Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) provided a certification for this roof in the Garden Home area near Portland, Oregon in July 2015. The buyer decided to put on a new roof, so we wrote the specs, monitored the job, and did the final inspection on November 13, 2015. The roof quality is way above a typical roof installallation; for once, a homeowner got what they paid for!

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected two buildings in Downtown Portland. Both are 106 years old and are apartment / condominiums. We provided summary reports, maintenance advice, specs for a new roof when the time comes, and a list of quality roofers that can handle jobs like this. 

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in October 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified:

• 10/3 - 6/15 - Happy Valley Roof Inspection - (see photos below)
• 10/26 - 29/15 - Ashland New Roof Inspection (see photos below)
• 10/4/15 - NE Portland New Roof Inspection
• 10/5/15 - Happy Valley New Roof Inspection
• 10/8/15 - Clackamas Roof Certification
• 10/10/15 - Tigard Roof Certification
• 10/10/15 - West Linn New Roof Installation Monitoring
• 10/14/15 - West Linn New Roof Installation Monitoring
• 10/15/15 - NW Portland Roof Inspection
• 10/15/15 - SE Portland Roof inspection
• 10/19/15 - Damascas Roof Certification
• 10/21/15 - NE Portland New Roof Inspection
• 10/22/15 - Vancouver, Washington Roof Certification
• 10/24/15 - Gladstone Roof Certification
• 10/24/15 - N Portland Roof Certification
• 10/26-28/15 - Ashland New Roof Inspection
• 10/29/15 - Lake Oswego Roof Inspection
• 10/29/15 - NE Portland Roof Inspection
• 10/29/15 - Oregon City Roof Inspection

The property management company for the Princeton Village Apartments in Happy Valley contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) about inspecting the roofs on eight large buildings and twenty-four garages. They wanted to know how long the roofs should last, what repairs are necessary now, and the overall condition of the roofing systems. The management company had received conflicting opinions from various roofers and didn't agree with much of what they were told (smart people!) so they decided to seek an independent, unbiased, impartial opinion from someone who isn't selling anything. Five independent consultants were asked to bid this job and ORC was awarded the contract. ORC provided photo and text documentation of the Princeton Village Apartments roof inspection in Happy Valley (Clackamas).

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in September 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified. 

Also...

• 9/24/15 - NE Portland New Roof Installation Monitoring
• 9/26/15 - Gresham Roof Certification
• 9/29/15 - 10/1/15 - Happy Valley Condominiums Inspection
• 9/30/15 - Cedar Hills Roof Inspection
• 9/30/15 - NW Portland Roof Certification

A regional property management company contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) and asked us to inspect this 300 square roof at the Radisson Airport Hotel in NE Portland (a square is 100 square feet, making this roof 30,000 square feet). I met with their reprepresentative and we walked the entire roof. The shingles had failed prematurely and the hotel needs a new roof. We provided specs for the new work, will assist in finding the right roofer, and will monitor the new roof installation.

➲ See our 2016 Gallery entry, Radisson Airport Hotel New Roof (June 21, 2016), for updates.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect specific sections of flat roofs at the West Hills Racquet and Fitness Club. Joe met with the lead maintenance person and we had a look. Joe also looked at the other roofs, which were various types of membrane, cedar shakes, and concrete tile.

The same property management company that hired ORC to look at the roof on the Radisson Airport Hotel hired us for this job as well. Nearly three years since its inception, ORC has accumulated quite a list of regular clients, including property management companies, contractors, insurance companies, several realtors, and rental property owners.

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in July and August 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified.

Multnomah University, which has a 22 acre campus in NE Portland, contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to evaluate the flat roof on the library and a pitched roof on one of the dormitories. Multnomah University originally was a school for the blind in 1938, then soon became a bible school and university.

A repeat-client property management company asked Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to inspect these roofs at the Cougar Ridge apartment complex in Beaverton and report on the condition for their board of directors.

