Sylmar neighborhoods we cover
- Olive View
- Rancho Cascades
- Oakridge Estates
- Foothill terraces north of the 210
- Hubbard Street
- Lopez Canyon edge
- Kagel Canyon edge
- Stetson Ranch Park area
- San Fernando Road corridor
What's hard on roofs around Sylmar
Santa Ana fires
The 2008 Sayre Fire started off Sayre Street during near-hurricane Santa Ana winds and destroyed most of the Oakridge mobile home park, the worst home loss to fire in Los Angeles history at the time. The 2019 Saddleridge Fire also started in Sylmar, near the 210 and Yarnell Street. Ember-resistant Class A roofs and vents matter here.
Brush clearance rules touch the roof
Foothill homes in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone fall under Los Angeles Fire Department brush clearance rules. Roofs must be kept free of built-up leaves and twigs, overhanging trees kept at least five feet above the roof, and foliage ten feet from a chimney outlet. A roofer often finds debris packed in valleys and gutters.
Hillside terraces
On Sylmar's northern streets, many homes sit on man-made terraces with steep driveways and slopes below. Getting ladders, materials and a dumpster to the roof takes planning, and wind off the foothills hits these homes harder than those on the flats. A licensed roofer looks at access during the estimate.
Horse properties and outbuildings
Large Sylmar lots often carry barns, corrals with shade covers, tack rooms and workshops along with the house. Those structures have their own roofs, often metal or low-slope, and they age at different rates. A licensed roofer can look at each one during the same visit.
Newer homes need roof care too: tiles and shingles shift in wind, and flashing around vents and skylights is where leaks often start.
