Oak Island’s roofs and repairs, on the east shore of Trinity Bay
On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike left about 90 percent of the homes on Oak Island uninhabitable. The community of 371 on the eastern shore of Trinity Bay is a plain reminder that a roof near open water has to be built for the worst day, not the average one.
Working in Oak Island
Oak Island is an unincorporated community on the eastern shore of Trinity Bay, 8 miles south of Anahuac, the Chambers County seat. The 2020 census counted 371 residents. When Hurricane Ike struck on September 13, 2008, it rendered about 90 percent of Oak Island’s homes uninhabitable. The Anahuac Independent School District operates schools in the area, and Anahuac, Beach City, Cove and Old River-Winfree are the nearest places on our list. We have no history of the streets or the houses to offer you, so we stick to what we do know: how to build for this shoreline.
Oak Island has no city government, so there are no city permit rules to follow here. That does not mean there are no rules at all. County rules on floodplain development, septic systems, and driveways and culverts can touch a building project, and state rules can apply too. We look into which of those reach your particular lot and job, and we write what we find into the scope. Be wary of anyone who tells you an unincorporated address means anything goes. When a lot sits in a mapped floodplain, that question comes first, because it can decide how high a new floor has to sit.
A roof on the bay shore takes wind at full strength, and the weak points are always the same: the edges, the ridge, and anything that lets wind get under the covering. Hurricanes and tropical storms can reach this shore between June and November, and heavy rain or rising water can put water where it has never been. For a roof, that means a sealed deck, an underlayment that keeps water out if the covering is torn away, edge metal fastened tight and a nailing pattern meant for high wind. For a house, it means elevation and drainage come first in any addition.
Close to a third of Chambers County’s 871 square miles is water. The county holds the Moody National Wildlife Refuge and the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, and it counted 46,571 residents in 2020. Thomas Jefferson Chambers, the major general it is named for, fought in the Texas Revolution, and the county itself dates to 1858. We would much rather walk an Oak Island roof in February than in the week after a storm, when every hour counts and every crew in the region is already spoken for.
The jobs that come up here
Emergency roofing is what you call when a storm has opened the roof and water is coming in. We dry in the opening with tarps or temporary underlayment, protect what we can inside and photograph everything before and after for your carrier. The permanent fix waits for a proper look in dry weather, with a written scope you can read before you sign. Metal roof installation is worth serious thought on a new house or a rebuild here, because panels fastened to a tight pattern with sealed trim stand up well to high wind, and there are no tabs for the wind to lift.
Deck replacement near the bay is as much about the frame and the hardware as about the boards: hot-dipped galvanized or stainless connectors, posts set in proper footings, and ledger flashing where the deck meets the house so water does not rot the rim board. Whole home remodeling fits a house that needs more than a refresh, where walls, plumbing and wiring are changing. On a property that has taken storm water, it also means opening the walls to check the framing and insulation before covering them back up, because what you cannot see is what grows mold.
- Deck replacement A deck that’s soft underfoot usually has bigger problems underneath than on top.
- Emergency roofing When a limb comes through the roof or a storm opens it up, the first job is keeping more water out.
- Metal roof installation Metal is the roof most people picture on a shop, a barn-style home or a patio cover, and it works on houses too.
Plenty of roofs we look at need a repair or nothing at all. If that is yours, you will hear it from us first.
Oak Island is unincorporated. Are there any rules for building there?
Yes. There is no city government, so city rules do not apply, but county requirements on floodplain, septic and driveways can reach a project, and state rules can too. We find out which ones apply to your lot and your job and put them in writing.
What can I do now to get my roof ready for hurricane season?
Have it inspected before June. Loose or missing shingles, lifted edge metal, cracked pipe boots and open flashing are small fixes in calm weather and big leaks in a storm. If the roof is near the end of its life, spring is the time to replace it, not the middle of the season.
Is a metal roof a good choice on the bay?
For wind, it is one of the better options, provided the panels are fastened to the right pattern and the trim is sealed. The fasteners and coatings must be suited to moist coastal air. We explain the choices and the trade-offs on paper before you commit to anything.
After a storm, what do I need for my insurance claim?
Photos of the damage, the date of the storm, and a written record of what was done to stop further damage. We photograph the roof and the interior before and after the dry-in and give you those records. We do not promise how a claim turns out; that is between you and your carrier.
Can you rebuild a deck that was damaged in a storm?
Yes. We check whether the posts and footings are still sound, because a storm can loosen them even when the boards look fine. If the frame is good, we replace the boards and railings. If not, the frame is rebuilt first, with hardware rated for coastal exposure.
Close by
We also work in Anahuac, Beach City, Cove, Old River-Winfree. The whole list is on the Chambers County page.
Two owners, both veterans, one phone number. We inspect, photograph and tell you what the job really needs, including when it needs nothing yet. Military families and first responders take 10% off.