TORRANCE TRIBUNE January 21, 2016 Page 3 Story and Photos by TerriAnn Ferren When the wind, rain, and cold of our Southern California winter hits the boarders of Torrance, residents deal with the unusual weather in various ways. Granted, most of us aren’t filling sandbags or planning evacuations thank goodness, but it is a time, I, for one, don’t worry about watering. And I did take a spin by the huge waves at Torrance Beach caused by the storms. Last week when the rain began, I excitedly dug out my long green raincoat, which doesn’t get much use, from my hall closet. In fact, I think I have had the same raincoat for 15 years. Also, I pull out all those warm scarves I received as gifts - that are finally needed, along with my umbrella, and boots. Living in the Southern California sunshine, we sometimes forget how lucky we are not to don heavy coats, hats, gloves, earmuffs (yes, I use them) and galoshes each day during the winter. Rain and cold provides us a chance to actually use all the raingear we receive and purchase at after-Christmas sales. When it is raining, I love to stay home, putter around the house, read, light a fire in the fireplace, and cook. Nothing seems as cozy to me as a house filled with either some stick-to-your-ribs pot roast, or the aroma of cookies permeating the whole house. In fact, yesterday I tried a recipe (that didn’t exactly turn out the way I had hoped) Rachel Ray masterfully whipped up on her television show a week ago. But this morning, I am going to make my famous oatmeal raisin cookies. With a fire going in the fireplace and the oven warming the kitchen while my cookies baked, my favorite rainy day activity was accomplished. I wondered if others felt as I did about cold and rainy days in the city. The next day, I found many willing citizens who shared their thoughts on the cold weather, and what they enjoy doing when the temperature dips. Debbie Maher told me, “I like to light a fire, make soup, make stew, drink red wine…eat! I am from Seattle, so I am used to so much colder [weather], but you get used to the Southern California weather and you adjust, so it is cold here right now to me.” A beaming Micaela MacLean said, “Makes me feel like I want to stay inside and get cozy. I want to be super comfortable and I like having cold things to eat too. And I don’t know, most people automatically go for the hot stuff, but – I like ice cream – I go for it. I don’t feel as productive either when it’s cold.” Ice cream? Well, that is different on a cold rainy day. “Stay home,” said Vanessa Garibaldo, “only because sometimes drivers are a little crazy when it is wet outside.” Good point, Vanessa. Because we don’t normally deal with rain, we sometimes forget driving is a bit more hazardous on wet streets. My favorite children’s poem about rain is a little rhyme by Robert Louis Stevenson, “The rain is raining all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea.” Nearly every poet on the earth has written about the rain. What is it about rainy weather that soothes so many of us? Is it the sound of the drops bouncing off roofs, sidewalks, or umbrellas? Whatever it is, rain invites us to take a moment and pause. Since we don’t see a lot of rain in Torrance, may I suggest that when the water begins to trickle down, barrel down, or beat down, depending upon how El Niño hits us, realize that it won’t last long, so enjoy the change, drive safely, and do something memorable. • JOIN US FOR THE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 SUPER SUNDAY BIG BOWL GAME! CHILI COOK OFF STARTS AT NOON (Bowl Game Kickoff at 3:30pm) LOTS OF TVs SO YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD SEAT! FOOD AND DRINK SPECIALS! TO BOOK YOUR EVENT OR FOR MORE INFORMATION Please call Rick or Charlotte at 310.326-5120 or charlotte@pvbowl.com 26600 CRENSHAW BLVD., TORRANCE, CA 90505 TerriAnn in Torrance Torrance – It’s Cold Outside When it Rains, It Pours for a Roofing Contractor By Rob McCarthy It took a couple hours of steady rain for the phones to start ringing at Ramey Roofing in El Segundo. John Ramey made a dozen or more home inspections on Jan. 5, when the first major rainfall of the new year dropped. He headed out in the storm to inspect roofs and find leaks. “I was out in my truck, trying to help out, giving advice,” he said. “And getting wet.” Whoever coined the phrase “when it rains, it pours” must have known the roofing business. Ramey Roofing got slammed Jan. 5 and the next day with calls from homeowners, several who had put off roof work. Other callers were pleading for someone to come out and look at the roof. This could be a busy year for roofing contractors, and a profitable one for unlicensed roofers. El Segundo had the highest rainfall total in coastal South Bay from the storms that moved through beginning on Jan. 5. Close to 2.2 inches of rain fell here in the next 72 