The homeowner's concern
The homeowner was preparing to add solar and wanted the roof replaced first. There was no active leak, but granule loss was heavy in the gutters and several tabs had lifted along the west-facing slope after Santa Ana wind events.
What the inspection found
- Field shingles at the end of service life — heavy granule loss and brittle tabs
- Lifted and unsealed tabs across the west elevation from repeated wind exposure
- Original galvanized drip edge corroded along the rear eave
- Two attic vents undersized for the conditioned area, contributing to summer attic heat
- Sheathing sound throughout — no replacement required beyond two small sections at the rear eave
Scope of work performed
- 1Full tear-off of the existing single layer down to sheathing
- 2Replaced two sections of deteriorated sheathing at the rear eave
- 3Synthetic underlayment across the field, ice-and-water membrane in valleys and at all penetrations
- 4New drip edge, pipe flashings, and painted valley metal
- 5Installed architectural cool-roof shingles with a full ridge-vent system
- 6Upgraded intake and exhaust ventilation ahead of the planned solar array
Materials specified
GAF Timberline HDZ architectural shingles, cool-roof rated color
GAF FeltBuster synthetic underlayment and WeatherWatch valley membrane
GAF Cobra ridge vent
26-gauge painted drip edge and valley metal
Project photos
All photos on this page were taken by our crew on this job in San Diego County.
Outcome
The homeowner got a new roof with a 50-year manufacturer warranty in place before the array went up, avoiding a future solar detach and reset. Improved ridge and intake ventilation lowered measured attic temperature, and the fixed-price proposal closed with zero change orders.