Roof Cleaning & Painting - Miami Springs

Before we performed our roof cleaning service on this home in Miami Springs it was so black from algae growth that the actual color of the concrete tile was difficult to determine. The inherent energy efficiency of the tile roof was negated as it now absorbed the sun's rays, heating and aging the underlayment and raising temperatures inside.
We were called to provide an estimate for a roof
cleaning but upon inspection discovered an attached flat roof, a white Ruberoid system, that was equally black with algae stains.

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This condition is all too common in Miami where there are many flat roofs over additions which often go neglected for the roof's entire life cycle. One can hardly blame homeowners, really, it is human nature - "Out of sight, out of mind". Roof salesmen hardly ever discuss maintenance of flat roofs and sometimes tout them as maintenance-free! I suppose they are, until they fail . . . No roof system benefits more from maintenance than a flat roof, the life expectancy of which can easily be doubled with the timely application of a quality elastomeric coating.



After cleaning the flat roof and applying two coats of elastomeric roof coating it was now brilliant white. This will greatly reduce temperatures inside, cooling costs and the load on the air conditioning system while extending the life of the flat roof.
Ideally this roof cleaning and roof painting should have been done sooner but it is good to know homeowners in places like Miami Springs are more aware of energy efficiency and the benefits of roof maintenance.

By Michael Slattery

   

Roof Coating Miami – Pinecrest, Fl

This “before” shot of a roof coating job near Miami in Pinecrest, Fl. was taken after an extensive roof cleaning, so you can imagine how dirty it was before the algae stains were removed.  Flat roofs benefit from maintenance more than any other residential system and should be inspected every year. We offer FREE yearly inspections to all residents in our service area.

In general, the life cycle of a flat roof is proportionate to the degree it is maintained. Particular attention must be given to the buildup of debris which can eventually rot the roof membrane or clog roof drains, which can prove disastrous. Excessive standing water, or “ponding”, can also cause problems and shorten the roof’s life expectancy. Excessive ponding, as defined by Miami-Dade County, is any water that doesn’t evaporate after 48 hours. This criteria is flawed as a flat roof in Miami could be submerged for most of the summer, so we have adopted a 24 hour standard for our low-slope applications.

The application of elastomeric roof coatings is the most effective maintenance practice for low-slope roofs. These coatings slow the aging process of flat roofs and increase a home’s energy efficiency by blocking solar radiation.

Roofer Mike Inc has extensive experience in the application of acrylic, polyurethane, and silicone roof coatings in water based and solvent based formulas. Solvent-based coatings tend to be much more expensive and must be used where ponding conditions are present. Water based coatings are used on flat roofs with good drainage, metal roofs and even tile roofs but should not be applied to shingle roofs.

This flat roof in Pinecrest turned out great after we applied two generous coats of Somay Roof Mastic, a high-quality acrylic coating from a local manufacturer formulated for tropical climates. This application comes with our 5-year workmanship warranty.

The South Florida roofing market features many local and national manufacturers of elastomeric roof coatings. From economy coatings to pro-grade, there is a coating for almost any budget. Roofer Mike Inc is familiar with all of them and can recommend the best product for a customer’s needs.

By Michael Slattery

Roof Repair On "Crickets" In Miami-Dade

 This roof repair involved two "crickets" in western Miami-Dade County in the middle of a concrete tile roof. Crickets are water diverters commonly found behind chimneys or, as in this case, structures designed to transfer water from one roof area to another.

These areas were created as part of the design of the front of the house to create an aesthetic and detail. The upper cricket is a flat area where two opposing roof planes meet and is an acceptable design. They are flashed using conventional methods. Often architects will terminate a roof plane at a vertical wall, a "dead valley", as in the lower area where the cricket itself was never built. This is simply a bad design but something roofers must deal with. In this case we tore out all roof materials to the wood deck and installed a cricket with a slight pitch to the next sloped roof area. We installed 5”x 7” metal base flashings and stucco-stop, GAF  #75 base sheet and torched a layer of GAF Ruberoid Torch Granule. Ruberoid is an ideal material for addressing cricket areas.

We installed new metal flashings from the lower cricket, up-slope to the upper cricket and torched Ruberoid over that as well. Then we put the tile back and as an extra reinforcement applied two coats of GAF Topcoat Surface Seal to the lower cricket especially, in consideration of the volume of water it tolerates. 

by Michael Slattery

Tile Roof Repair on Chimney