Winter rains got you all wet?

Just a few of the benefits of an older neighborhood like ours include all the tall, mature trees that stand throughout the landscape, and the sturdy, settled homes on the streets of our community. With age comes wear, however, and many of us are dealing with the results of the storms that ripped through the Alden Park area and drenched our houses this weekend.

Some merely have a few leaves, broken branches, and tree limbs to clean up, following the hurricane-force winds that whipped through here. Others may face having to remove a severely damaged tree before it weakens further and possibly falls down. One or two may even have a broken window to replace, while others simply have to locate a trashcan that blew down the street.

A final few, including yours truly, are having to contend with a larger issue such as roof repair, from replacing a few missing shingles or tiles, to patching, resealing, or replacing a larger section of their structure overhead. Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home: it keeps you dry; it keeps you warm; it keeps you safe. When it comes to fixing something that important, you may want to seek the help of a professional. I know I am.

My roof began to leak last year, letting rainwater in through the ceiling of my living room when the occasional storm came through. A quick-fix tar patch seemed to hold it for a while, but the last rain in December showed me that it wouldn't be permanent. That's when I called around to get an expert assessment on what to do before the big rains hit.

I searched the Yellow Pages for someone local because I want to support Tracy businesses whenever I can. I'm a sucker for something that catches my attention, so I called a company with a cute name: Kanga Roof. (If "cute" didn't work out, I could always resort to the one with the big ad.)

I'm typing this in between the series of storms that are making news across the country, and the sun is shining for a moment. The good news is that I'm dry, and the leak has been contained by the professionals at Kanga Roof. They came out just hours before the first rainfall to do an inspection, make repair recommendations, and expertly wrap my roof in plastic to keep the water out this weekend before a more enduring solution could be put in place. They even checked up on me and came out once to re-tack the plastic that had loosened under the high winds yesterday.

Chris, Dann, and Shelley have been great. If you need any repair work on your roof, give them a call.

Kanga Roof, also formerly known as BetterBuilt Roofing, can be reached at 1-800-NEW-ROOF, or (209) 832-1500. They're here in Tracy at 320 W. Larch Rd., #7. Check out their website by clicking here: http://getbb.com/.