Roofing Contractor in Chamblee, GA: Affordable Repairs & Replacements

This is structural damage from a falling tree or large limb. It can crush decking, crack rafters and break the roof open. Water gets in right away, so the first job is getting the roof sealed, followed by framing and roof repairs that are documented for insurance.

Chamblee lots sit under some of the densest tree canopy in metro Atlanta. Many of those mature water oaks are near the end of their lives, and their wood is brittle. Summer straight-line winds, tornado-warned storms, remnants of Gulf hurricanes and occasional ice storms all bring down limbs. Red clay soil swells after long rain, roots lose their grip, and whole trees can come down. Tree damage after a storm is one of the leading reasons people call a roofer in an emergency here.

• Visible limb or trunk resting on the roof
• Daylight showing through attic boards
• Sagging rooflines or cracked ceiling drywall
• Water pouring in during or right after a storm
• Crushed gutters or torn fascia
• Shingles scattered across the yard

We see the most of it in Sexton Woods, Huntley Hills and around Murphey Candler Park, where large oaks overhang older ranches. Damage spikes after summer thunderstorms and the occasional winter ice event, which can hit dozens of homes on the same street in one night.

We tarp the roof the same day, coordinate with your tree service to get the debris off, photograph everything for your adjuster, and then replace the damaged rafters, decking and roofing.

Flashing is the metal or rubber that seals the joints where the roof meets chimneys, skylights, walls and vent pipes. When it cracks, rusts or pulls loose, water runs behind it and ends up in the attic, walls or ceilings.

Most leaks on older homes come from flashing, not the shingles. Mid-century chimneys in Chamblee often still have their original step flashing. Over the decades, many were covered with tar instead of being properly re-flashed. As the clay soil shrinks and swells, chimneys settle and pull away from the roof. Rubber pipe boots dry out and crack after a few Georgia summers. When a summer storm drops an inch of rain in 30 minutes, the water finds every gap.

• Water stains on ceilings near chimneys or skylights
• Damp or stained wood around attic penetrations
• Rust streaks on chimney flashing
• Cracked rubber collars around vent pipes
• Thick tar patches over flashing seams
• Peeling paint on walls next to the chimney

Brick ranches in Keswick Park, Embry Hills and Oakcliff are the most common source. So are 1920s bungalows in Oakhurst and Druid Hills with tall masonry chimneys. Leaks usually show up during summer downpours or long frontal rains in late winter.

We tear out the failed flashing and install new step and counter flashing, skylight kits or pipe boots. We also replace any rotted decking underneath, so the repair holds instead of being another tar patch.

Without enough intake and exhaust ventilation, attic heat builds up. That bakes the shingles from underneath, so they blister, curl and lose granules years ahead of schedule. It can also void manufacturer warranties and raise your cooling bill.

July highs near 90°F and strong UV for most of the year are already hard on shingles. Older ranches here often have small or painted-over soffit vents, and some have no ridge vent at all. Their attics can run well above outdoor temperatures. Humidity makes it worse, because condensation builds up on the underside of the decking and mold grows. Plenty of roofs installed in the 1990s and 2000s wore out early for this reason.

• Curling or cupped shingle edges
• Blisters or bald spots on shingles
• Heavy granules in gutters and downspouts
• An attic that's very hot or stuffy
• Mold or dark staining on attic decking
• Upstairs rooms that are hard to keep cool

It's common in 1950s–70s ranches and split-levels in Huntley Hills, Dresden East and Northlake. Low-slope additions and enclosed carports also trap heat. It gets worst in late summer, after long stretches above 90°F.

We work out the correct ventilation ratio for your attic, then add or clear soffit intake and install ridge vents. On a replacement, we choose shingles that suit your attic and the exposure.

Pine needles and leaves pile up in roof valleys and gutters and form wet dams. Water then backs up under the shingles, soaks the decking edge, and rots the fascia and soffit boards behind the gutters.

Loblolly pines drop needles all year. Oaks and tulip poplars shed heavily every fall. When that debris sits in a valley, it stays damp for days. Add 50 inches of rain a year and gutters that are often undersized for summer cloudbursts, and the water ends up going over the gutter or behind it. The complex rooflines on newer infill homes have more valleys, which means more places for debris to collect.

