Storm-Recovery Roof Replacement

A winter wind event pulled tabs and full shingles out of the field on the windward slope. From the street it looked like a patch job: a few dark rectangles where shingles used to be. From the deck it told a different story - the surrounding field had lifted and re-seated, the sealant bond between courses was broken across a wide area, and the underlayment beneath was original felt at the end of its life.

The honest options were a spot repair that would hold until the next storm, or a full replacement that resets the clock on the whole system. We laid out both, priced both, and explained why a field that has started letting go keeps letting go. The owners chose the system.

Tear-off went to the bare deck. Every sheet got walked and probed; the sections that flexed or showed delamination came out and new sheathing went in. A roof is only as good as what it is nailed to.

The rebuild is a layered system, not a shingle job: ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and in every valley, synthetic underlayment across the field fastened with capped nails, new drip edge, new pipe boots and flashings - never reused - and architectural shingles nailed to the manufacturer's pattern, which is what keeps the wind warranty valid.

Ventilation got corrected while the roof was open: a continuous baffled ridge vent paired with clear intake at the soffits. Balanced airflow keeps the attic dry in winter and drops shingle temperature in summer, which is what actually extends the life of the new roof.

Weather, as always in a Portland spring. We do not open more roof than we can dry-in the same day, so the crew sequenced tear-off by slope and had the deck papered before every evening. Two forecast days slid on us; the schedule flexed instead of the standard.

The other complication was the original installation. The valleys had been woven without membrane beneath, and two flashings had been face-nailed and caulked rather than integrated. None of that was storm damage. All of it would have failed regardless. We corrected it because replacing a roof around bad details is not a replacement, it is a countdown.

The new system has since taken multiple atmospheric-river events and a windstorm without losing a tab. Sealant bonds set, ridge vent flowing, attic moisture readings where they should be. Cleanup ended the way every roof we do ends: magnetic sweep of the lawn, beds, and driveway.

What we would tell any owner after wind damage: get on top of it fast, document everything, and judge bids by the system spec, not the shingle color. The parts you never see are the parts that keep the water out.