Servicing Northern California | Call: 510-347-5400

SCHEDULE A FREE INSPECTION TODAY!

Category : HOA Roofing

UV Radiation and Your Roof: What You Need To Know

A-One-Construction-UV-Radiation-and-your-Roof

A-One-Construction-UV-Radiation-and-your-Roof

UV radiation is known to damage the skin, but did you know it can damage your roof too? Most of your roof, if not all of it, is exposed to the sun all day and this can change the components of the roofing material.

UV Radiation and Your Roof: What You Need To Know

The Effects of UV Rays

Shingles are durable and look great, but this will not be the case after overexposure to the sun. Deep within the shingle, the UV light alters the chemical makeup. Typically shingles have a protective coating but the hydrocarbons in this coating deteriorate as they contact the air. The heat from the sun accelerates this deterioration. The result over time is cracking and peeling. You may not always see the long term damage but it will be there. As cracking expands, any water and moisture from other seasons will only make the situation worse. The heat is just as damaging as the light because it increases expansion. When the asphalt cools at night, even more cracking can occur. This thermal shock is the number one cause of shingle destruction. Even though asphalt is more susceptible to sun damage, all types of roofing can be damaged by excessive sun exposure.

Prevention

So what can you do? Regular inspections of your roofing can help to prevent serious damage. Hire an expert to check your roofing at least once a year. Remember that rain and wind can loosen shingles leaving the roof more exposed to the sun. If your shingles are in good shape, applying a protective coating can help preserve them. By reflecting the sun’s light and heat away, you can give a little more life to your shingles. You can also install a metal roof that is better able to withstand expansion and contraction and does not get changed at the molecular level. Rubber roofing is also impervious to UV rays.

Conclusion

With summer approaching, we are here to help you protect your roof from UV light and heat. Call us today with any questions or to schedule an inspection. With the right prevention, you can protect your roof and preserve its longevity for many summers to come.

 

contact us

Continue Reading

Law Reforms Affecting Home Owner Associations

Law-Reforms-Affecting-HOA

Law-Reforms-Affecting-HOA

2020 has brought some new reforms for HOA communities. The new laws are going to impact the way your HOA might function. New Bills are signed and going into effect so you need to know how HOAs are going to be affected.

Law Reforms Affecting HOA Communities in California

Some of these changes for 2020 include:

  • how elections are conducted
  • restrictions on accessory dwelling units
  • specifications regarding contractor status

These new changes will cause associations and boards to make modifications to their existing practices. Thes can change the community as a whole, so you need to be prepared. Key changes for 2020 include:

  • Suspension of the right to vote in elections if the community member is overdue in their assessments.
  • Qualifications for board member candidates need to be set.

Additional challenges

There are also additional challenges facing homeowners regarding the building of accessory dwelling units or ADUs. This law prohibits HOAs from enforcing rules that will make ADUs difficult to build. It does allow the board to impose reasonable restrictions, such as:

  • The owner must occupy the main residence instead of the ADU.
  • Only one ADU can be built on the lot.
  • The ADU cannot be sold separately from the primary home on the lot.
  • The ADU cannot be larger than 50% of the main residence or 1,200 square feet in size.

One final change for 2020 is that contractors are now to be classified as employees. They are no longer independent contractors. Assembly Bill 5 states that contractors are now considered employees unless their work goes unsupervised by a community association. This does not apply to attorneys, accountants, engineers, and other professionals who provide services to common interest communities.

Conclusion

Association boards and managers in the state of California should be aware of and anticipate changes within their associations. All communities and HOA board members in California need to consult a legal professional when establishing these updates. This way you can be sure that all laws and regulations are adhered to correctly.

 

contact us

Continue Reading

Protect your HOA from Data Breaches

Protect-your-HOA-from-Data-Breaches

Protect-your-HOA-from-Data-Breaches

The threat of cybercrime is real. The risks of a data breach are higher than ever. As an HOA board member, you already have so much to worry about. Accidents, lawsuits, injuries, and neighbor disputes. Nowadays, cybercrime is one more thing to add to your list.

Protect your HOA from Data Breaches

HOAs handle a lot of personal information daily that cyber-criminals are looking for:

  • Names and addresses
  • Bank account information
  • Social security numbers
  • Credit card numbers
  • Credit histories

Cyber theft continues to become more sophisticated and the risks for a data breach get higher each year. More than half of the HOAs in the country currently have policies and procedures to keep and store homeowner data. Yet, fraud and theft are the top concerns. Ransomware, hacking, and phishing are the most commonly used forms of hacking according to a report by the Foundation of Community Association Research. A new type of data breach known as social engineering is quickly rising to the top of the cybertheft ranks. A cybercriminal sends an email that evokes fear or urgency in a board member, essentially conning him or her into divulging personally identifiable information.

