Roof Restoration

•  Restores beauty and integrity
•  Restores roofs water tightness
•  Significant savings from re-roofing

Process Overview

When wood is left exposed to the elements, it becomes incapable of replenishing its resins. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun and predator algae strip the wood of these vital fluids. The wood loses its ability to remain flexible, durable and resistant to leaching and rotting. Thus roofs with wood shakes appear warped, cracked, buckled, brittle and dark in color. Although unnoticeable from the ground, dry rot has set in and has begun to break up the wood's structure. Shake roofs under these conditions cannot possibly last as long as originally expected.

Wood siding is protected by paint, stains, coatings and preservatives, yet siding receives only an insignificant fraction of nature's abuse. Wood Roofs receive 100 percent of the weather heat and humidity, yet we do nothing to protect them. we literally leave them to ROT! Rather than foolishly waste valuable building materials and maintenance funds, we can become educated in the process of roof preservation.

As a result of a government agency's investigations, the following statement regarding roof preservation was issued:

•  "There is now sufficient experience to show that cedar may be used in its natural state for roofing shingles or shakes in this country, however, it is greatly improved and it's service life extended by treatment with a wood preservative. By far the best method of treatment for this purpose is by pressure impregnation with copper, chrome, or arsenic preservative. These types of preservatives become fixed in the wood soon after treatment and are then highly resistant to leaching. Roofing shingles, provided they are adequately impregnated, should have a greatly enhanced service life.

According to the "Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau," the use of chemical solutions frequently is warranted if the ultimate in service is to be anticipated." In April of 1980, the Bureau provided this information in their bulletin:

• "Wood shingles and shakes have long been the premier roofing material of North America. The majority of wood roofs remain untreated. Chemical treatment is desirable under conditions which may be conducive to premature deterioration, such as areas whose climate combines heat and humidity for considerable portions of the year, roofs of low pitch or slope, roofs beneath overhanging trees, etc., Roofing materials may be purchased pressure treated with, or having been immersed in, wood preservatives. Surface re-treatment at future intervals should be contemplated. Fungicidal chemical will inhibit  moss, fungus, and mildew, and will contribute to the roofs service life."

In accordance with this information, and in response to the obvious needs of the public and private sectors, Roof Life Company, Inc., began cleaning and treating roofs in Oregon. We have grown to be the largest company of its kind servicing the west coast with offices throughout California and Oregon.  We have a proven record of cleaning treating shake roofs in the utmost professional manner, with thousands of local references. The Roof Life process involves three steps for the completion of the suggested maintenance and treatment of wood shake roofs:

Restoration Process Steps

Step 1: Roof Cleaning

Step 2: Roof Repairing

Step 3: Roof Treatment

The special Roof Life compound is now applied, accomplishing three major protective purposes. A copper-oil based chemical replaces the natural binder resins native to the wood. Strength, durability, flexibility and mildew protection returns to the wood. The applied algaecide and fungicide prevent the re-growth of algae, moss, lichens and other predator and water-retaining plant life. In addition, a sun screen and water-repellant solution is applied to halt the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation and water retention.

In summary, through a roof cleansing program, water retention and algae predation can be eliminated. Through the application of the proper fungicides and wood preservatives the re-growth of algae and moss can be stopped and harmful photo-degradation caused by the sun will be retarded. Through these procedures, many old and partially deteriorated roofs and any new untreated wood roof can be saved and made to last for many years. All of this can be accomplished for a fraction of the cost of re-roofing.

**The main points covered herein concerning wood roof degradation and the treatment thereof has been completely documented by Federal Government laboratory reports performed domestically and overseas, and by several university laboratory studies performed at various forestry extensions.