Thisroof replacement was in Town Creek, in the 75243 section of Lake Highlands. It came to us as a hail insurance claim, but one of the more memorable parts of the job had nothing to do with the hail damage.
There was also a personal Lake Highlands connection. The homeowner knew my wife, Patti, through the Lake Highlands Women’s League. That is fairly typical of the work we do in this part of Dallas. After roofing Lake Highlands for decades, there are quite a few jobs where the customer, neighbor, school, church, or local organization connects back to someone we know.
The existing roof was removed and replaced with GAF Timberline dimensional shingles in Weathered Wood. The roof itself was fairly large and considerably more complicated than it appears from the street, with multiple elevations and a substantial amount of steep roofing. Our original estimate measured about 44 squares of existing roofing, with portions ranging from 7/12 up through 12/12 pitch.
The material package included GAF Timberline HDZ shingles, GAF FeltBuster synthetic underlayment, StormGuard ice-and-water protection, Pro-Start starter shingles and GAF Z-Ridge. We also replaced the plumbing vent covers and installed three turbine vents.
An Unusual Problem Below the Roof Deck
Part of this house had a finished-out second-story addition. Unlike a conventional attic, there was very little open space between portions of the roof deck and the finished area below.
During installation, one of our roofing nails punctured a water line serving that portion of the house. The water line had been installed immediately adjacent to the underside of the roof decking.
Fortunately, the circumstances could hardly have been better once the problem occurred. The homeowner was home, the leak was discovered almost immediately, the water was shut off, access was located and the line was repaired. The leak remained in the attic area and there was no resulting interior damage.
It is a good example of something most homeowners would never think about when replacing a roof.
Roofing nails are intentionally long enough to penetrate the roof decking. That penetration is part of a normal asphalt-shingle installation. Consequently, plumbing lines, electrical wiring, refrigerant lines and similar building components should not be installed directly against the underside of a roof deck.
In fact, our roofing contract at the time specifically addressed this issue, warning that electrical, telephone, security and air-conditioning lines should not be located directly beneath the roof deck because roofing fasteners can penetrate improperly positioned lines.
The roofer cannot see those concealed components from above. Once the old shingles and underlayment are removed, the installer is fastening the new roof into the deck based on the construction that should exist underneath it.
This particular job ended without damage because the problem was caught so quickly. It also illustrates why clearance underneath a roof deck matters, particularly on additions and finished attic spaces where utilities may have been routed through very tight areas.
A Steep, Multi-Level Lake Highlands Roof
The photographs show another characteristic of this project that is common on some of the larger homes in Town Creek. The house has several different roof elevations rather than one simple roof plane, along with valleys, a chimney and sections of fairly steep roofing.
That geometry matters during installation. A roof with 10/12 and 12/12 sections requires considerably different access and working conditions than a basic 4/12 ranch-style roof.
The project photographs also document the transition from the older roof to the completed Weathered Wood roof, including the valleys, chimney area, plumbing penetrations and turbine ventilation.
GAF Timberline Weathered Wood
Weathered Wood kept the roof close to the appearance the house already had. Against the gray exterior and painted brick, it does not draw much attention to itself, which suited this particular Town Creek home and its heavily landscaped setting.
The material order shows approximately 140 bundles of Timberline HDZ shingles along with the matching starter and ridge products.
The City of Dallas also issued a permit for removal of the existing roof and installation of the new roof at this property in Dallas 75243.
Roofing in Town Creek and Lake Highlands
Town Creek is one of the areas of Lake Highlands where roof replacement can involve more than simply removing shingles and putting new ones back.
Many homes have additions, remodeling work, multiple roof elevations and other construction details that may not be obvious until the roof is opened up. Most of those conditions are routine. Occasionally, as on this project, something hidden immediately below the decking becomes important very quickly.
This hail claim ultimately resulted in a straightforward completed roof with GAF Timberline HDZ shingles in Weathered Wood. The unusual part of the job was below the shingles—and it is a useful reminder that a properly installed roofing system depends in part on what was built underneath it.