According to reports:

  • 71% of all data breaches are financially motivated
  • 52% of all breaches occur from unauthorized user access to a network illegally. (both outside the organization and from within)
  • 32% of breaches occur due to phishing. (a cybercriminal sends an email that mimics a trusted resource. It is believed to be authentic and a board member provides login credentials giving the thief access to information.
  • 58% of small-sized businesses experienced data breaches last year, so it is not all about the big corporations. Smaller companies are less likely to have the resources available to protect their data.

A breach of a small or medium business can bring on average $1.43 million in costs. Costs include compensation to association members, fines for stolen credit card information, and legal defense costs. No matter how well-intentioned board members may be, they are always one email away from a potential data breach. That’s why protecting your association and its board is essential. Thankfully, you can take steps to protect both your personal liability and that of the association in the event of a breach.

Protecting Against a Breach

The first step is to review your association’s insurance coverage. The association’s directors and officers (D&O) policy may not necessarily offer protection. These policies provide liability coverage for claims when board members act wrongfully. Cyber liability needs to be specifically listed for coverage. The association’s crime and fidelity policy are designed to protect the money in the association’s accounts. This may provide some cybercrime coverage depending on the endorsements included in each association’s plan. Make sure that your association’s crime policy includes the following:

  • Computer fraud: Covers loss of money, securities, and property as a result of using a computer to fraudulently transfer funds from inside or outside of the association.
  • Funds transfer fraud: Covers losses resulting from theft of association funds by means of fraudulent communication (phishing email or scam).
  • Fraudulently induced transfers: Covers losses due to any act that influences a person to take actions that may or may not be in their best interest (social engineering scam).

You should also look into cyber liability coverage if it’s not specified on the D&O policy. When looking for this coverage remember that you need coverage for:

  • first-party (losses and damages to the association)
  • third-party (losses and damage to outside entities)

These will cover many of the expenses that can occur from a data breach, including:

  • legal and forensic services
  • regulatory expenses
  • notification costs
  • crisis management
  • credit monitoring

Most cyber liability policies will include a retroactive date which is important because 56% of all breaches take several months to discover. Be sure to discuss this with your insurance company. In addition to reviewing the association’s insurance coverage, there are additional steps you can take to improve data security and reduce the risk of a data breach. Make sure all personally identifiable information is encrypted and stored on a secure server.

Conclusion

Use complex passwords with a combination of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Implement two-factor authentication that requires users to log in twice from two different devices. Give administrative privileges or personally identifiable information access only to board members whose specific roles require it. If possible, resource an outside cybersecurity firm that can monitor association data and alert the board of any concerns. Homeowners trust their HOA board to keep their information safe. You cannot stop a cybercriminal from trying to hack, but you can protect your organization. Take the necessary steps to prevent cyberattacks and protect board members and residents from the dangers and expenses of a data breach.

 

contact us

Continue Reading

Can an HOA Board Run its Own Construction Projects?

A-One-Construction-HOA-Board-Runs-Projects

A-One-Construction-HOA-Board-Runs-Projects

Many HOA boards run their own projects which can cause you to feel like you may be missing information and updates. As the face of the owners, the decisions they make are for the community and as a board, they are entrusted with making decisions that will benefit members and owners. There are certain factors that are important when it comes to HOA Boards running the projects.

Can an HOA Board Run its Own Construction Projects?

Conflict of Interests

HOA boards can oversee the construction and maintenance of any project but with owners being used to the management doing this, there can be some conflict. A lack of communication between the board and management will make the situation worse and many conflicts of interest become difficult to clear up. Conflicts of interest can occur when a board member’s decisions are influenced by personal interests and not the interests of the community. Decisions made this way are a direct breach of fiduciary duties. As a result, the director of the board loses protections of the Business Judgement Rule. If the Board were to award a roofing contract to a family member of the director, a conflict occurs and a contract like this can be void.  Sometimes board members vote on matters that result in a benefit to them but it is not a conflict if it also benefits the membership. Voting for added security patrols for which the director and the community will both benefit is an example of a decision that would not create a conflict of interest.

