Jackson is about as far as we go
Roughly two hours from our Fort Wayne office, Jackson is at the outer edge of where we work. I want that said up front. We do take work here, and the roof is the same roof, but a two-hour drive changes how fast someone is on site for a question mid-install, and you should weigh that honestly. A contractor closer to Jackson County is a legitimate thing to want.
The housing
Jackson is an older city, and much of its housing is from the first half of the last century — two-story homes, bungalows, steep pitches, dormers, valleys, chimneys. Many are on their third or fourth asphalt roof. On that vintage I look at the deck first: plank decking with wide gaps, and decking that has been wet before, are both common and both change the underlayment and fastening approach. Not a dealbreaker. A line item, and it belongs on the quote before the tear-off.
Leaks on these roofs are at the details — valleys, sidewalls, the chimney — not in the field. A concealed-fastener system fits them. An interlocking metal shingle keeps the look of an older street and removes the nail heads that failed last time. Standing seam takes a low-slope porch a shingle should not be on.
Outside town it is farms and lakes. The barn keeps its screw-down panel — the washers wear out around year ten to twelve. On the house, concealed fasteners, and never exposed fastener below 4/12.
Winter
Southern Michigan winters are real. Freeze and thaw at the eaves is what wears a roof out — melt, refreeze, water backing up under the roofing. Metal changes what that water can get into. The membrane at the eave and the attic ventilation are what prevent the damage, and on older houses the ventilation question comes up constantly.
Who should not call us
Selling in a few years — asphalt is the rational choice. One leaking detail on a sound roof — a repair, and we do not take repair calls; call a repair contractor. Wants shingles again — we are the wrong contractor. Smallest number this year — asphalt wins that.
Where we stand
We are licensed and in good standing in Michigan; our business identification number is 802491909. We install metal only, with manufacturer-certified crews and a lifetime warranty that transfers if you sell. Whether the distance is worth that is your call, and either answer is a fair one.
“We also serve surrounding towns and rural communities throughout Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio, and Southern Michigan within roughly a 90-minute drive of our Fort Wayne and Noblesville offices.”