The Franciscan Condominiums in SW Portland is a well-maintained and peaceful property owned by a West Coast property management company. An independent insurance firm that does work all over the nation referred Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to the property management company. ORC was hired to inspect 15 buildings with 51 residences and 12 carports. The owners wanted to know the condition of the roofs, any repair history, and the remaining life of the roofs. We provided complete text and photo documentation as well as specs for proper new roofs when replacement is needed.

Vintage property in SW Portland. This is the Wilcox condominiums in SW Portland. The large building is from 1920. The duplexes and garages are from 1960. The interior is very unique and ornate. The grounds are very beautiful, especially in back.

A rare bird! If I look at 100 roofs, I may see only one of these. It is a fantastic install. I could find nothing wrong. Everything is correct or better.

A beautiful job. If all roofers did this, I'd be out of a job. Look and learn all you cowboy roofers.

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in May and June 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified.

In late April Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected this apartment complex in Federal Way, Washington, for a national property management company based in San Diego. We have done several projects for them.

Prior to purchasing a property, the property management company does due dilligence, part of which includes having ORC inspect the roofs on their projects in Oregon and Washington.

This is the Willow Pointe Homeowners Association in Longview, Washington. Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was hired to look at the 20 duplex roofs, which were between 6 and 8 years old. There are 38 buildings including 17 homes, 20 duplexes, and one office building. Many of the roofs are failing prematurely, with heavy surface granule loss. We suspect that inferior or defective shingles were used on some buildings, as it is extremely rare to find nearly new shingles in such bad condition.

4/8/14: Second Trip to Longview.

ORC removed two shingles from each of the bad roofs and sent them to the manufacturer. The HOA is filing a claim to receive compensation for the early failure of these shingles.

4/2015: Willow Point HOA Roofing Replacement Follow-up.

All duplex roofs will be done again with the Homeowners Association (HOA) paying a very small percentage of the cost. The HOA wanted ORC to inspect the first two new roofs to make certain they were being done correctly. They weren't. ORC provided a list of necessary corrections, which were done. We are optimistic the remaining roofs will be done correctly... Stay tuned.

3/29/16:

Eleven duplex roofs have been replaced. The remaining 9 will begin soon. ORC will soon be going back to look at the 17 houses which are within a seperate homeowners board. Those roofs appear to be in the same condition as the duplex roofs. All were built at the same time using the same shingles.

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in March and April 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified.

Below are jobs that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington in January and February 2015. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified.

The sellers of this home were in a hurry to get a roof certification done and called Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC). I was able to complete the roof certification the same day the sellers called, as it is close to my home.

A home inspector said the roof was shot and that killed the deal for the buyer. I concluded that the roof still had a good 3-5 years remaining, which made the seller very happy.

A real estate investment company contacted Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) to inspect a 20,000 sq. ft. apartment complex in SE Portland. Joe walked all four buildings and also looked in the attics. The roofs are in excellent condition with no issues or repairs needed.

The time between the initial contact call and their receiving the certification document was about six hours. They had a bid of $3,600 for a certification and a three year warranty. All they wanted was a qualified opinion. A warranty was not necessary. Joe's fee: $155.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) inspected two homes on the same Colton, Oregon property for the buyer, whose lender required a 5-year certification. The roofs were in very good condition with no issues or repairs needed. They just need a good cleaning. This was a very nice seven acre property right on a large creek. The rear deck ran the length of the home and was very well built with a viewing platform and also stairs going down to the water.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to inspect another roof for Conam Corporation, based in San Diego. They were doing their due diligence on this 99-unit apartment building on the Columbia River.

The roof consisted of composition shingles, two types of membrane roofing, and standing seam sheet metal. Some repairs are necessary but nothing major. The roof certainly is not a deal breaker on this possible purchase. ORC sent photo and text documentation to Conam and was most pleased to have been asked to look at this project.

