Deanna Meske, here with HRC TV coming to you from Houston, Texas. Right now I’m standing outside of a brand new home that is being built with a new slate and copper roof which has been mostly installed until the red flag went up a few weeks ago when the owner started looking around and felt that something wasn’t right. So, we went to the web and he found out that things were definitely being done incorrectly and was referred to the country’s top slate and copper roof consultant, John Chan from The Durable Slate Company.
Let’s go take a look and see what John found.
So, John is called in to inspect, educate, and testify about roofing problems all over the country. Now, some of these are settled outside of court and some of them actually go to court. He’s been able to use his expertise and experience to help many people get the roof they were promised, despite the uphill battle the makeshift contractors put them through after their roof was installed improperly.
Many times contractors will come out and do a job using insurance money and will end up doing a hack job, which causes leaks and other costly problems for the customer. And at that point all of the insurance money has been used and that is when John from The Durable Slate Company is brought in to inspect, educate, and testify if needed. He’s sort of a superhero to the slating, copper roofing clientele. If you suspect your roof has been installed improperly and feel you deserve a fair shake, contact The Durable Slate Company.
So, John you just came off the roof. We’re eager to find out: what did you find out when you did that roof inspection up there?
John: I noticed that there’s some critical errors done on this roof, basically something that a more novice slate installer did. Some of the laps are wrong, the side laps, the head laps, the flashings were done incorrectly and that basically allows a little bit of water infiltration.
Deanna: And so what does that mean to like an average customer out there who has a copper roof or a slate roof?
John: Well what that means is that basically you’re going get water inside your house. And right off the bat you’re not gonna see it because the whole roof has been laid with ice and water shield, so when the water gets underneath the slate it gets on the ice and water shield and it won’t leak right away until the water shield goes bad.
Deanna: So you’ll see leaks a lot sooner than you should ever see with like a slate roof or a copper roof
John: That’s correct. I mean with a slate roof, you’re basically talking about a hundred year roof. So with something like this you’re talking about leaks within five, maybe six, seven years.
Deanna: Wow that’s pretty soon. And with a slate roof you just basically don’t get leaks right?
John: If it’s built right that’s correct, with a slate roof you really shouldn’t have any problems with it. I mean, you might have a missing slate here there but in general, you’ve got a hundred year root.
The copper roof was installed with a double lock but what they did was the machine bit, basically it caught on the edges, so it didn’t fold correctly and they folded some copper over top of it and riveted so that’s susceptible to water getting in. The other thing is that it’s a really low pitch and they didn’t put any sealant inside the joint which will also allow for some water penetration.
Deanna: Great, now this is a new home so obviously you can fix these issues pretty quickly if you spot them like you did, but a lot of times there are current homeowners who have already had the insurance company pay the contractor to do a job and then you’re brought out to inspect the leaks. Tell us a little bit about some of the experiences you’ve had out in the field.
John: Sure, there’s been a lot of experiences, all over the country.
There’s one in Baton Rouge where you know, a slate roof was put on and two years later it leaked, you know, causing over two hundred thousand dollars worth of interior damage and you know, basically we had to tear the roof off and put it back on. So there are those occasions where something like that occurs.
Deanna: And the insurance had already paid for that, the first time around?
John: Yes, that’s correct. The homeowner actually had to pay that out of pocket.
Deanna: And then you were called out. Were you able to get them some money back in that case?
John: Uh, it’s still ongoing.
Deanna: Okay, but you have been able to get people money back by coming out and inspecting and proving that the contractor was at fault?
John: Oh yeah, that happens quite often. You know contractors, when they put on an inferior product that isn’t up the specifications, you know, obviously the homeowner or the property owner has some legal recourse.
Deanna: Okay, great. So any other information you want to give the viewers about your consulting portion of your business, things that you’ve done?
John: We’ve done so many interesting things from you know, Buffalo to Deadwood, South Dakota, to Panama City, Florida, Washington DC, you know, all over the country, and basically what we do is we make sure that roofs are installed per specifications on all slate, tile, and copper roofs.
Deanna: And you hold specific certificates and you’re also a member of certain boards so that you’re more qualified to do this type of work?
John: Sure yeah, I’m certified by Hague Engineering as a roof consultant for residential and commercial roofs. I’m certified by the Tao Institute and I’m also president of the National Slate Association. So, you know, I actually know a lot about these types of roofs and including, you know, from the Copper Development Association. So, I’m very well versed in slate, tile, and copper roofing.
Deanna: Well, there you go! There’s a slate and tile and copper expert. If you need anything, just give him a call at The Durable Slate Company.
John: Thanks!
Deanna: Thanks for watching. I’m Diana Meske, signing off with HRC TV, bringing you historical restoration and construction news throughout the country.