Potential Liability

There are certain instances where the conflicts between boards and the association do not create personal liability:

  • The director makes full disclosure of the conflict.
  • The director gets no influence on the vote by leaving the room during the discussion of the topic.
  • All transactions are just and fair and reasonable as to the association at the time it is authorized and approved.

Failure to Share Information

In some cases, boards do not share all information to management, leaving them unaware of projects and their progress. This can be problematic when owners call to get information about the changes affecting them and management does not know how to answer their concerns. In this case, both management and owners are left in the dark and fearful of what could be happening.

Conclusion

HOA Boards can run their own projects so long as no conflicts of interest are created and all information is shared with the appropriate parties. Management must be informed and aware of the project details, timelines, and dates. Full disclosure is required whenever any updates and changes occur along the way. Communication is the best way to ensure everyone is in agreement and that all projects are run above the board and with everyone’s interests protected.

 

contact us

Continue Reading

Contractor Hiring Tips for HOA Boards

Contractor Hiring Tips for HOA Boards

Contractor Hiring Tips for HOA Boards

It is important for HOA Board members to take their time when hiring a contractor for roofing projects. Any potential contractor needs to be researched to ensure that the association is not put at risk. The roof is an important aspect to any building and poor quality roofing can cost you in damages and lawsuits. Roofing work done must be performed by reliable and experienced contractors to protect the Board’s interests and the HOA properties. To hire a roofing contractor you can trust the following tips that can guide you through your selection process.

Contractor Hiring Tips for HOA Boards

  • Consider multiple contractors: Sending out RFPs (Request for Proposal) to multiple contractors is recommended so you can compare pricing and qualifications. Do not automatically accept the lowest bid. All proposals need to be reviewed and compared, taking time to interview the contractors as well.
  • Take your time: When researching contractors, do not hire the one offering the best price or biggest promises. Ask for recommendations and confirm they have the experience so that you get a high-quality contractor. You want to hire slowly, but when it comes to firing, you will move faster. You want to remove an unqualified person performing poor quality work before any real damage is done.
  • Pay attention to references and reviews: Checking references of the contractors under consideration is advised. You want to verify their reputation and quality of previous jobs. Reviews and comments on the contractor’s site as well as those left on blogs and online boards are also important (although, we recommend to read Yelp reviews with a grain of salt). By checking online and within the community you can collect the information you need regarding the performance of contractors before you make your decision.
  • Licensing: Contractor licensing will vary by state, so it is important to ensure that the contractor has current licensing and is in compliance with California state laws. A licensed contractor minimizes the risk of being taken advantage of and ensures a quality roofing job. It is also important to verify the location and phone number of the contractor to confirm that the business is legitimate before you hire.
  • Verify insurance: California law requires that contractors carry worker’s compensation insurance. There is also industry required insurance mandates that ensure all contractors are fully licensed to perform the jobs they are hired for. Always get the proof of the license when you request a proposal and do not forget to ask about commercial liability insurance.
  • Get everything in writing: Having a contract is important to this process so put all the details in writing to avoid any miscommunication. This needs to be put in place before any work is carried out. The work done, material required, costs and timelines need to be established before doing any work. Anything that is not clear needs to be clarified before signing and it is best to have a legal counsel review the contract beforehand too.

Final Thoughts

Not every project will need to go through the same process. For minor repairs, a contractor you have used before that has proven quality work can be used. Having a reputable contractor around is invaluable because they can become familiar with the property and will take extra care to ensure an on-going relationship. Regardless of the size of your roofing project, you want a trusted and experienced roofer doing the work. By planning ahead and doing research first, you know exactly what you are looking for. Communication is essential to the success of roofing projects to ensure that the HOA property manager and owners are all involved in the process.

contact us

Continue Reading

Spray Foam Roofing Maintenance

Spray-Foam-Roofing-Maintenance

Spray-Foam-Roofing-Maintenance

Summertime is a great time for roofing installation and maintenance. Both homeowners and commercial facility owners take advantage of the better weather to get their roofs repaired, restored or replaced. When it comes to fixing spray polyurethane foam roofs, or full replacement of existing roofs with a spray foam system, there are some important guidelines to remember.

