Roofing, gutters and skylights in Orinda

Sleepy Hollow, Glorietta and the country club area have custom roofs built around wooded slopes. Deep overhangs and intersecting valleys make it important to inspect more than the covering visible from the street. Fire-rated materials and roof-edge details also need consideration when planning work near the wildland interface. We look at those requirements alongside the condition of the underlayment. A material choice should account for the property and the roof assembly, rather than appearance alone.

Live oaks, bay laurels and madrone can shade the roof and deposit leaves across several seasons. Catkins collect in spring, while later leaf fall gathers in valleys and gutters. Dry buildup and damp winter deposits create different maintenance concerns on the same house. Clearing the gutter should include attention to the debris resting above it, particularly where water is backing up. A guard is only one part of that work and doesn't remove the need for roof maintenance.

Steep roof sections may feed large amounts of runoff into a short gutter. We check the channel, the supports and the downspout capacity as a connected system. On the lot below, water needs a planned drainage route away from the house without washing out the slope. Existing drainage connections should be reviewed before changes are made. The useful outcome of an inspection is a clear scope for the actual weak points, not an assumption that every wooded property needs the same installation. Let us know if a roof section is difficult to see or reach because of trees, decks or the slope below it. Those access details belong in planning the inspection and estimating the work, not as a surprise once installation starts.