Sometimes a roofing referral takes an unusual route.
Earlier this year, Bert Roofing completed a substantial roofing and exterior project in Rowlett following a hailstorm. The daughter of a Dallas homeowner had seen our work on a house across the street from her in Rowlett and remembered our name.
When it came time to replace the roof on the Dallas property, she contacted us. That brought us to Woodhue Road, near Ferguson Road and Hunnicut in East Dallas, just a short distance from our Casa View office.
There was some irony in that. We had traveled all the way to Rowlett to do a job that ultimately brought us another project practically in our own backyard.
What We Found Beneath the Old Roof
The existing roof was showing considerable age. During our initial inspection, we found shingles with significant granule loss and areas where the fiberglass matting was exposed. There were also signs of earlier repairs, including caulking around nails that had worked loose.
This was a roof that needed replacement rather than another round of repairs.
The more interesting discovery came during the tear-off.
The property had been roofed several times over the years, and multiple layers of old felt underlayment had accumulated beneath the shingles. Our crew removed all that material to expose the wood decking.
There appeared to be roughly three layers of felt in places.
Despite that history, the decking underneath was remarkably clean. Across the roof, the exposed wood looked to be in very good condition. That was a pleasant surprise considering how many roofing cycles the property had been through.
Removing the old felt served an important purpose. It allowed us to examine the decking directly rather than covering it with another layer of roofing material. We could look for deteriorated wood, damaged areas, and other conditions that might otherwise remain hidden.
A roof can look perfectly good when finished, but what is underneath the shingles matters just as much.
Owens Corning Duration in Teak
For the new roof, the homeowner selected Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration shingles in Teak, a Class 3 impact-resistant architectural shingle.
Teak is a little different from the colors we install most often. It combines warm brown tones with lighter highlights, giving the roof some variation without being overly pronounced.
On this brick home, the color worked particularly well.
With the old materials removed and the decking inspected, we installed new synthetic underlayment and the components needed for the replacement roofing system.
One detail requiring attention was the electrical service mast. The boot surrounding the mast needed replacement, so we installed new flashing to properly seal that penetration.
It is not a detail we encounter on every roof replacement, but penetrations through the roofing system deserve particular attention. A small opening around a pipe or electrical mast can eventually become a source of water intrusion.
Another East Dallas Roof Completed
There was nothing particularly complicated about this replacement. The decking was in good shape, the roof design was straightforward, and the new Owens Corning shingles gave the house a clean, finished appearance.
What made the job worthwhile to document was the condition we found beneath several layers of old roofing material and the care taken to inspect it before installing the new roof.
And, of course, the way the project came about. A roofing job after a hailstorm in Rowlett led us right back to a home near our own Dallas office.
Bert Roofing has been handling roof replacements in Dallas since 1988, including established homes throughout East Dallas and the surrounding neighborhoods.
