Getting Ready for Roof Installation on a Home in Denver Metro Area?
APC Roofing strips worn-out coverings down to the wood and lays every layer again, from the underlayment to the caps.
Phone 720-902-6940 and ask for the house to be measured.
Laying Over the Old Roof: What a Second Pass Hides
Code in plenty of places lets a new layer be nailed over the current one, and it saves the mess of removal. Going over the top conceals the deck and its flashing, and rot or corrosion carries on below.
A second set of tabs takes the shape of the worn set under it, and the added mass holds heat against the mat. A complete replacement goes down to clean decking, and that way nothing unknown is left under the covering.
The Boards Beneath: Repairs Before Anything Goes On
As soon as the last course is off, the condition of every panel is clear. Any punky patch is sawn away and filled with sound stock, and anything loose is refastened to the rafters.
Some decks from earlier decades are spaced planks with open gaps, so the openings are closed with an overlay of panels. Soft sheathing lets go of whatever is driven into it, so wind finds the weak patch within a few seasons.
The Sheet Under the Shingles – Laps and Fasteners
Engineered polymer goes across the field in long runs, so a torn-off piece up top does not mean a soaked ceiling. Old tar paper split easily and buckled after a rain, whereas the newer product keeps its shape for years.
Every row of the synthetic sheet laps over the row beneath, while the fasteners go in with plastic caps at set intervals. Which roll sits under the shingles matters, because houses that look alike from the street can differ underneath.
The Sticky Membrane – Full Cover or Strips
A self-adhering sheet grips the deck on contact, and it stretches as the panels shift. The tacky compound hugs each nail shank, so moisture that gets under a shingle has no path into the house.
At the colder end of our territory, the bottom run extends over the heated space inside the wall, since snowmelt held back by ice creeps up under the laps. On some homes the full surface of the plywood is sealed, so rain that slips under torn shingles stays out of the attic.
Finishing the Perimeter – Missing on Many Older Houses
An L-shaped profile lines the lower border and the slanted ends, so the runoff falls away from the siding. At the eave, the metal is tucked beneath the underlayment, while up the rakes the order is reversed.
A lot of older homes went up with shingles simply hanging over the wood, so the board carrying the gutter is frequently soft. Formed metal on all the outer lines belongs in a full reroof, with ruined lumber cut out and replaced.
Anchoring the Lowest Row: Where Shortcuts Show
A purpose-made piece with an adhesive band is fastened along the eave, with a small overhang past the drip metal. Regular stock turned around carries its glue line at the upper end, so a strong blow can peel up the lowest row.
Every piece has a nail zone set out by its maker, since that is where the pieces overlap and double up. An air gun at too much pressure blows the head through, so a strong wind lifts the shingle off.
The Vent System: What Trapped Heat Costs
Outside breezes should enter through the soffits and exit near the peak, with both ends given equal open area. Bottom vents blocked by insulation starve the attic of supply, and the exhaust openings then drag air from the house instead.
A well-ventilated underside holds the plywood near outdoor temperature, and the shingles on top age more slowly. At the colder end of our territory, the same draft prevents snow melting from underneath, which limits the ice that backs water up at the edge.
Fan Duct Runs: Fixed While the Wood Is Open
A lot of houses have shower vents that discharge beneath the roof instead of beyond it, and the vapor they move condenses overhead. Wet nail tips and black staining on the decking are the marks, and rot sets in that the covering cannot hide.
Once the old layers are off, each fan line is in the open, so a proper outlet with a damper can be set for each. A disconnected vent hose gets reconnected and clamped, and an insulated sleeve keeps condensation from dripping down.
Step Flashing at the Walls: Replaced, Not Reused
A small bent plate is interleaved with every row that runs into a dormer or second story, with the exterior finish lapping over the upright half. The previous flashing has rusted edges and holes from past nailing, and every scrap is swapped for fresh stock.
A kickout diverter at the foot of a wall turns runoff into the gutter, and without one, rain runs straight behind the siding. Many houses of a certain age never got one, and the harm appears as peeling paint and spongy wood low on the exterior.
Chimneys: Tight Against the Brick
On a masonry flue, an apron wraps the downhill face and stepped pieces climb both flanks, and counterflashing seated in a cut joint overlaps them. Any chimney of real width wants a cricket built against its back, so rain divides and flows past instead of pooling.
Adding a missing diverter to a stack is straightforward during a tear-off, as the boards in that spot are uncovered. Spalling brick or a split crown is a mason's job, because fresh counterflashing grips only sound material.
Skylight Units – Swap or Keep
Every curb receives the step and head pieces its maker designed, and the parts overlap the adjoining courses like shingles. A skylight with fogged panes or rot around it is worth replacing during the job, because reopening fresh work later doubles the disruption.
Owners who dislike a light well can have it taken away, with the gap framed in and decked. Moisture that runs down the sash on cold mornings is often vapor meeting cold glass, and more flashing will not cure that.
Valley Linings: Open or Closed-Cut
Where neighboring planes join, their runoff gathers into a single channel, so it is taken down to the sheathing and redone. Membrane that sticks to the wood runs from end to end, and metal or overlapping shingles are then placed above.
The open method leaves a band of bare steel visible down the middle, whereas a closed-cut job sweeps tabs over from one side and trims the second side neatly. Which type suits depends on the product chosen and the weather, and both drain well when built by the book.
Roof Penetrations: What Comes Off for Good
Every drain riser takes a fresh flashing unit, and the covers over the fans are changed out. Old antenna poles and capped-off stacks are taken down, so solid wood fills in each opening.
Caulk around a boot is only a backup, as the shingles lapped over the flange do the sealing. Silicone and lead versions resist ultraviolet light better than ordinary neoprene, and they suit a covering meant to go for decades.
