Shingle repair and reroofing for Bauxite homes in Saline County

Bauxite takes its name from the ore that was discovered nearby in 1887. The mining company that became Alcoa built the original town, including housing, churches, a school and stores. The company town ended in 1969, Bauxite incorporated in 1973, and like Benton and Bryant it has grown since as a place to live while working in Little Rock.

That history left a mixed housing picture. Some streets have small, older homes with simple gable roofs. Others have ranches and newer houses on larger, often wooded lots. A few properties have shops or outbuildings with metal roofs.

For roofing, it means two homes on the same road can need completely different things. One may need a patch on a roof that has years left, while the next is overdue for a full tear off.

Many Bauxite calls are for a specific problem rather than a whole new roof. A good repair fixes the cause and blends in as closely as the current shingle line allows.

• Shingles creased or torn off after a spring wind
• Hail bruises on a few slopes that do not justify full replacement
• Cracked rubber boots around plumbing vents
• Leaks at the step flashing where a porch roof meets the wall
• Ridge caps split by summer heat
• Drip edge and starter shingles missing at the eaves

Small older homes in Bauxite sometimes have two layers of shingles from earlier reroofs. A second layer adds weight, hides decking problems and makes repairs unreliable because new nails go through two brittle layers instead of solid wood. When we see that, we usually recommend a tear off.

Another sign is widespread granule loss. If the gutters are full of grit and the shingles look smooth and dark in patches, the protective surface is gone and the asphalt is exposed to the sun. Repairs on a roof in that condition rarely last.

During a tear off, we check every sheet of decking, replace soft wood, and install new underlayment, flashing, boots and drip edge. Older homes here often have little or no attic ventilation, so we usually add ridge vent and open soffit intake as part of the job.

Bauxite sits in a wooded part of Saline County, and many homes have oak and pine overhead. That brings limbs during spring storms, leaves and needles in valleys and gutters, and shade that lets algae streak the shingles.

Gutters and fascia need attention on these lots. When gutters clog and overflow, water soaks the fascia boards and the rafter tails behind them. We replace rotted fascia before hanging new gutters so the new system has something solid to hold.

Like the rest of central Arkansas, Bauxite sees hail and straight-line winds most often from March into June, and the occasional winter ice storm adds weight to trees over the roof. We photograph storm damage with dates, which helps if you file a claim.

Call (501) 387-1152 any time. We answer 24/7 and can often tarp an active leak the same day. For repairs and replacements, we inspect, photograph what we find and give you a written price before any work starts.

Most repairs take a single visit, and most reroofs on Bauxite homes are finished in one to two days. We protect landscaping, cover the driveway area, and run a magnet sweep for nails before we leave.

If you are not sure whether you need a repair or a new roof, ask for both numbers. We will explain the tradeoffs plainly and let you decide.

Some of the smallest homes in Bauxite have low pitched roofs over additions or enclosed porches, and those sections are often where the first leak shows up. On slopes too flat for shingles, we can install a low slope membrane that ties into the main roof properly instead of fighting the pitch.

Older homes also tend to have bathroom and kitchen fans venting into the attic instead of through the roof. That warm, damp air condenses on the underside of the decking in winter and can look like a roof leak. We check for it during inspections, and if we find it, we can vent those fans outside as part of the roof job.