Roof replacement and repair in Los Altos, Long Beach

Los Altos sits on the east side of Long Beach, a few miles back from the ocean, and it was built out as a post-war tract with single-story ranch homes on regular lots. That makes roofing here fairly predictable in one way: the roof shapes are simple, mostly low to medium pitch with long runs of hip or gable. It is less predictable in another way, because decades of re-roofs, additions and patio covers mean every house now has its own history.

We see a lot of composition shingle roofs near the end of their life, flat-roofed family rooms added in the 1960s and 1970s, and patio covers tied into the main roof with flashing that was never quite right. Our crews repair what can be repaired and tell you plainly when a re-roof makes more sense.

Ranch homes and roofs in Los Altos

Many Los Altos homes were built with lightweight roofing of the era. Over the years most have been stripped and re-covered in asphalt shingle, and some were converted to concrete tile. When a house has had a heavy tile roof put on framing built for something lighter, we look at the rafters and decking before recommending any more weight.

The low pitch is worth understanding. Shingles need enough slope to shed water, and on porches or additions where the slope drops too low, shingles leak no matter how new they are. Those sections usually need a low-slope membrane such as torch-down or TPO, tied cleanly into the shingle field around them.

Roof problems we see most in Los Altos

Working on homes in Los Altos

Los Altos is an easy neighborhood to work in: wide streets, driveways for our trucks, and single-story roofs that make tear-offs quick and clean. A typical re-roof needs a City of Long Beach building permit, which we pull, and inspections, which we schedule. Depending on slope and climate zone, Title 24 can require cool-rated shingles on a re-roof, so we confirm that before ordering.

Being inland, Los Altos gets hotter summer afternoons than the beach neighborhoods, which is hard on shingles and attic spaces. Many of these homes have too little attic ventilation, so we often pair a re-roof with added intake and ridge vents. Our downtown office is a short drive away, and our crews take storm calls here around the clock.