Spray Foam Roofing Maintenance

Spray Polyurethane Foam on the Roof

Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roofing is a high density, rigid and closed-cell spray foam which is applied over new and retrofit roofing substrates. SPF acts as a protective roofing layer, a thermal insulator, air barrier, vapor retarder, and a waterproofing solution. These systems are cost-efficient and can be applied to any shape and substrate in roofing. When applied professionally, spray foam roofing locks every portion of the roof into place and creates a monolithic membrane which eliminates the need for mechanical fasteners. The material is durable and lightweight while delivering a compressive strength of 40 to 60 pounds per inch.  As one of the most affordable roofing options, spray foam protects the structure from water intrusion, hail and wind uplift. It also acts as a high-performance insulator, preventing heat transfer through the roof deck, which minimizes the escape of conditioned air, resulting in reduced energy bills for the life of the roof.

Ideal Applications

Spray polyurethane foam systems are ideal for a wide range of commercial, agricultural, industrial and residential applications. It is especially useful when the roof is an unusual configuration or shape or when a sloped application is required for controlled drainage.
Because of its material characteristics and ability to adhere and seal during the application, spray foam works well in situations when the substrate includes numerous penetrations. The foam’s resiliency also makes it ideal for regions where significant rain or wind occurs.

Protective Coatings

Spray foam roofing must be coated once the installation of the SPF is complete. The elastomeric reflective roof coating serves as a protective barrier over the SPF to help maintain the integrity and improve the performance of the roof by protecting it from UV radiation and the elements.

Replacement vs. Restoration

Existing roofs in total disrepair require either total replacement or restoration. Two common factors, weight and cost, determine the choice made. Full replacement is cost-prohibitive which makes restoration a more appealing option. Because spray foam may be directly applied over an existing roof there is no need for removal, making it a cost-effective solution to the problem. It is lightweight and is thus ideal for structures unable to bear excessive loads.

Maintenance of Your SPF Roof

The roofing industry standards recommend that SPF systems undergo roof inspection two or more times per year. Gutters, scuppers, and drains should be reviewed during inspections to ensure dirt and debris are not restricting drainage and that there are no cracks in the coating.

Final thoughts

Rooftop units and penetrations also need to be checked to ensure flashings are all properly sealed to protect against weather. Condensation from HVAC units should be piped to drains, skylights should be checked for a proper seal, heater stacks must have rain caps and seams in the units should be sealed with caulk. The surface area of the roof system must be regularly inspected for damage caused by objects, vandalism, foot traffic, and blistering. Finally, inspection best practices call for a review of any defects potentially present in the roof, such as erosion of the coatings of the spray foam, moisture penetration, cracks or pinholes. Spray foam is a self-flashing membrane that is cost-effective and easily maintained. Repairs are generally easy, so long as you watch for are collecting debris, drainage issues, foot traffic damage, and the degradation of the reflective roof coating. With regular inspections and preventative maintenance, your roof will give you long life and return on your investment.

contact us

Continue Reading

Why Clay Roof Tile Is The Best For Hot Climate?

Clay roofing

Clay roofing

Just as any other component of creating a home, roofing is also critical; perhaps it is more critical than many other components. And when you live in a hot area, choosing a roofing material can sometimes become very challenging. Once you have decided on the design, you should now begin thinking about the kind of roof you would like to have. In hot areas, clay tile roofs are one of the best choices. With these kinds of roofs, you will be in a position to maintain a cool temperature in your home or office. It does this by preventing the sunrays from heating your building and also helps in maintaining optimum temperature. 

Why Clay Roof Tile Is The Best For Hot Climate?

They are available in different colors as well as sizes. The most interesting thing about this material is that it can maintain its color for a period of up to 50 years. Clay tile roof can be easily customized. If you want your building to have a unique look, then this roofing material can help you achieve that. You can coat it in enamel to achieve various colors which can blend with your décor. Many people like this material because just as slate, it is environmentally friendly, you can easily recycle it. Apart from that, they are fire and weather resistant too. They help in reducing the risk of fire damage to your home. And in harsh weather conditions, they are less likely to deteriorate. Compared to other roof materials such as asphalt shingles, it lasts longer and it does not require a lot of maintenance, it is less likely to develop mildew or moss, and when these develop, they can be easily washed away. Should any part of the roof get damaged, you will only need to replace the affected clay, and your roof will be back to its normal form.

The clay roof can also sustain strong winds; as a homeowner, you should prefer a clay tile roof because of its resistance to harsh weather. When installed properly, it can sustain winds of up to 150 miles. It is a cost-effective choice when compared to asphalt shingles because it can last for a period between 50 to 100 years. If you are fond of architectural nuances, then this is the roof for you. It will not only add to the beauty of your building, but it will also provide you with a cool environment for you and your family in the summer heat. 

Contact us today and we’ll help you decide about your clay roofing options!

 

 

contact us

 

 

Continue Reading