Lancaster neighborhoods we cover
- West Lancaster
- East Lancaster
- Downtown Lancaster Boulevard
- Avenue J tracts
- Avenue K and 30th Street West
- Quartz Hill border
- Antelope Acres
- Fox Field area
- Prime Desert Woodland area
What's hard on roofs around Lancaster
Solar panels on newer roofs
Since January 2014, Lancaster has required solar panels on new homes. So many newer houses here have arrays bolted through the roof. Re-roofing under panels means taking them off and putting them back, and every mount is a spot that has to stay sealed. A licensed roofer checks the flashing at each mount and plans the work around the system.
Northwest winds through the valley
Strong northwest winds sweep across the Antelope Valley, with gusts that have blown big rigs over on Highway 14 between Lancaster and Mojave and torn an awning off a gas station in Mojave. On a house, the same winds lift shingle tabs, loosen ridge caps and strip edge metal. Open lots on the west side catch them with little in the way.
Frost, heat and the odd snow
Lancaster has more freezing mornings than Palmdale on average, hot nearly rainless summers, and a little snow most winters. Daily swings between cold nights and sunny days are hard on shingles, sealants and pipe boots. Because it rarely rains, a small leak can sit unnoticed for a long time before the first storm shows it.
Older houses downtown
The restored older homes around downtown Lancaster Boulevard were built long before today's roofing products. Some have had several layers of roofing added over the years, along with patched flashing at chimneys and old vents. A licensed roofer checks the deck and the number of layers before suggesting repair or a full tear-off.
Newer homes need roof care too: tiles and shingles shift in wind, and flashing around vents and skylights is where leaks often start.
