Business ProfileforWest Coast Roofing Construction Renewables

This is an entirely untrue review and is intended to damage my business and reputation.

We installed a torch-down roof on *************** Home in September of 2022.  She was very satisfied with the completed work.  

In late spring of 2023 *************** contacted me about some cracks in her drywall on the wall.  I went to the home to take a look at them.  The cracks were on her exterior load bearing walls, the strongest walls of the home and near the edge of the roof.  I informed *************** that if we were to damage drywall, it would be in the ceiling, out over the center of the building where the rafters of the building could flex under the weight of the heavy roofing materials and the work being completed.  That the load bearing walls are the strongest in her home and that the cracks were more likely to be from something other than replacing her roof.  The cracks were not near the roof either, but further down the wall.  She was obviously not pleased with my answer.

December 5th 2:30pm I received a call from *************** that her roof was leaking.  This was strange since the roof had been installed over a year and had already gone through one winter weather cycle with no issues.  Since we had received three days of heavy rain up to that point, I asked her if the leak was near her chimney and she said it was not.  Masonry is porous and this is a 62 year old house.  I asked her that because with three days of heavy rain, why didn't it leak day one? why was it leaking day 3?  This usually happens when old masonry becomes saturated and can no longer absorb water.  I have been roofing homes for over 30 years, I have seen this before.  

My ******* was able to get to her home within two hours of her call.  He searched the roof looking for issues and could not find any.  He believed that the condition of the chimney and the weather we had received over the previous three days was the culprit.  It was getting dark and I talked to *************** on the phone that I would be there on the 6th to inspect it myself.

I arrived on the 6th in the morning and searched the entire roof area for any un-sealed seams, any incorrect flashing details or any punctures in the roof.  There were some remnants of broken branches on the roof, but for the most part the roof was clean.  There was also a small indentation that could have been made by falling debris but it was slightly downhill from where the water was showing inside the home.  The only tell tale sign of a leak culprit was a 62 year old chimney that was void of a crown, missing flue liners in two of the three exit points and had mortar that you can remove by hand or missing altogether.  The chimney is also uphill from where the water is getting in.  I told *************** that we should come back on the 8th after we have given the weather a couple of days to clear and water test the roof.  We would hose down the roof, putting more water on this area than it would get over a weeks worth of rain.  

I returned to *************** home on the 8th and we began to water test the roof.  We ran water over this section until we had a nice river going for about an hour.  We could not get the roof to leak.  I told *************** that I believed that the leak was coming from the chimney and that she should call a ***** to look at the chimney.  She also came up on the roof and took a look at the chimney.  After that, I prepared some bitumen sealant to fill the indentation in the roof even though it was not the cause of the leak.  Next, I re-wrapped the chimney to try and cover the crown a little better than it was and strapped it with tie-downs.   Unfortunately all of the flues are in use and must remain open, still allowing for water to pond on the non-existent crown and get in under the tarp.  The tarp is only protecting the sides of the chimney.

I did not hear from *************** for over a month and a half.  During that time we have had stretches of rain, drizzle and even some snow.  We had not had another extended period of hard rain until the 24th-27th of January.  Once again, it did not leak on the first 3 days of heavy rain.  Only after those heavy rain days and with the chimney saturated did she experience water getting in again.   I then received a text from *************** that her roof was leaking.  I messaged her back that I would come to look at it on Sunday morning the 28th.  On Sunday when I arrived, I went up to look at the roof and chimney to see if there were any issues on the roof and there were none.  The crown of the chimney had a pond of water on it and was draining down in through the open flues.  I took pictures of everything going on with the roof and chimney and headed off of the roof.  I told ***************' Husband that there was nothing for me to fix and that they needed to call a chimney *****. That I would be on my way and we would be sending *************** a documentation letter stating our position on her claim that she had a roof leak.  

I know it is difficult for people to believe that their chimney could be leaking, but it is a very common problem with masonry chimneys.  In-tact masonry with good mortar and a crown that will slope water away from the flues should be re-sealed with a masonry waterproofing product every five to seven years.  Chimneys where the crown has deteriorated and the mortar is falling out should be re-built or tuck pointed and re-sealed.  

I would love to meet the contractor who'd said we did shoddy work.  I would love to meet him at this job and have him/her point out the shoddy work.  We produce some of the finest torch-down work in the ******* area with our 2 main installers having over 20 and over 30 years installing the product.  We are often referred by other roofing companies to do work that is beyond their expertise.  

As I stated above, this is an attempt to harm my character and business. I am sorry that I could not convey to *************** the importance of getting a masonry contractor out to look at her deteriorating chimney.

I would be very happy to meet a masonry contractor at her home when they finally get one out there.