Asphalt Shingle Replacement: Tear-Off, Deck Repair, Clean Yard
Replacing an asphalt roof is a day of controlled demolition followed by careful building. How the tear-off is handled decides what happens to your flower beds, your driveway, and the deck boards nobody has seen since the house was built.
Veteran BuiltCypress, Texas
We tear asphalt roofs off to the deck instead of laying new shingles over old. A second layer is sometimes allowed, but it hides soft decking, holds heat, adds weight, and gives the new shingles a lumpy base to lie on. It also hands the next roofer two layers to remove. Tear-off lets us see the sheathing, replace what is rotten, and reset flashing that was buried under the first roof, which is where a lot of old leaks were hiding all along.
The day starts with protection. Tarps go over beds and shrubs along the drip line, plywood leans against windows near the work, and the trailer or dumpster goes where it will not crack the edge of your driveway. Old shingles come off one section at a time so the house is never wide open. Bad decking gets cut out and replaced with matching sheets, photographed first so you see what you paid for. Old pipe boots, rusted vents and dented drip edge go in the trailer and stay there.
Houston weather sets the pace. Summer afternoons can turn stormy fast, so we tear off only what we can dry in before the clouds build. During hurricane season the radar gets checked the evening before, and the start date moves if it has to. After the shingles are on, we run a magnetic sweeper across the yard, the beds, the driveway and the street out front, then run it again, because a roofing nail in a tire is the last thing anyone wants to remember us by.
Houston roofs live hard. Spring hail, hurricane season from June to November, summer storms that throw straight-line wind, and attic temperatures that cook shingles from underneath. Algae streaks the north slopes. None of that means every roof needs replacing, but it does mean an inspection has to look at the attic, the vents and the flashing, not just the shingles you can see from the yard.
The straight answer on asphalt shingle replacement
We would rather tell you it is the wrong job than sell it to you anyway. Here is how we decide.
- Your shingles are worn out across the roof and you want the old layer gone, not buried under a new one.
- You suspect soft decking from an old leak and want it found and replaced while the roof is open.
- The house already carries two layers of shingles and the next roof has to start from the deck.
- A handful of missing shingles after a wind storm is a repair, and we will match and replace them instead of selling you a roof.
- If the roof is sound but the upstairs is hot, the fix may be attic ventilation, and the shingles can stay.
- Flashing that leaks where the roof meets a chimney or a brick wall can be rebuilt without touching the field shingles.
How we run it
- I
Protect the property
Tarps on landscaping, plywood at windows near the work, and the trailer placed where it will not damage the driveway.
- II
Tear-off in sections
We strip one section at a time down to the deck and only open as much as we can dry in that day.
- III
Deck repair
Soft or rotten sheathing is cut out, replaced and photographed for you before new underlayment covers it.
- IV
Re-roof and sweep
New underlayment, flashing, shingles and vents go on, then the yard, driveway and street get a magnet sweep twice.
What we ask before we price it
- How old is the roof, and has it been repaired before?
- Any ceiling stains, and do they come back after every rain or only in a storm?
- Is there an HOA with rules on shingle color or material?
- Are you talking to an insurance carrier about this roof, or paying out of pocket?
- Do you know who installed the current roof, and is there any paperwork from it?
Can you just put new shingles over my old ones?
It is allowed in some cases, but we tear off. A layover hides soft decking, adds weight and traps heat under the new shingles. Starting at the deck is the only way to know what is under there.
What happens to my landscaping?
Beds and shrubs along the drip line get covered before the first shingle comes off, and debris goes into the trailer instead of raining down on them. Tell us about anything fragile or newly planted, and we will plan around it.
How do you keep nails out of my yard?
Tarps catch most of them. After the job we roll a magnet over the lawn, beds, driveway and street, then do it a second time. If you find one later, call us.
What if it rains during tear-off?
We open only what we can dry in that day, and we watch the forecast the evening before. If a storm builds faster than expected, the crew covers whatever is open with underlayment and tarps before stopping.
Do I need to move my car or pets?
Move cars out of the driveway and garage if the trailer will sit close, and keep pets inside or well away from the drip line. Falling shingles and a dog in the yard do not mix.
What happens to the old shingles?
They go into our trailer or a dumpster and leave for disposal as they come off. Nothing sits on the lawn overnight. The old pipe boots, vents and drip edge leave with them.
Who you are hiring
We are a service-disabled veteran-owned company based in Cypress, verified by the Texas Veterans Commission. The person who writes your scope is the person you call if something is not right.
Google reviewers have given us 5.0 across 19 reviews, and the word that keeps coming up is honest. We would rather talk you out of a job than sell you one you do not need.
Military families and first responders take 10% off, and financing is available through Acorn Finance with a no-obligation prequalification. Ask about either when you call.