Roof replacement and repair for Briarwood's midcentury ranch homes

Briarwood fills the block of midtown Little Rock bounded by West Markham Street on the north, I-630 on the south, University Avenue on the east and Cunningham Lake Road on the west. Its subdivisions went up in the 1950s and early 1960s, when this was the edge of the growing city.

On its east side, the old University Mall site has turned into the Park Avenue shopping center, and homeowners nearby have been updating houses with new windows, kitchens and baths. Roofs are often next on the list.

Most homes are one story ranches in brick or a mix of brick and siding, with carports or attached garages and simple hip or gable roofs. A few have later additions or converted carports that changed the roofline.

Ranch roofs in Briarwood are typically 4 and 12 to 5 and 12 pitch. That is gentle enough to walk easily but low enough that shingles must be installed carefully to shed water. Many of these homes have had three or four roofs, and it is common to find two layers still in place.

Original framing is often 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 rafters, and some ridges have sagged slightly over time. During a tear off we check rafters for cracks and the ridge for dips, and we tell you if anything needs bracing before the new deck goes down.

Fascia boards behind old gutters are another weak spot. Years of overflow soften the wood, and gutter spikes slowly work loose. We check every run during the inspection and price fascia replacement separately so you can decide what to include.

• Two layers of shingles adding weight to light framing
• Brittle 3 tab shingles losing tabs in every wind
• Plank or early plywood decking with soft spots near the eaves
• Old flashing at the carport or garage tie in

Ranch homes from this era usually got a few gable vents or box vents and not much else. Many soffits were solid wood or have been covered with vinyl or aluminum that blocks airflow. The result is a hot, damp attic that cooks shingles from below in summer and grows condensation in winter.

When we reroof here, we nearly always recommend continuous ridge vent paired with open soffit intake. That combination keeps air moving along the whole length of the roof. Adding baffles and topping up insulation at the same visit makes the house easier to cool.

A ventilation upgrade during a reroof typically adds $620 to $1,540. Done separately later, it costs more because the shingles have to be cut and reworked.

Original gutters on Briarwood homes are often long gone, replaced with sectional aluminum that leaks at every joint. New one piece gutters formed on site, sized for central Arkansas rain bursts and hung on hidden hangers, are a common add on when we reroof.

Carports and patio covers are their own projects. Many were built with very low pitches and covered in roll roofing, and they leak where they meet the house. We re-cover them with a low slope membrane or rebuild the tie in with proper flashing, depending on what we find. Costs usually run $1,180 to $3,450 for a typical carport roof.

Downspouts deserve a look too. Many Briarwood lots are fairly flat, so water dumped at the corner of the house tends to pool against the foundation or run toward the crawlspace. Extending downspouts a few feet or tying them into splash blocks is a small change that keeps that water moving away.

Most Briarwood reroofs take a single day. We set tarps over the beds, tear off down to the deck, replace bad boards, install underlayment and ice and water membrane in valleys and along eaves, then shingle and cap the ridge.

Before we leave, we clean the gutters, run a magnet across the yard, driveway and street, and send or show you photos of the finished roof. Manufacturer warranty terms depend on the shingle line and registration, and we give you the details to keep on file.