Low-Slope Sections – Why Shingles Fail There
Plenty of homes carry a sunroom, carport or rear room with an almost horizontal top, and asphalt was often nailed across it regardless. Shingled courses only work when water drains off fast, and with hardly any tilt it wicks backward into the deck.
The section can convert to a single-ply or modified bitumen membrane when the roof is redone, while its head is carried up under the shingles on the steeper part. The change from the flat covering to shingles needs its own flashing, because sealant alone there opens up as the house moves.
The Surface Material – Weight, Wind and Looks
A low pitch eliminates several products, because overlapping courses require a minimum rise to shed water. Laminated shingles work on most houses, standing seam metal is prized for wind resistance, and tile needs a structure built for its heft.
Color and style shape how the whole property looks, and paler shades keep the attic a little cooler. We give a recommendation and the reasons behind it, and the decision stays with you.
Specifications That Vary – Strikes and Uplift
At the colder end of our territory, hail is what bruises coverings, and impact-resistant shingles take the blows better. Testers drop steel balls onto a sample to assign its grade, so it tells you about toughness, not about what any storm will do.
At the coastal end of our territory, the pull of wind shapes the specification, so products are picked for their uplift performance. Every piece gets the extra nails the maker specifies, with adhesive applied along the rakes and eaves.
Ridge and Hip Caps – Sized for Airflow
The apex and every outside corner are covered with factory-bent shingles, because everyday tabs split when doubled over. Where attic air leaves at the ridge, a slot is cut through the sheathing, and a vent unit sits over the gap under the caps.
The open ends at the gables are plugged, so wind-driven rain cannot blow in sideways. The channel is made to the size the maker requires, because too wide invites leaks and too narrow chokes the airflow.
Beds, Lawn and Driveway: Nails in the Grass
Shrubs, flowers and patio furniture near the walls are worth covering, while the condenser and ground-floor glass want plywood propped against them. A dumpster set right below the edge lets the old layers slide straight in, with runners under the wheels to spare the concrete.
Loose grit from the stripped slopes washes into the gutters, so a clean-out before the next storm matters. One nail missed in the lawn is enough to flatten a tire, so the ground is worth going over afterward.
Step by Step – Sun and Sealant
Old shingles come off in manageable areas, so a sudden shower meets only a small patch of bare wood. Any rotten panels are replaced, and the membrane and underlayment go down on top, with the rake edges and starter strip nailed in next.
The field is shingled from the bottom up, and caps and vents close off the highest line. Sun warmth activates the glue lines on the fresh shingles, and before that the tabs rely on their nails alone.
Living at Home Through a Replacement – Getting Ready Indoors
The pounding overhead echoes through every room, so wall hangings upstairs may rattle free. Particles from the old roof drift into the attic, so boxes kept up there are worth covering.
Cars should sit away from the drive and out of the garage, as a roll-off container takes their usual spot. Anxious animals are happier somewhere quiet, and children stay off the ground below the eaves while debris comes down.
Paperwork With the Town: Part of Doing Things Right
Cities and counties generally regulate a complete re-roof, and an inspector visits afterward to look at the result. The contractor is normally the one who files for the permit, since the application names the firm doing the work.
A bid that calls approval unnecessary is avoiding scrutiny, and that alone is a reason to talk to others. A signed-off record tells a future buyer the roof met code, which helps once the property is listed.
The Life of a Replacement: Ventilation, Details, Weather, Upkeep
Modern laminated shingles are engineered for decades, while metal and tile often push past that. How long a roof lasts in practice comes down to workmanship at the details, plus the weather each season brings.
Identical products on neighboring houses can finish a decade apart, since one was set up to breathe and the other was not. A visit every year after the rough months spots issues early, and prompt fixes stretch the life of the covering.
When Replacement Is the Answer: Moss, Sag and Cracking
- Tabs that have curled at the corners, spread over most of the surface.
- Dark bare spots on the mat, with grit piling up in the gutters.
- Drips that return after every fix – closer together each season.
- A ridge that has dropped, growing more obvious.
- Daylight showing through the boards – not just at a pipe.
- Tabs that crack when lifted – common on sun-baked slopes.
- Moss thick enough to raise the edges, on top of age-worn material.
- A re-cover that is itself aging – so the next job is a full tear-off.
How APC Roofing Plans Roof Installation in Denver Metro Area – Our Method
Our inspection opens with a walk over every slope, followed by a look inside the attic. What we find goes into a written plan, with each layer, the metal and the ventilation listed.
We photograph the repaired sheathing and the flashing before they vanish from view, so that work can still be seen long after.
Roof Installation Near Denver Metro Area – Planned, Then Built
Call us at 720-902-6940 to have a roofer come and measure.
Gutters and a New Roof: What We Look At
The troughs catch whatever rain the shingles send down, and the drip metal decides where it falls. Any length that sags, seeps or has pulled loose is recorded, because trapped water softens the wood behind.
A trough lifted off for the tear-off is rehung with the right pitch, and the screws are set into sound wood rather than old holes. At the colder end of our territory, ice in a clogged gutter builds up over the edge, so guards can reduce the problem.
What a Replacement Does Not Change – Warmth and Wiring
Rafters that have split or a ridge that dips need a structural fix, so the repair is made before the new layers go on. Skimpy insulation on the attic floor is not improved by reroofing, which leaves rooms that were hard to heat just as hard.
Damaged wiring in the attic needs an electrician rather than a roofer, and it is flagged for the right trade. Before anything is torn off, you know what the project addresses, as well as what is beyond it.
To schedule Roof Installation in Denver Metro Area, give APC Roofing a call at 720-902-6940. Every slope gets measured and the details written down, and the reasons behind every option are set out.