Below are roof inspections that Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) completed in Oregon and Washington between October and December 2014. All cities are in Oregon unless otherwise specified.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was asked to evaluate this roof by a regular client, a general contractor based in Vancouver, Washington. The pitched roof was in very good condition with no issues; however, the garage roof was shot and needed to be torn off and reroofed.

This is Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, Oregon, next to Autzen Stadium on the University of Oregon campus. This outdoor concert venue is owned by the city of Eugene and has a capacity of about 5,500. The original metal roof needed replacement. The City of Eugene wanted an A-1 install so they had to cast a wider net for the required skills. Their search ended 3000 miles away.

Oregon Roof Consulting was hired by Englert Inc. in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to inspect this new 9,100 sq ft metal roof to be certain it was installed to their specifications. The roofing was manufactured and installed by Southam Architectural Sheet Metal in American Fork, Utah. Englert and Southam work all over the US and Southam presently has ongoing projects in 12 states including Hawaii, Wyoming, Nevada, Florida, Texas, and Kentucky to name a few. Many of their installers have worked in all 50 states. The General contractor was Mckenzie Commercial Contractors in Eugene, Oregon.

The 22-year-old metal roof was removed. Much of the plywood deck needed replacing and some rot repair and structural restoration were needed. An ice and water membrane made by Englert Inc. was installed prior to the metal roof, which is a 24ga thick double-locking standing-seam product. There are no old-style visible screws with grommets here! All fasteners are hidden, except the stainless steel rivets that secure the various trim items. The "diamonds" on the front face of the peak cap are original and were re-used with an almost perfect color match. This is as good as metal roof installation gets and is a beautiful job.

This was a unique and challenging project with a wide array of details including tricky transitions and various angles that were working against each other. The roof passed inspection! You just don't see these types of projects often and ORC is pleased to have been chosen by these professionals to do the final inspection.

"Joe, Thank you for doing the inspection for us and we appreciate your efforts as well as your comments and feedback. Your report and photo documentation were detailed and thorough as it needed to be. Nice job!" — Englert Inc.

Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this home in Rockaway Beach. I had passed through before but never stopped. The beach is over 7 miles long. As you can see by the photos there was hardly anyone there. Could have done the job in a long day but the owner offered to let me stay a night or two. ORC was there three days. Perfect weather. No crowds. Good seafood. A working vacation. A great job. I (almost) feel guilty being paid for this one.

The Board of the Port Townsend Food Co-op wanted an independent third-party roof assessment done by a company that's not selling anything. They hired Oregon Roof Consulting to make the assessment.  It was a four-hour drive, much of it very scenic along the Hood Canal. I had never been in this area before. Port Townsend very scenic with a trove of beautiful old houses built in the mid-late 1800s. The roof was in overall good condition, though a few items required attention. ORC provided photo and text documentation and the Board was very pleased with our efforts.

This is the administration building for the Estacada, Oregon School District. They did half the roof and ORC was asked to do the final inspection. It passed though a couple of minor items needed rework.

This is the Creekside Village Apartment complex in Vancouver, Washington, consisting of 20 buildings and the main office, rec room and swimming pool area. A national property management company was considering buying this property and sent a team to do due diligence. Oregon Roof Consulting was hired to inspect the roofs and provide photo and text documentation.

» Map of Creekside Village Apartment complex (PDF, new window).

Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this home in Cornelius, Oregon. The owner received many opinions on the roof and wanted an independent inspection from someone who wasn't selling anything. One roofer told her the roof was shot. The photos show otherwise. I told the owner a few very minor items needed attention and she could expect many years out of this roof. She was most happy with the report.

➲ See Bonnie M: Homeowner Testimonial - Cornelius, OR (7/12/14)

Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this property in Newberg, Oregon, including four structures (three with a newer roof). We provided photo and text documentation.

Oregon Roof Consulting serves many Realtors® in the Portland area. These two buildings recently passed inspection and certifications were written. (Joe's Red Ryder truck divides the photos of the two buildings in this example.)

