Why do the sunny slopes of an El Cajon roof fail first?
The sun heats the covering through the afternoon and it cools each night. The repeated movement loosens the granules, dries the asphalt and cracks the tabs along the nail line, and the faces that get the most afternoon sun show the wear first.
The technician records the worn faces on the scope. A replacement can be done slope by slope where the rest of the roof is sound, and the reasons for the choice are written down.
How does the attic behave in an East County summer?
An attic with no airflow can run well above the outside temperature on a summer afternoon, and the heat softens the underside of the covering from below. The soffit intake and the ridge exhaust are checked together, and any blocked intake is cleared.
Insulation pushed against the eave is pulled back, and baffles keep the path open. The owner is shown the readings taken before and after, so the change is measured rather than assumed.
How are multi-unit buildings in the city repaired?
A multi-unit building is planned in phases, with each area closed and dried in one day and the units below protected. The access is agreed with the owner, and the occupants are told the days when the work is overhead.
The drains, the parapets and the roof hatches are checked in the survey, since those are where a flat roof on a multi-unit building most often leaks into the top floor.
How is a repair on a sloping El Cajon lot planned?
A roof on a sloping lot drains hard toward its low side, and the outlets must carry that flow clear of the foundation. The technician measures the fall of each run and the position of each outlet, and places a splash block or a short pipe where the soil would otherwise be washed away.
Access on a slope is planned too. Ladders are set on firm ground and tied off at the top, and materials are carried up in small loads so the crew is not working over a pile of tile or sheet on an uneven surface.
Why is the flat section checked on an East County building?
A flat section in East County takes the sun for long hours, and its membrane can stiffen and crack at the seams. The technician checks the seams and the edges, and tests whether a coating is suitable where the membrane is sound.
Drains on a flat section are cleared and tested for flow. A drain that sits too high leaves a pool beside it, and the pool is the first place the seam fails under the weight.
