A brown ring appears on a hallway ceiling in a 1970s brick ranch in North Winston-Salem
What homeowners notice
After a July thunderstorm the owner of a one-story brick house notices a brown ring spreading on the hallway ceiling. It has not dripped, but the stain is a little larger each time it rains, and nothing looks wrong with the shingles from the driveway.
What we do
A roofer works from the roof once it is dry, follows the stain uphill and checks the plumbing vent boots, the nails along the ridge and any lifted shingle tabs. A cracked or dried-out vent flashing is the usual find on a house of this age, and it is replaced or resealed rather than the whole roof.
What to expect
The owner gets a written quote that says what was found, with photographs, and watches the ceiling through the next few storms to see whether the ring has stopped growing.
A visit once the roof is dry, repair usually the same visit if the cause is simple typical visit
Shingles end up in the yard after a thunderstorm in a Clemmons subdivision
What homeowners notice
Gusts in a severe thunderstorm leave a strip of shingles lying across a back lawn, with a bare patch on the slope facing the wind and a gutter hanging loose at one corner. Nothing is dripping yet, but the owner does not know what the bare patch has exposed.
What we do
A roofer inspects the whole roof, not just the bare patch, looking for creased shingles along the ridge and edges, and for any damage to the felt or decking where the shingles tore away. Torn sections are replaced and the gutter is refastened or replaced, with a written list of what was found.
What to expect
The owner has photographs and a written description to show an insurer, if one is involved, and the roof is closed up before the next round of rain.
A day or two, depending on how many roofs in the area are waiting typical visit
A limb comes down on a Reynolda Road corridor house during a winter storm
What homeowners notice
Ice loads a large oak until a limb breaks and lands across the back slope of a two-story house. Shingles are crushed where it hit, a section of decking looks cracked, and water is starting to stain the ceiling of an upstairs room.
What we do
A roofer assesses whether the limb can be taken off safely or needs a tree service first, then covers the damaged section with a tarp secured to sound decking so rain stops coming in. The permanent repair is quoted separately once the weather clears and the extent of the damage is clear.
What to expect
Water stops entering the upstairs room, and the owner has two things in writing: what the temporary cover cost and what the permanent repair will involve.
A tarp as soon as a roofer is free and the roof is safe to work on; permanent repair scheduled later typical visit
A roof replacement on an older West End house needs a Certificate of Appropriateness
What homeowners notice
The owner of a Queen Anne house in the West End Historic District finds that the roof is leaking at several seams and wants it replaced. A friend mentions that roof work in the district goes through a review, but no one is sure which kind of job counts.
What we do
A roofer looks at the roof and the existing material, and explains that a replacement in the district goes to the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness. The quote lists the material proposed, and the owner submits the application before ordering anything.
What to expect
The owner begins the work with the approval in hand, rather than learning about the review after the old roof has been torn off.
Review time before the job, then a few days on the roof once approved typical visit
A stain beside the chimney of a Tudor-style house in Buena Vista
What homeowners notice
A stain shows up on a second-floor wall beside a brick chimney, but only during wind-driven rain. The house has steep gables, a dormer and a long valley, and the shingles over the chimney look fine from the lawn.
What we do
A roofer works along the steep slopes to the places water enters: the step flashing beside the chimney, the counterflashing where it meets the brick, the cricket behind it and the valley below. Failed or lifted flashing is replaced or resealed, and the quote notes if any shingles around it need renewing.
What to expect
The owner sees where the water was entering, gets photographs of each detail, and can watch the wall through the next storm to confirm the stain has stopped growing.
Half a day to a day, weather permitting typical visit
Dark streaks and green patches spread across the shady side of a roof near Advance
What homeowners notice
After several humid summers, the north-facing slope of a house under tall trees has dark streaks, and moss is growing at the edges of some shingles. The owner has heard that a pressure washer will clear it and is wondering whether that is wise.
What we do
A roofer inspects the shingles for lifted edges and lost granules, then explains that low-pressure soft washing is the method sources usually recommend, and that heavy pressure can strip granules. Shingles that have already failed are replaced rather than cleaned.
What to expect
The owner learns whether the roof can simply be cleaned or has aged past that point, and gets a written quote for whichever it is.
A day for cleaning, longer if shingles need replacing typical visit
A 1950s house in Southeast Winston-Salem has a roof that has run out of years
What homeowners notice
A mid-century house has a roof that has been covered at least once before. Shingles are curling, granules collect in the gutters and there are two small stains in the attic. The owner wants to know whether another repair is worth it.
What we do
A roofer inspects the shingles, flashing and decking, and explains the difference between a repair and a replacement. Because re-roofing needs a building permit in Winston-Salem, the quote says who pulls it and whether its cost is included, and it describes how any rotted decking will be handled.
What to expect
The owner has a written quote that sets out replacement as a choice with a stated scope and a clear answer on the permit, instead of a surprise.
A few days once the permit is in hand and the weather is dry typical visit
Falling limbs after an ice storm pull gutters and damage the roof edge near Rural Hall
What homeowners notice
After freezing rain loads the trees, several limbs fall on a single-family house on a wooded lot. A gutter has pulled away from the fascia, shingles along the eave are cracked, and an outbuilding roof has a dent where a limb struck it.
What we do
A roofer walks the house and the outbuilding once it is safe, looking at the eave, the fascia, the gutter fasteners and the shingles under where the limbs landed. The quote separates immediate protection from permanent repair and lists what is needed on each building.
What to expect
The owner has a clear list of the damage, with photographs, and knows which items can wait for the weather and which need attention first.
A visit once the ice has cleared, repairs scheduled around the weather typical visit
Have the same problem?
Call and tell us what you see. We will tell you what it likely is and what it usually costs before anyone drives out.
