O’Haegan Vents, Dormer Vents, or Ridge Cap ventilation – our professionals will advise the best option for your roof.
- A gap-free layer of insulation on the attic floor to protect the house below from heat gain or loss.
Feel confident knowing that Baker’s roofing team will happily cover roofing basics and roofing terminology to ensure you understand the process. We treat every project with the utmost care and attention to detail, and our commitment has made us a trusted residential roofing contractor. Have questions on your roofing project? Give us a call and we can schedule your roofing assessment.
Need a new Roof? Consider Solar.
An average of 2.3 million single-family detached homes will require a roof replacement over the next decade.
However, if you also look at your energy bill every month and scratch your head as to why you pay so much, you are not alone. Combining your roof replacement needs with a new solar system can add up to some serious savings. For example, financing the cost of your new roof and a solar system could turn out to be the cost of your current electric bill.
- Combining Costs: Depending on the size and composition of your roof and other factors it will last anywhere from 20 to 50 years similar to the lifetime of the average solar system. Getting both services done at the same time saves you potentially thousands.
- Value: A report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that solar panels are viewed as upgrades and home buyers across the country have been willing to pay a premium. Let your home stand out with solar against the competition.
- Long Term Savings: Don’t forget utility rates are going up. You may have been thinking about going solar in the future and you need to get your roof done anyways. Taking advantage of the Tax Credit could give you an added financial bonus at tax season. While the energy you produce gives you added comfort that you are relying less on the energy grid.
Roofing Terms
Adder: Any additional work or material to complete the roof that would delay the completion date.
Cal Shake Demo: Removing Cal shake will cause excessive debris and will need to place Sheets of plastic in the attic.
Composite Shingle re-roofing: will vary if there is more than 2-layer existing Asphalt Shingles.
Deck/sheathing: The surface, usually plywood or oriented strand board (OSB), to which roofing materials are applied.
Difficult Access Adder: where Baker does not have direct access to the roof face where work is to be performed. Roofs higher than a standard 2 story.
Dormer Vent: A raised roof vent that allows heat to escape from the vent itself and is important to properly cool attic space.
Drip edge: An L-shaped galvanized metal installed along roof edges to allow water run off to drip edge clearing the eaves, fascia and siding.
Eave: The horizontal lower edge of a sloped roof.
Fascia: A flat board, band or face located at a roof’s outer edge.
Felt/underlayment: A sheet of synthetic or asphalt-saturated material (often called tar paper, felt or TigerPaw) used as a primary layer of protection for the roof deck.
Fire rating: System for classifying the fire resistances of various materials. Roofing materials are rated Class A, B or C, with Class A materials having the highest resistance to fire originating outside the structure.
Flashing: Pieces of metal used to prevent the seepage of water around any intersection or projection in a roof system, such as vent pipes, chimneys, valleys, and joints at vertical walls.
Louvers: Slatted devices installed in a gable or soffit (the underside of eaves) to ventilate the space below a roof deck and equalize air temperature and moisture.
Oriented strand board (OSB): Roof deck panels (4 by 8 feet) made of narrow bits of wood, installed lengthwise and crosswise in layers, and held together with a resin glue. OSB often is used as a substitute for plywood sheets.
Penetrations: Vents, pipes, stacks, chimneys-anything that penetrates a roof deck.
Rafters: The supporting framing to which a roof deck is attached.
Rake: The vertical inclined edge of a roof over a wall.
Ridge: The top edge of two intersecting sloping roof surfaces.
Sheathing: The boards or sheet materials that are fastened to rafters to cover a house or building.
Slope: Measured by rise in inches for each 12 inches of horizontal run: A roof with a 4-in-12 slope rises 4 inches for every foot of horizontal distance.
Square: The common measurement for roof area. One square is 100 square feet (10 by 10 feet).
Truss: Engineered components that supplement rafters in many newer homes and buildings. Trusses are designed for specific applications and cannot be cut or altered.
Valley: The angle formed at the intersection of two sloping roof surfaces.
Vapor retarder: A material designed to restrict the passage of water vapor through a roof system or wall.
