Service area
Roofing in Tallahassee, Older Homes Under the Oaks
Ranch homes and two-stories under live oaks in the older neighborhoods off the canopy roads, where limbs, leaves and shade are part of every roof.
Tallahassee, FL
Roofing in Tallahassee is mostly roofing under trees. The older neighborhoods off Meridian, Centerville and Miccosukee were built around the live oaks rather than in place of them, and plenty of the ranch homes and two-stories there sit in shade for most of the day. That shade is lovely in August. It also means leaves in the valleys, damp north slopes and the occasional limb through the porch roof. When we look at a roof here, we look at the trees too.
What the canopy does to a roof
Oak leaves and twigs collect wherever water slows down: in the valleys, behind the chimney and along the gutters. Once a valley is packed, rain backs up under the shingle edges and finds its way to the deck. On the shaded side of the house the roof dries slowly after every storm, so algae streaks show up first and moss follows. Neither one is a disaster on its own, but both shorten the life of a shingle that never gets a chance to dry out.
On the inspection we check each of those spots and photograph them. A lot of the time the fix is a cleaned valley, a short section of new shingles and a gutter that drains again. That’s a roof repair, and it’s priced as one.
Older houses, older decks
Many Tallahassee homes from before plywood was common still have their original board sheathing: long planks nailed across the rafters, sometimes with gaps between them. Those boards are often in better shape than people expect. The trouble is that shingles need a solid surface underneath, and a board that has split or worked loose will let nails back out over time.
When we do a roof replacement on one of these houses, we take it down to the boards and walk the whole deck. Loose boards get re-nailed, split or soft ones get replaced, and where the gaps are too wide we lay new sheathing over the top. Every one of those items has its own line and its own price on the quote, so you know what a bad board costs before the tear-off starts.
Older attics here also tend to be short on airflow. A hot, stagnant attic cooks shingles from underneath, so while the roof is open we look at the soffits and the ridge and tell you whether adding ventilation is worth it.
When a storm brings the trees down
Most storm calls we take in Leon County involve a tree or a heavy limb. If one comes through your roof, our hurricane damage visit gets the opening covered and then goes into the attic to check the rafters under the strike. If you plan to file a claim, the insurance claim paperwork gives your insurer dated photos, a written report and an itemized price. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer.
City or county permit
Whether your permit comes from the City of Tallahassee or from Leon County depends on which side of the city limits your address falls, and a Tallahassee mailing address doesn’t settle it. We look up the right office, file the permit, book the inspections and let you know when each one has passed. You don’t pay a deposit until the permit is issued.
Other towns we cover
The same estimators and crews work roofing in Quincy to the west and roofing in Crawfordville to the south, with the same inspection and the same line-by-line written price.
Services in Tallahassee
- Roof replacementFull re-roofs in Tallahassee for older ranch and two-story homes, torn off to the deck, with the old plank or plywood sheathing checked board by board.
- Roof repairRepairs in Tallahassee for limb strikes, punctured shingles, leaking valleys full of oak leaves and the chimney flashing that older homes are known for.
- Hurricane damageTarping and storm inspections across Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla counties after hurricanes, tropical storms and the straight-line winds that bring oaks down.
- Insurance claim paperworkDated photos, a written damage report and an itemized repair price for a roof claim in Tallahassee. You and your insurer handle the claim itself.
Guides
- Replacing an Old Skylight, or Roofing Over It, in TallahasseeReplacing an old skylight in Tallahassee during a re-roof, or roofing over the opening for good. How to tell which suits your house, and why the timing matters.
- Roof Questions Before Buying an Older House in TallahasseeBuying an older house in Tallahassee? What to ask about the roof before closing, what the home inspection and the insurer will look at, and how to read the answers.
Questions from Tallahassee
There are black streaks on the shady side of my roof. Is it leaking?
Not necessarily. Those streaks are usually algae, which grows where the roof stays damp and shaded. It doesn't open a leak by itself, but moss that follows it holds water against the shingles, so we note it on the inspection and tell you whether it's cosmetic or worth dealing with.
My house is on a canopy road. Does that change anything about the job?
Mostly it changes the logistics. Driveways off the canopy roads can be narrow and the trees overhead are protected, so we plan where the dumpster and the delivery truck go before the job is booked, and we keep our ladders and debris clear of the limbs.
Do you trim the trees over my roof?
No, that's work for a tree service. We do point out the limbs that worry us on the inspection, with photos, so you can show them exactly which ones to look at.