This roof has so many issues, I don't know where to start. Here goes...

• No pattern to shingles.
• Severely scuffed shingles.
• Most nails over driven.
• Sidewall step flashing incorrect.
• 10" strip of plywood at bottom edge then full sheets after that.
• Plywood installed with grain parallel to rafters.

This roofing had to be torn off and done again. A real cowboy install.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) received a morning call about a leaking roof at the central office for the Estacada School District #108. Significant water entry was happening and they couldn't figure out where the leak was. I was there within two hours and met with the Operations Manager and the lead maintenance guy. We walked the roof and determined that it was not a very good installation job as the protrusions were poorly done, the drains were poorly done, the roof seams at the inside of the parapets were seperating, the cap metal wasn't sealed etc. Also the shakes on the mansard roof around the building were falling apart and need replacing ASAP. I provided photo and text documentation, advice on how to correct the problems, and where to obtain the necessary materials to do the work. This would be a 'band-aid' approach but could buy them some time as the roof is far from being 'shot'. When doing the roof it would be money well spent to add a taper system to allow for proper drainage. They were pleased with my prompt and thorough service.

Update: 5/22/14

The roof still leaking so another roofing consultant was called to inspect this roof. This other consultant came up with  essentially the same summary as I did so I guess this could be filed in the 'See I told ya so category'.

This is Vista Ridge Homeowners Association (HOA) in Lake Oswego, Oregon. It consists of 10 buildings with a total of 45,000 sq. ft. of tile roofing. Due to neglect, but mainly poor-quality repairs and maintenance by people unfamiliar with tile, at least 1000 broken tiles exist here. The HOA is deciding now whether to repair, restore, and maintain these tile roofs, or replace the roofs using materials that are both attractive and easier to maintain, such as triple-layer asphalt shingles.

This is a flat roof Oregon Roof Consulting recently inspected in the Oak Hills Community in Beaverton, Oregon. This is one of the first planned communities in our region. ("Oak Hills residents take pride in Rummer-designed homes scattered through the midcentury neighborhood", published in The Oregonian, March 31, 2011.)

This home and three others nearby were built by Robert Rummer (Joe Eichler), who created homes in Oregon and California in the 1950s and 1960s. (Google "Robert Rummer" and "Joe Eichler" to learn more about their many contributions to architecture.)

Our area features about 550 of these Rummer/Eichler homes, and they are highly sought after. Highlights include no attic, no crawlspace, heat coils in the floor, no wasted space, natural light everywhere, and an atrium in the middle. It's always a treat to see something rare and unique!

At ORC the small jobs are just as important as the big jobs.

This 1940s home by the Oregon Zoo in Portland has a 42 year-old aluminum shingle roof. The owner needed an independent inspection for the insurance company stating that the roof is in sound condition. The roof passed inspection, though a bit of moss needs removal and the three plumbing vent flashings need sealant at the collars. The roof will be cleaned, then re-painted. Note the original neon address sign, a rarity these days.

Oregon Roof Consulting inspected this apartment complex in Hillsboro, Oregon. The drains had clogged over time and all that water from the roof went under the building, creating a "Building Envelope" issue. (The crawl space is a part of the building envelope, along with the roof, siding, windows, doors, etc. The roof is but one part of the entire building envelope.)

Some of the plywood in the attic was wet and the crawl space had ponds of water. All that moisture wicked up the walls into the attic, where it flowed down the underside of the roof plywood and ran down the exterior walls (as evidenced by the water stains and buckled siding). The roof (which is only two years old) was thoroughly inspected and found to be a good roof that is not leaking. We recommended the following:

1) Divert all downspouts as far away from the building as possible (two large roof sections totalling 1700 sq ft were draining into one plugged well!). Go visit a gutter guy with a list of tube lengths and type of 'elbows' necessary and buy these items. The drain extensions in the front will be buried underground and exit right at the curb. This could have all been avoided with routine and frequent maintenance inspections. Dry wells eventually clog with dirt and/or palnt-shrub-tree root systems.

