Trade K
Cedar Shingle Roofing
Cedar is the roof we know best and the one that rewards patience. A cedar field is only as good as its preparation: the old covering is stripped back to the deck, the sheathing is checked for soft spans, and the underlayment is laid so that water reaching the wood has one direction to travel. We set the first course off a string, keep an even exposure to the ridge, and correct the stagger as we climb so no two joints line up over the same rafter bay.
Valleys take copper, not a folded strip of whatever was on the truck. Penetrations get a proper boot or a soldered collar, and the rake edges are built out so the wind cannot lift the end of a course. A cedar roof also needs air underneath, so we check the venting at the soffit and the ridge before the first bundle is opened. When the roof is finished it should look like a single calm sheet of shingles, with the details invisible because they were done right the first time.
We repair individual courses where the field is sound and we rebuild whole planes where the deck has gone soft. Either way the customer gets a written note describing the exposure, the shingle grade, the fastener type and the flashing material, so the next person on the roof knows what they are standing on.
Trade W
Gutter Runs and Guards
Gutters are made on the truck to the measured length of the eave, which means no mid-run seams to leak in eight years. Hangers are set on the rafter tails at a consistent spacing, and the run is pitched with enough fall to move water quickly without looking crooked from the ground. Outlets are placed at the low end, extended away from the foundation, and kept reachable from a ladder because a gutter that cannot be cleaned is a gutter that will overflow.
Guards are fitted only where they suit the tree cover. On a roof surrounded by cottonwood we recommend a coarse stainless mesh that lets a hard rain through while shedding leaves. On a cleaner eave a simple screen is enough. The guard is never pushed under the first course where it would hold debris against the fascia, and it is never screwed through the shingle face.
We also correct the details that cause most overflow complaints: crushed downspouts, missing end caps, gutter that was hung level, and fascia that was already failing before the new run went up. If the fascia needs repair we do that first, because a gutter hung on soft wood will not stay pitched.
Trade R
Deck and Railing Repair
A deck is a horizontal roof with worse drainage, so our repair approach starts with water. We look for ponding, blocked gaps, and fasteners that have been pulled loose by seasonal movement. Soft joists are opened and replaced rather than sistered with a short patch, and rim boards are checked at the ledger where the deck meets the house.
Board replacement uses stock matched to the existing species and thickness, with a gap set for expansion so the deck does not cup. We re-set loose boards with structural screws, and if the surface has been refinished badly we sand back to clean wood before any coating goes on. Railing repair follows the same logic: posts are checked at the base, rails are rebuilt to a height that meets the current code, and balusters are spaced so nothing can pass through.
Where a deck is beyond repair at the framing we say so plainly and price a rebuild instead of patching a dangerous structure. Where it is sound we repair it well and keep it in service for another decade.
Trade G
Siding Patch Work
Siding damage is usually small and visible: a cracked board after hail, a soft corner below a bad downspout, a piece torn off by wind. The repair starts by cutting back to solid material, not by covering the damage with a wider board. We measure the existing exposure, match the profile, and set the patch so the shadow line continues across the wall without a visible step.
The cavity behind the patch is backed and drained, and the weather barrier is lapped correctly so water that gets behind the cladding can escape. Trim boards and corner pieces are re-caulked with a joint that can move without splitting, and the paint or stain line is left ready for the homeowner to finish or for us to finish on request.
We are equally careful on cedar cladding, where a patch has to match both the width and the character of the original boards. On painted lap siding the repair can be almost invisible. On natural cedar the grain will always read slightly different, and we tell the customer that before we cut.
Trade D
Ice Dam Prevention
Ice dams form when heat escapes the house, warms the roof deck, and lets meltwater refreeze at the cold eave. Adding heat cable treats the symptom and raises the power bill. Our approach is to find the leak in the building envelope: gaps around the attic hatch, recessed lights, ductwork, and the top plates of interior walls. We seal those paths, then confirm the venting is balanced so the attic stays cold and dry.
At the eave we install a self-adhering membrane that extends well past the warm interior wall line, so any water that does back up is contained above the deck. We also check the gutter for ice, because a blocked outlet holds meltwater against the eave and makes the problem worse. The result is a roof that stays cold at the edge and sheds water instead of storing it.
Repeat customers often call after the worst ice year they can remember. We walk the attic with them, show the photographs, and explain the order of repairs so the money goes first to the leaks that actually matter.
Trade S
Seasonal Roof Inspections
Twice a year we walk the roof with a notebook and a camera. The spring check looks for winter damage: lifted shingles, cracked flashings, blocked valleys, and gutter that has pulled away. The fall check looks forward: debris in the gutter, loose boots at the vents, rust where a fastener has been exposed too long, and the attic underside for staining that has not yet reached the ceiling.
The report is short and practical. Each item is photographed, described in plain language, and marked as immediate, next season or monitor. We do not pad the list to sell work, and we do not tell a homeowner to replace a roof that has years left in it. If only a repair is needed, the repair sheet says so.
For properties we maintain year on year, the notes build into a history. That history tells the next owner what has been done, what was replaced, and which slate or flashing was used. It is a small thing that makes a roof easier to look after over a long life.
Bring the measured drawings to the bench
Send a few photographs and the address, and we will schedule a roof walk. Estimates are written, itemised and dated, and the crew arrives with the materials already checked against the scope.
Book a roof walk