Drought, Recession Lead to Disrepair of Orange County Rooftops

Irvine, CA (PRWEB) January 28, 2014

Three years of drought, coming on the heels of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, has left the rooftops of many Orange County communities vulnerable, as homeowners have put off inspections and repairs to save money.

This may be the driest winter on record, but delays in roof inspections and repairs while understandable may end up being more costly in the long run, one of the regions leading roofing contractors explained.

"Collectively, a majority of the roofs in Southern California are in some state of disrepair," said Charles Antis, owner of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing. "A normal year of rain (13.1 inches) will result in substantial property loss. A heavy rain of 2 to 3 inches over a 24-hour period will likely create a state of emergency due to roofing failure, with damage that could exceed $20,000 per unit for some homeowners associations."

Common talk among those in the industry is that roofs, decks and wood trim in Southern California are in the worst condition we have seen in our lifetime.

The warning may seem dire, but Antis has decades of experience in the business and has seen it all.

Every year, news of collapsed rooftops in stores, gas stations, even the famous Metrodome collapse make headlines; residents are displaced, businesses closed, and properties condemned.

Moreover, when the big rains come and they will calls for service will escalate dramatically, overloading roofing companies and driving a spike in the cost of repairs.

"Its the dramatic stories of roof damage that make the 6 oclock news," Antis said. "Whats not told is the collective damage that occurs when leaks and roof failures become widespread within a community."

Antis sees this happen frequently. HOAs, in an effort to keep monthly dues low, will ultimately suffer losses sometimes facing condemnation -- misleading themselves into believing that dry weather means their roofs are in good standing. The reality is that light rains leak water into roofs and wall cavities undetected, causing excessive dry rot and structural degradation.

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Drought, Recession Lead to Disrepair of Orange County Rooftops