2) Shave the ground in front so the water is diverted away from the building and not toward the building as it is presently.

3) Remove bad siding to expose the plywood and help the drying process, which will take a while. It may well be necessary to remove all of the siding as well as the plywood on the walls. Also if there is wet insulation that will also need replacing.

4) The roof is only two years old and much of the plywood was replaced during the reroofing process. This plywood is not delaminating and hopefully can be salvaged. Install six 1450 CFM AC power attic fans with both a thermostat and humidastat; these will help with the drying process and avoid massive moisture intrusion in the future.

5) Install double 1" round vents in walls at each bay at the top of all walls.

Oregon Roof Consulting was hired to inspect this commercial/retail building in Orchards, Washington, and provide photos of problem areas along with advice on necessary repairs and maintenance. The roof is a 2-ply built-up roof system that still has some years left but needs some cleaning and minor patching/repair maintenance. ORC went over each item with the roofer who would be doing the work. This property is managed by a management company in Bend, Oregon.

This home in Eastmoreland next to Portland, Oregon's Reed College needed an inspection on a tile roof prior to sale. Oregon Roof Consulting provided a detailed written summary along with photos and a description of work necessary.

The roof is a concrete tile product, which doesn't perform as well in our moist climate as it would in drier climates. Moss is always a problem, and tile can be easily broken by someone unfamiliar with its characteristics. For every roofer who really knows tile, there are 100 who don't. Tile roofs have a whole different set of rules and are very specialized.

This is a 71 unit Home Owners Association (HOA) complex in NW Portland, Oregon. Oregon Roof Consulting was hired by a property management company to evaluate the composition shingle roof and assist with finding a vendor to perform the miscellaneous repairs required.

ORC has been hired to manage this roofing project in West Linn, Oregon, from start to finish. ORC wrote the installation specs, found good roofers to bid the job, will monitor this roof until completion, and will do a final inspection.

Notice the moldy plywood that likely was caused by utility fans pumping moisture vapor into the attic for many years. New vents will push all the moisture outside where it belongs. (More photos and text to come as this project progresses.)

November 18, 2013 update: The West Linn roofing project is done. This roof is a GAF laminated shingle in the Weathered Wood color. TigerPaw underlayment was used along with ice & water shield in all valleys and at protrusions, 2 pc lead pipe jacks that were sanded primed and painted, granule coated attic vents and metal stem vents for all utility fans. The shingles were 6 nailed and hi-profile ridge was used. The power fans and 'B' vent parts were also sanded primed and painted. The shingle rows are all straight with no scuffed shingles and all detail work very nicely done. The owners could have easily paid much more for much less and they are very pleased with the job.

The other house is a rental next door that the owners wanted inspected and then advised of what needed to be done.

ORC recently wrote the install specs for and managed this new roof for homeowners in Milwaukie, Oregon. The homeowner is a 92 year-old World War II vet who just celebrated his 66th anniversary with his wife.

After the old roof was removed, 1/2" 5-ply CDX plywood was put over the 1x8 ship lap. (Most 'Roofers' would have put the new roof directly on the ship lap, but this is a poor approach.)

The shingle is a 30 year Malarkey product. Continuous ridge vent was installed, along with metal valleys, and two-piece lead pipe jacks that were sanded, primed, and painted.

The roofing also was 100% hand nailed, which is rarely done anymore.

The homeowners are extremely happy with the new roof.

This shake roof in Beaverton, Oregon needed replacing. ORC wrote the installation specs for the roofers, and will monitor the work and perform a final inspection.
 

A homeowner in Milwaukie, Oregon was hoping for a roof certification, but not a chance. This roof should have been replaced years ago, as the photos plainly show.

