New Roof ConstructionBased in Fort Worth, TX

The Difference

Worth knowing before the inspection.

Climate should shape a new roof in North Texas more than it does in most places. Hail comes through Tarrant County most springs, roughly from March to June, and summer heat bakes a roof for months at a time. Building with impact resistance from day one costs less than replacing a standard roof after its first bad storm. We install Owens Corning, Malarkey, and GAF Class 4 systems, and many Texas insurers offer a premium discount on homeowner policies for a Class 4 roof. If you are building a home, ask your insurance agent about that discount while the plans are still being drawn, since it can affect which shingle makes sense for the budget over the years you own the house.

Material choice has structural consequences on a new build. Asphalt and architectural shingles are light and suit almost any framing. Standing seam metal needs a solid deck and careful detailing at the eaves, but it sheds hail and heat well and it suits the clean lines of many newer designs around Benbrook and Aledo. Clay and concrete tile weigh several times as much as shingles per square foot, so a tile roof has to be in the structural plan before the trusses are ordered. Deciding on tile after framing often means reinforcing trusses or changing the material. Wood shake gives a distinctive look, and fire rating and insurance terms deserve a check with your carrier before you commit to it.

The layers under the roof covering deserve the same planning as the covering. Many new homes in the Fort Worth area are sheathed with radiant barrier decking, which reflects heat away from the attic, and that choice has to be made when the decking is ordered. Current residential code calls for drip edge along the eaves and rakes of a shingle roof, underlayment across the deck, and a membrane in the valleys where water concentrates. Ventilation has to be balanced, with enough intake at the soffits to feed the ridge vent or other exhaust at the top. An attic that cannot breathe in a Texas August runs well above 130 degrees, and that heat shortens the life of the shingles and works the air conditioning harder.

An addition is a new roof with an old one attached to it. The new section has to match the pitch of the existing house or be designed to meet it at a clean transition, and the valley or wall joint where the two roofs join is where most addition leaks begin. Color is another consideration, because new shingles will look different from ones that have spent fifteen summers in the sun, and the original line may no longer be made. If the existing roof is near the end of its life, replacing it at the same time as the addition goes on lets both sections age together and avoids tearing into the new work later. In Fort Worth, an addition needs a building permit, and the roof is part of that.

Commercial and industrial buildings run on different roof systems. Low-slope commercial roofs in North Texas are commonly TPO or PVC membranes, EPDM rubber, or built-up roofing with several plies, and silicone coatings add waterproofing and reflectivity over a suitable surface. White TPO and PVC reflect much of the summer sun, which lowers the heat load on the building below. PVC holds up well where grease or chemicals reach the roof, such as restaurant exhausts. Metal is common on warehouses and industrial buildings because it spans long distances and sheds water quickly. On any low-slope roof, drainage is the part to get right early, since standing water after a storm is what shortens a membrane's life.

On a construction schedule, the roof is the step that dries the building in. Until the decking is covered, the framing and anything inside are exposed to the weather, and a spring storm in Fort Worth can put a lot of water into an open structure in an afternoon. If your new home is in a subdivision with a homeowners association or an architectural committee, expect to submit the roof material and color for approval before work starts. Ordering the roofing materials early helps too, since lead times on metal panels and tile can stretch after a big hail season, when replacement demand across Tarrant County soaks up supply. If you are planning a new home, an addition or a commercial building, call (817) 988-9509 or send the form and we will start with a free estimate.