Your home · 10 guides
Roofing: problems and fixes, explained by Chris
Chris Grimes is the only roofing member of BNI Preston Center. These guides are written for a Dallas–Fort Worth reader who has the problem right now: what is happening, what to check, when to call, and what it costs.
- What actually sets the price of a new roof in Dallas–Fort Worth Two roofs on the same street can be priced far apart for good reasons. Here is what moves the number, which parts you control, and how insurance changes what you actually pay. The short answer: size, steepness, material and what is underneathRoof size is measured in squares, not in house square footagePitch, layout and access change the laborMaterial is the choice that moves the price most
- Water coming through the ceiling: what you can do yourself and when to call a roofer Most of what you should do about a roof leak happens inside the house, not on the roof. Here is what is safe and useful to do yourself, and where I would draw the line. Do the inside work yourself; leave the roof to a rooferThe first hour inside the houseDrying out matters more than most people thinkFinding the source without getting hurt
- Roof claim myths that cost Texas homeowners money, and what is actually true Most of the bad outcomes I see on roof claims start with something the homeowner heard from a neighbor or a door-knocker. Here are the myths that come up most, and what is true instead. The myths I hear most, in one paragraphMyth: my roof is old, so insurance should replace itMyth: a good roofer will take care of my deductibleMyth: if it is not leaking, the roof is fine
- Repair or replace: how to tell what an aging or damaged roof really needs A leak or a few missing shingles does not automatically mean a new roof, and a roof that looks fine from the street is not always healthy. Here is how to read the signs and how I make the call. Localized damage gets repaired; widespread wear gets replacedSigns you can see from the yardSigns inside the attic and the houseWhen a repair is the right answer
- How long a roof replacement takes, from signed contract to final walkthrough The roofing itself often takes a single day on a typical home. Most of the calendar is the steps before and after. Here is the whole timeline and how to get your house ready. The roofing is fast; the steps around it take longerStage one: inspection and the decisionStage two: the claim, if there is oneStage three: choosing materials and getting on the schedule
- Heat, hail and wind: what North Texas weather does to a roof year after year A North Texas roof gets hit from every direction: long, hot summers, spring hail, strong winds and sharp temperature swings. Here is what each one does, and what you can do about it. Four kinds of weather, four kinds of wearWhat the summers do from above and belowSpring hail, the sudden kind of damageWind that lifts, creases and unseals
- Class 4 impact-resistant shingles vs. standard shingles: worth it in hail country? Class 4 shingles are built to take hail better than standard shingles, and some insurers credit them. They are not hail-proof, and they are not the right call on every house. Here is how I help owners decide. My honest take on the upgradeWhat a Class 4 rating actually testsHow impact-resistant shingles are built differentlyWhere the insurance credit comes in
- Before you sign with a roofer: the questions that separate pros from storm chasers The contract you sign decides more about your new roof than the shingle brand does. These are the questions I would ask any roofer, including us, before putting a signature on paper. Ask these before anything gets signedWhere are you, and will you be here next year?Who is insured, and for what?What exactly is in the written scope?
- A once-a-year roof check for North Texas homes and buildings A roof rarely fails all at once. It fails at the small things nobody looked at. This is the yearly routine I would follow on my own house, and what to leave to a professional. The routine in briefStep one: a slow walk around the outsideStep two: gutters and downspoutsStep three: the attic, with a flashlight
- Hail came through last night: how to tell if your roof is damaged and how the claim works The storm passed, the neighbors have roofers in their driveways and you have no idea whether your roof is actually hurt. Here is how to check safely, when to call your insurer, what happens at the adjuster meeting and how a replacement gets done right. The morning after the stormWhat hail actually does to a roofWhat to look at from the ground, and what not to doWhen it is fine to wait, and when the clock is running