• Gutters overflowing during heavy rain
• Plants or moss growing in gutters
• Pine straw packed into valleys
• Soft, peeling or crumbling fascia boards
• Gutters pulling away from the house
• Water stains on exterior walls

Shows up constantly on heavily wooded streets in Sexton Woods, Georgetown and Ashford Park. Modern-farmhouse infill homes near downtown Chamblee get it too, because of all their valleys. It peaks from October through December and again during spring pollen and catkin season.

We clear the valleys, replace rotted fascia and decking edges, install drip edge, and fix valley flashing. Where we can, we make gutters or downspouts larger so they keep up with summer downpours.

Hail bruises shingles and knocks off their granules, which exposes the asphalt underneath. Strong wind lifts shingle tabs, breaks the seal strip and tears shingles off. The damage often isn't visible from the ground, but it shortens the roof's life and can qualify for an insurance claim.

The Atlanta metro is one of the more active hail areas in the Southeast, and most of it falls between March and May. Severe thunderstorms bring straight-line winds strong enough to lift older three-tab shingles. After a big storm, out-of-state storm chasers go door to door. Georgia law bars contractors from waiving your deductible, so homeowners here need honest documentation from a local roofer.

• Dark spots or dents on shingles
• Dinged gutters, vents or AC fins
• Granules piled at the downspouts
• Creased or lifted shingle tabs
• Missing shingles after high wind
• Dented metal flashing or ridge caps

Hail tends to come in bands that cross north DeKalb, Dunwoody, Tucker and Peachtree Corners. Three-tab roofs on older rental homes along Buford Highway and in Doraville tend to lose shingles first in strong wind.

We do a full inspection with dated photos, give you an honest opinion on whether a claim makes sense, meet with your adjuster, and repair or replace the roof to code.

The black streaks on many local roofs come from Gloeocapsa magma algae. Moss and lichen grow in the shaded, damp areas. All of them hold moisture against the shingles, and moss can lift shingle edges and let water work its way underneath.

Chamblee's humidity, frequent rain and heavy shade make an ideal environment for algae and moss. North-facing slopes under oak cover sometimes never dry out completely between storms. The black streaking also absorbs extra heat. Pressure washing, which many homeowners try, strips granules and causes more harm than the algae does.

• Black or dark-green streaks running down the roof
• Fuzzy green moss on shingles or ridges
• Gray-green lichen patches
• Shingle edges lifted by moss growth
• Roof that looks dirty even after rain
• Streaking worst on north-facing slopes

Nearly every shaded roof in Keswick Park, Huntley Hills, North Druid Hills and around Emory has some of it. It's especially bad on north-facing slopes and under large oaks near creeks and parks.

We soft-wash the roof with a low-pressure cleaner that won't damage shingles and fix any edges that moss has lifted. On replacements, we recommend algae-resistant shingles.

Many mid-century homes have plank or spaced skip sheathing, which was originally installed under wood shakes, buried under several layers of shingles. Over the years it softens, rots or doesn't give modern shingle nails a solid surface to hold.

Homes built here from the 1950s to the 1970s were often re-roofed by laying new shingles over the old ones. After decades of humid attics and small leaks, the boards underneath can be soft or rotted. Georgia's code generally limits a roof to two layers, so many of these houses need a full tear-off now. That's the point where hidden decking problems come to light.

• Spongy or bouncy spots when walking the roof
• Wavy or sagging roof surface
• Shingles that won't lie flat
• Visible gaps between boards in the attic
• Dark, soft or stained decking boards
• Two or more shingle layers visible at the edge

It's very common in original ranches in Huntley Hills, Sexton Woods, Embry Hills and Dresden East. We also find it in older homes around Tucker and Northlake that have been re-roofed several times without a tear-off.

We tear down to the decking, replace rotted boards, and sheathe over skip boards with new plywood or OSB. Your estimate lists a per-sheet price ahead of time, so there are no surprises.