Shingle roof repair in Long Beach, CA

Asphalt composition shingle covers most of the ranch homes and many Craftsman bungalows in Long Beach. It is a good roof for our climate when it is in shape, but our long, dry summers and strong UV are hard on it. The granules that protect each shingle wear off, the asphalt underneath dries and gets brittle, and edges curl. Wind then lifts and tears the weakened shingles.

Repairing a shingle roof well means more than nailing down a new tab. Each shingle is locked under the course above it, so our roofers carefully break the seal strips, slide out damaged shingles, weave new ones in, nail them in the right place and reseal the course. Done right, the repair blends in and sheds water like the rest of the roof.

How sun wears down a shingle roof here

On south and west-facing slopes, shingles take hours of direct sun every day for most of the year. Over time the granules loosen and wash into the gutters. Without them, UV attacks the asphalt directly, and shingles turn brittle, crack and curl at the edges or cup in the middle.

We often find one or two slopes badly worn while the north side still looks good. That is a case where targeted repair or a single-slope replacement can make sense, as long as the rest of the roof has years left in it.

• Granule loss and bald spots
• Curling at edges and cupping in the middle
• Brittle shingles that crack when bent
• Worst wear on south and west slopes

Weaving in new shingles the right way

We start by loosening the seal strips on the course above the damage with a flat bar, so we can pull the nails without tearing good shingles. The damaged shingles slide out, new ones go in, and each is nailed in the nailing strip where it will be held by the next course. Then we hand-seal the lifted tabs so wind cannot get under them.

Matching color is the hard part on an older roof, because shingles fade in the sun. We bring the closest current color and, if needed, take spare shingles from a hidden spot so the visible repair blends best.

Boots, vents and ridge on shingle roofs

Many shingle roof leaks start at the parts set into the roof rather than the shingles. Rubber pipe boots crack in the sun after some years. Metal vents rust near the coast. Ridge caps split and lose their seal. Step flashing along walls rusts or was never installed correctly on an older addition.

We replace these parts with new ones and tie them back into the shingles properly, with the uphill shingles overlapping the flashing so water runs over it, not behind it.

• Cracked rubber pipe boots
• Rusted roof vents and vent caps
• Split or loose ridge caps
• Missing or rusted step flashing at walls

When to call about shingle roof repair

Shingle roofs on Long Beach ranch homes

The big post-war tracts in Los Altos, the Plaza, Lakewood Village, El Dorado Park Estates and North Long Beach are full of 1950s ranch homes, and most now carry composition shingle. These roofs are long and low, often with additions and patio covers tied in over the years. The joints where those additions meet the original roof are where we find many of the leaks.

Many Craftsman bungalows in Belmont Heights and Bluff Heights also have shingle roofs, often steeper, with dormers and step flashing along every wall. Inland, the sun does most of the damage. Closer to the water, salt air rusts the metal vents and flashing set into the shingles faster than the shingles themselves wear.