Emergency tarping and roof leak repair for Wakefield homes

Wakefield sits in southwest Little Rock with easy access to I-30 and I-430, shopping along the nearby corridors and a quick drive to the airport or downtown. Its curving streets, with English sounding names like Sheffield, Halifax and Wycliffe, are lined with one story midcentury homes, many with later updates such as new roofs, HVAC and flooring.

Homes here usually have three bedrooms, a carport or small garage and a storage building or workshop out back. Many lots are generous for the city, some well over half an acre, and the mature trees that came with them are a big part of the neighborhood's look.

Those trees shape most of what we do in Wakefield. They shade roofs, drop leaves and needles all year and, in a strong storm, they come down.

Spring and summer storms bring straight line winds that snap oak and pine limbs without warning. A large branch can punch through shingles and decking, crack a rafter and let rain pour into the attic before the storm has even passed.

We answer 24/7. As soon as it is safe, a crew comes out to remove what is on the roof and cover the opening with a heavy tarp secured to sound decking, not just weighted with bricks. We photograph the damage before and after, so your insurer sees the full picture.

Once the house is dry, we come back to rebuild the framing and decking and patch or replace the roof, depending on what the damage and your claim allow.

• Emergency tarping: usually $385 to $940 depending on size and pitch
• Rafter repair or sistering after a limb strike: often $460 to $1,380
• Decking replacement: commonly $78 to $112 per sheet installed

Not every Wakefield leak is dramatic. Shade keeps roofs damp after rain, and leaves and needles pile up in valleys and behind chimneys, holding water against the shingles. Over time that water works under the edges and soaks into the decking.

We see a lot of soft decking along the eaves and in valleys here, often on roofs that look fine from the yard. During a leak repair, we check the deck around the stain, replace any soft boards and install ice and water membrane in the valley before closing it up.

Moss on north slopes is a warning sign. It means the roof stays wet long enough to cause trouble, and trimming branches back to let sun in helps as much as any repair.

Pine needles are especially stubborn. They knit together in valleys and gutters into mats that hold water like a sponge, and they slide back in within weeks if the trees overhead are not trimmed. Gutter guards can help on the worst runs, though they still need an occasional check.

Many Wakefield properties have carports, storage buildings and workshops with their own roofs. These are often low slope, covered with roll roofing or old metal, and they leak long before anyone notices.

We repair or re-cover them while we are on site, using a membrane for very low pitches and new panels or fasteners for metal. Carport roofs usually run $980 to $2,860 to re-cover, and sheds less, depending on size.

While we are there, we check the gutters on outbuildings too. Many have none, which lets roof water undercut the slab or the ground around the shed door, and a short gutter with a downspout is an easy fix.

When a Wakefield roof reaches the end, a full tear off is the best way to start fresh on a house this age. We remove every layer, replace soft decking, add drip edge and new pipe boots, and lay underlayment with ice and water membrane where the roof needs it most.

Attic ventilation in older homes is often limited, so we look at adding ridge vent and opening soffits as part of the job. Most homes here are reroofed in one or two days, and every job ends with gutter cleanout and a magnet sweep of the yard for nails.