ORC was hired to inspect roofs on three houseboats along the Columbia River area of Portland, Oregon. All were leaking. Two showed caulking failure and the copper-colored roof was just a very sloppy install. These houseboat roof inspection jobs were at Sauvie Island, Jantzen Beach, and on the Columbia River east of Portland, Oregon (PDX) Airport.

Not every roof fails inspection. Two shake roofs recently inspected both passed with honors. The one story roof is in Lake Oswego and the two story house is in Tigard.

This is the Avalon Park HOA Townhouse complex in Beaverton, consisting of fifty-two individually owned units managed by Bluestone Hockley. ORC was hired to inspect the roofing and advise regarding the condition of the roof in general, expected life remaining, and any problem areas that exist. ORC also is assisting in getting bids from quality contractors and will be monitoring the work to be done. Look for more photos and text related to this large project.

See Joe's blog page for more details about how difficult it is to find a high-quality, reliable roofer who provides excellent customer service.

Oregon Roof Consulting & Inspection was hired to inspect a new 50,000 sq. ft. roof on Linden Grove Health Care Facility in Puyallup Washington in July 2013. The shingle is a 30-year Certainteed 'Landmark' laminate that was installed after the old composition roof was removed. The property owners wanted an independent third party to inspect the entire roof and document that it was done to manufacturer specifications. ORC found a few minor/superficial items that took about three hours to correct. Other than that, the roof passed inspection.

The Contractor was Centimark Corporation, based in Pennsylvania. The roofing was installed by Centimark Corporation in Auburn Washington. See also Joe's blog page.

Oregon Roof Consulting (ORC) was commissioned by a busy professional to manage this residential roofing project from beginning to end. ORC was responsible for:

• having quality-oriented roofing contractors bid the job (we received 5 widely ranging bids for the same work!);
• writing the specifications for the job;
• assist in deciding who does the roof;
• monitoring the job on a daily basis;
• photo documenting all aspects of the work;
• emailing each day's photos to the owners to show the progress;
• inspecting the completed job.

The result was a first class job from start to finish! This is how Professionals do it. See Joe's blog page for more details.

After 93 years at their original location, Dealer's Supply has moved into their new home in NW Portland just off I-405. Find them at 2345 NW Nicolai Street. » map

Dealer's already was the premier distributor in the region, but this will raise the bar even further. With their huge inventory and excellent service and technical advice, they are unsurpassed.

They kept their four vintage 30's 'Form Flow' material list units. Dealer's called to inquire about replacement parts and were told that these machines simply do not exist. The manufacturer wanted to buy these machines to put into their product museum! The beautiful wood at the front counter was culled from the old location and restored.

October 2013 Update: Dealer's Supply now has a roof recycling station. You scale in, unload, and scale out. The debris are separated and 100% recycled.

A beautiful new facility in a great location. Congratulations to Dealer's Supply! Please also visit our blog page announcing this move and the recylcing faclity.

Dealer's Supply Roof Shingle Recyling Facility

Sadie is a seasoned veteran and project manager. She has been to every lumber yard, big box, roofing supplier, landfill, you name it. Sadie knows the game. From the coast to the gorge, to Corvallis, and all over the Portland Metro area — this is one veteran Shih-tzu. This little dog knows more about roofing than some roofers!

Here is a selection of some residential roof jobs I have estimated, sold, and managed over the years. Shown are the 30-, 40-, and 50-year varieties of both the Malarkey and Certainteed standard laminated shingles.

Also shown are the Certainteed 'Presidential' line in both the Presidential 'Shake' version (a 2-ply 50 year (lifetime) shingle) and the Presidential 'TL' (their 3-ply version). Some real nice homes here. Just like yours!

Tear it down. Wire brush each brick. Rebuild. Acid wash. Apply professional grade sealer. Hard to believe these are the same brick but they are!

A nice touch on a shake roof is to take shakes and rip them on a portable table saw then nail them on a jig with hot dipped galvanized finish nails with silicone at the seam to create 90 degree pieces that wrap over rake edges. You very rarely ever see this done.