hours, according to data from the Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power. Manhattan Beach registered two inches, nearly twice what the DWP rain station in Redondo Beach measured. If the predictions about a powerful El Nino are accurate, this month’s storms are just the beginning. Rainwater dripping from a ceiling is a good bet there’s a roof leak. It doesn’t always require the immediate attention of a roofing professional. A pail will catch the water dripping in the house, and light moisture in the attic shouldn’t cause big problems, said Ramey, whose family-run business is the only roofing company in El Segundo. “Unless it’s a major leak, don’t panic. It’s just water. After a day or two, it’s going to dry,” he said. “It’s hot up in an attic, so mold isn’t an issue with a roof leak. That water’s going to dry out in minutes or hours.” Getting up on a roof in a rainstorm is dangerous for a contractor and his crew, Ramey said. It’s the day when reputable roofing contractors - those with licenses, general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and solid reputations - are most in demand. It’s not the day for a homeowner to get panicked and make a bad decision about hiring any roofing-repair company. “All of the good roofers are super busy. So, you have to ask yourself, ‘Hey, how come this guy can come out right now?” Calling for a roof repair in a storm is expensive. Local companies charge between $300 and $500 for an emergency repair or to tarp the roof, according to Ramey. You could get “royally burned” if the repair company that comes out doesn’t have a contractor’s license to fix roofs. The California Contractors State Licensing Board was alerted to unlicensed contractors advertising for home repairs ahead of El Nino, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the California Department of Insurance conducted a sting in early December. The Statewide Investigative Fraud Team, or SWIFT invited suspected unlicensed contractors to a Tarzana home, and 13 people were cited for contracting without a license. Two of the illegal bids were for roofing work on the house, according to a press release. The misdemeanor charge of contracting without a license carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and $5,000 in fines for a firsttime conviction. A second conviction carries a mandatory 90-day jail sentence, according to the Contractors Licensing Board. One unlicensed contractor bid $750 to repair the roof, while another suspect bid $13,400 to replace the roof. A state contractor’s license is required for any bid that is $500 or more in combined labor and material costs for the entire project. One suspect’s citation includes fraudulent use of an incorrect license number, a charge that carries a fine of up to $10,000, and/or up to one year in county jail or state prison. Unlicensed contractors and those working under a general contractor’s license come out of the woodwork when the weather turns bad and people’s judgement is clouded, say consumer watchdogs. Before hiring a roofing contractor, the State Contractor Licensing Board recommends that homeowners get three bids for the work. Ask each contractor for references from recently completed jobs, then call their customers and ask how satisfied they were with the work. Angie’s List is the best referral place to check for a reputable roofing contractor, Ramey thinks. Yelp is another source for customer feedback about a roofer’s work and his dependability. Word-out-mouth from satisfied customers does wonders for a roofer in the Internet age. “You don’t stay in business by cheating your customers,” Ramey said. The California State Contractors Licensing Board recommends when shopping for a home contractor: • Hire only licensed contractors and ask their license and a photo ID. • Check the license number on the California State Contractor Licensing Board website at www.cslb.ca.gov or www.ChecktheLicenseFirst. com. Is the license in good standing, and does the contractor carry workers’ compensation insurance for any employees? • Don’t pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less. as a down payment. • Avoid paying cash. • Get a written contract. Scams by unlicensed contractors and dishonest repairmen succeed when homeowners feel rushed to make a decision. If a contractor is applying pressure to sign a contract on the spot, that can a tipoff that he’s a fraud. Reputable construction businesses give a homeowner time to compare bids before making a decision, the State Contracting Licensing Board says. Rainy days are no exception. “They’re not thinking it through. They’re not thinking clearly,” Ramey said, referring to the homeowners who call out a roofing company they don’t know to make emergency storm repairs. “Most of us overreact.” • Debbie Maher Micaela MacLean Vanessa Garibaldo
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