Sebastopol Cottage

Sebastopol, CA

Overview

This project went well beyond a standard tear-off. The homeowner came to us with a roof that had been patched, repaired, and worked on by hands that didn’t always know what they were doing. By the time we got there, the symptoms were obvious — but the underlying problems had never been addressed.

Our job was to restore the roof system the way it should have been built from the start, and to leave behind a home that performs the way it looks.

What We Found

Before the first shingle came off, the home was telling a story:

The chimney bore visible signs of past leak repairs done by an amateur — patchwork solutions stacked on top of an underlying problem that had never been solved.
The step flashings along every sidewall were rusted out, indicating an active leak path running into the structure.
The gutters had been hung incorrectly and were already deteriorating from years of standing water and improper pitch.
The chimney chase and cap were leaving a penetration exposed to the elements.
The existing attic ventilation was outdated and undersized for the home.

What We Did

GAF Reflector Series shingles in Sandalwood — installed across the entire roof for a clean, modern finish with the durability the system is known for.
New TPO chimney cricket — built where one should have existed from day one, finally giving the chimney proper water diversion and ending the cycle of patch-and-repair.
Full sidewall step flashing replacement — every rusted piece removed and replaced with new flashing, properly tied into the wall and roof system.
Cedar fascia replacement, pre-stained — we replaced all fascias and had the cedar stained before the roof went on, because the right finish requires the right order.
New gutters and matching downspouts — properly pitched, properly hung, and sized to handle the volume the old system couldn’t.
Upgraded attic ventilation — balanced intake and exhaust to bring the home up to current standards and protect the new roof investment.
New chimney chase and cap — closing out the previously exposed penetration with a clean, weather-tight finish.

Why It Matters

A roof isn’t just shingles. The details — flashings, crickets, ventilation, fascia — are what determine whether a roof lasts 5 years or 25. On this home, the previous installer cut corners on the things you can’t see, and the homeowner paid for it in repeated repairs.

By correcting those details now, we replaced a roof that was constantly being patched with a system designed to perform — start to finish, top to bottom.

The Result

A roof system that doesn’t just look great — it solves the problems the previous installation left behind. Every leak path closed. Every component working the way it was designed to. Every detail is addressed the first time, so the homeowner doesn’t have to think about their roof again for a long time.