of sunnyvale
Homeowners Association
125 Connemara Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
|
sunset park
of sunnyvale Homeowners Association |
125 Connemara Way Sunnyvale, CA 94087 |
Meeting took place on July 24, 2001. One person from a roof installation contractor spoke to us.
The following committee members were present:
The roofer provided members of the committee with materials including photos of roofs in the complex. The photos suggest that some roofs will need to be replaced soon. One member of the committee recognized her unit in a couple of the photos.
Rain gutters should be replaced at the same time as the roofs. The Board will need to figure out what to do about gutters not originally installed. Gutters with screens or other devices to avoid collecting leaves don't usually work out. The coverings end up requiring more work to clean than the gutters themselves. Placing a scupper screen at the top of the downspout is a good idea, however, because it is easy to clean and it keeps the downspouts from clogging.
It is a good idea to replace flat roofs and associated shingle roofs at the same time, but not as critical as replacing associated rain gutters along with shingle roofs. Flat roofs with 2 layers of modified bitumen are warranted for 20 years, but might last 30. Composition shingles might be warranted for 40 years, but we should not count on that.
The roofer reviewed the different roofing materials, with committee members following along in one of his handouts.
Composition (asphalt and fiberglass) shingles are long lasting, have a good track record, are lightweight, provide class A fire protection, are highly walkable, and are less expensive than other materials. The major drawback is aesthetics. Composition shingles are also in need of proper ventilation. Manufacturers' warranties require 1 square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic floor space. Half of that ventilation must be at the base for air intake, and half must be on the roof (at the ridge if possible) for outlet.
Cedar shakes tend not to be as good as they were 25 years ago. It is hard to get good wood. Most wood these days comes from tree farms, and the wood is not as dense. Composition shingles will outlast wood shakes.
Fake wood shingles have poor track records. Many products have been introduced in recent years, but most of them are no longer available.
Tile products look great, but they are heavy and expensive. Most tile products are too heavy to be supported by our buildings.
The bottom line: Composition shingles are our best bet.
The roofer seemed to like Certainteed best, but he also spoke very positively about GAF. He did not think so highly of Elk. He claimed that Certainteed offers a warranty as good as the Golden Pledge warranty from GAF, but the Certainteed warranty on their website does not seem to have everything (in Steve's opinion). (Steve called the Certainteed 800 number the next morning and confirmed that their warranty does not protect against installation defects even during the initial coverage period.) Certainteed purchased Celotex about a year ago, so those products come from the same company now.
Samples of the following were shown to the committee:
The lifetime shingles are not likely to last much longer than the 40 year shingles. The difference in the Dimensional shingles is in the weights. The Presidential TL and Grand Canyon products cost 35-40% more than the 40-year Dimensional product (including tear-off and installation labor), and the Presidential Shake and Ambassador Shake are somewhere in between.
The additional money buys a more attractive and impressive roof with dimensionality. The Presidential Shake roof has been around for 23 years and is likely to continue to be around in the years to come (but no guarantee on that). Weathered-wood is a very popular roof color that is likely to be around for a while; it works well with just about any stucco paint color. The GAF Grand Sequoia is comparable in quality to the Celotex Presidential Shake, but the Presidential Shake has 4 inches of exposure while the Grand Sequoia has 5 inches. (The smaller number is preferred because it adds to the dimensional appearance of the roof.)
To help the Association decide which shingles to install, the roofer is willing to provide multiple quotes provided that all quotes are for the same type of material (e.g., composition).
The roofer does not in most cases recommend overlays. (The term he used in discussing this issue was "recovers".) The new roof reflects the surface of the old roof and picks up the old roof's twists, curls, and bumps. It's a good idea to have a tear-off when installing a new roof in order to expose dry rot, structural problems, and attic termites. Multiple overlays cause dry rot.