A shingle roof put on in the right order, from the bare deck to the ridge.
Tear-off, new decking only where the old is soft, ice and water barrier, flashing and ventilation, all to CertainTeed spec and all done by our own crew. If someone at your door already handed you a full replacement, we will give you a second opinion for free.
Holt subdivisions are reaching the end of their first shingles.
Much of the housing in Delhi Township went up in a hurry over the last few decades, and plenty of those houses still wear the first roof the builder put on, usually the most affordable shingle on the spec sheet. You can see it from the street once you know what to look for: granules collecting at the bottom of the downspouts, tabs curling at the corners, a slope that looks blotchy in the afternoon sun, shingles lifting along the rakes after a windy week. Closer to the old center of town it usually goes the other way: a second or third roof on a house that has had a few owners and a few opinions about how roofing should be done.
Age alone does not mean replace. We have been up on plenty of roofs that had years left in them, and we told the owner so. When a roof is finished, though, patching it piece by piece gets expensive in a hurry, because every repair on brittle shingles cracks a couple more.
So the free roof look starts with getting up there. We check the shingles, the flashing, the vents and the soffits, and we walk the attic when we can, since a lot of what decides how a roof ages happens underneath it. You get pictures, a plain read and, if it really is time, a written scope with a fair price in writing.
Tear-off to bare wood, and new decking only where it is soft.
We strip every layer down to the deck. Laying new shingles over old ones saves a day and hides everything that needs looking at, and the added weight sits up there all winter under the snow. With the deck bare we walk it sheet by sheet. Soft plywood or delaminated board gets cut out and replaced. Firm decking stays where it is. Some outfits write a full redeck into every job; we replace only what is actually soft, and you see a photo of each bad piece before new underlayment covers it.
Your written scope says up front how decking is priced if we find bad sheets, so nobody makes up a number on your driveway. Nails that are backing out get reset, and gaps around the chimney and vent openings get closed.
Once the deck is solid, drip edge goes along the eaves and rakes so water clears the fascia, then underlayment across the field. Order matters here. Everything is lapped so water running down the roof always passes over a seam and has no edge to get under. It is the same order on a small ranch as on a big two-story, because the weather does not care which one you own.
Eaves, valleys and walls get the extra hours.
Most leaks on a newer roof start at the same handful of places. That is where our crew slows down.
Ice barrier at every edge
Ice dams form at the cold overhang and push meltwater back up under the shingles. A self-adhering ice and water barrier along the eaves seals around every nail, so water that backs up in February has nowhere to go.
Two slopes, twice the water
A valley carries the runoff of two roof planes, and in March it carries a lot of melt. We line every valley with ice and water barrier before a single shingle goes in, and build it the way CertainTeed specifies.
Metal where the roof meets the house
Where a roof runs into a sidewall or a chimney, a bead of caulk is a temporary fix at best. Step flashing goes in course by course, tucked behind the siding, and chimneys get counter flashing. Rusted or bent old metal gets replaced.
Ventilation is part of the roof, and the warranty says so.
A shingle roof lives or dies by its attic. In winter, warm air leaking up from the house melts snow from underneath, the water refreezes at the eave, and you get ice dams. In summer, an attic with no airflow bakes the shingles from below. Either way the roof wears out early, and CertainTeed expects the attic under its shingles to be ventilated the way it specifies. Ventilation alone can decide whether a roof wears out early or runs its full life.
So we treat it as part of every roof we install. We check that the soffits are actually pulling air in, since insulation packed against them is common, and that the exhaust up top is in balance with the intake below. Mixing exhaust types, like box vents on a roof that also has a ridge vent, lets one short-circuit the other and leaves part of the attic stagnant. Often the right answer is a ridge vent over clear soffits with the old box vents closed off.
We are Lomanco certified installers too, so the vent products go on to their maker’s spec. The longer version of all this is on our Holt roof ventilation page.
A second opinion before you sign, and a clean yard after.
If a salesman left a contract on your counter after the last hailstorm and you are not sure the roof even needs it, call us before you sign anything. We will get on the roof, document what is actually there, and tell you whether it is storm damage, ordinary aging, or nothing at all. When there is real hail or wind damage we handle the insurance paperwork. When a claim is not worth filing, you will hear that from us as well.
If the roof does need replacing, the job ends the same way every time. Shingles go on to CertainTeed spec, the ridge and vents get finished, and before anybody leaves the crew clears the gutters, hauls off the debris, and runs magnets over the lawn, the driveway and the beds for nails. The scope and a fair price in writing come before we start, and nothing gets added at the end that was not discussed at the beginning.
Read more about our shingle roof installation work, see everything we handle in Holt, or book a free roof look.
Holt, and the rest of our Ingham County work.
Holt is part of Ingham County, which we cover in full from our base in St. Johns. A new roof often brings other work into the conversation, and each of those has its own Holt page: roof ventilation, gutter repair, siding repair, and siding replacement. Every photo here is one of our own mid-Michigan jobs.
More on shingle roof installation · our Holt page · call (989) 900-0018.
Questions we hear before a Holt roof goes on.
Honest answers to the usual ones. Finished roofs are in our gallery, and you can book a visit through the contact page.
How much does a new shingle roof cost?
It depends on the size and pitch, how many layers come off, how much decking is soft, and how much flashing needs replacing. We do not price a roof off a satellite photo. After the free roof look you get a written scope and a fair price, with nothing added later.
Do you do free roof inspections?
Yes. We come to your Holt home, get up on the roof, check the attic where we can, and take pictures. You get a plain read on what the roof needs, which is sometimes nothing at all. There is no charge and no obligation either way.
How long does a shingle roof last in Michigan?
Longer when it is installed and ventilated properly. Builder-grade shingles over a poorly vented attic wear out early, which is what some Holt subdivisions are seeing now. Ventilation alone can decide whether a roof wears out early or runs its full life. We will give you an honest read on yours.
What is the cost difference between metal and shingle?
Metal costs more up front, often by a wide margin, and lasts longer. Shingles cost less and suit most homes well when they are installed right. Which makes sense depends on how long you will own the house and how it looks. We install both and will lay out the numbers in writing.
Someone at my door says I need a new roof. Should I sign?
Get a second opinion first. We will inspect the roof for free and tell you honestly whether it is storm damage, normal wear, or nothing worth touching. If a replacement is warranted we will say so, and if your roof is fine, you will hear that from us too.
How long does a roof replacement take?
Often a few days once materials are on site. Weather, the size and pitch of the roof, and how much decking is soft can stretch that. You get a timeline you can plan around after we have seen the roof, and the yard is cleared of nails before the crew leaves.
Before the next storm crosses Holt, have us up on the roof.
A free roof look, pictures of what we find, and a straight answer about whether it needs replacing. You owe us nothing for the visit.
(989) 900-0018