30145 Fairfax Street

Atlas Pinnacle Pristine Pewter — 30145 Fairfax Street, Southfield

This job was a full roof replacement on a rental property at 30145 Fairfax Street in Southfield, a neighborhood not far from the Evergreen Road corridor on the northwest side of the city. The owner, Gayle, manages a small rental portfolio in the area and had been dealing with an active leak around the chimney chase. The existing roof was a three-tab shingle system that had simply run its course. Age and wear, not storm damage, drove this replacement. The chimney situation added a wrinkle, but the roof itself was done.

Our technician Scott inspected the property and confirmed the faux chimney cap had blown off and was just resting on the pipe. Gayle had tried to reset it with caulking, but it never seated properly, which is how water was getting in during rain. The chimney chase itself looked fine. No major structural issues, just the cap and some flashing that needed attention. We replaced the step flashing around the chimney and properly reinstalled the cap. That resolved the leak path without any unnecessary additional work.

Before anything else went on the roof, we pulled off all the old shingles and underlayment down to the deck. The decking inspection turned up some areas that needed attention. We replaced 6 sheets of plywood and 6 pieces of 1x6 common board where the wood had deteriorated. That's not unusual on a roof this age, and it's the kind of thing you want to catch and fix before you put new materials over it. Once the deck was solid, we installed drip edge along the perimeter, 23 pieces total, to give the roof a clean edge and direct water away from the fascia.

Waterproofing starts at the eaves. We ran six feet of ice and water shield membrane along the eave lines, and continued it through the valleys, around the chimney, and at all wall transitions and penetrations. Above that, Atlas Summit 60 synthetic underlayment goes up to the ridge, fastened with plastic cap nails so it stays put. We also installed wall flashing at the transition between the roof and the siding. Two pipe boots with covers went in over the vent pipes. The old can vents came off entirely. In their place, we installed 73 linear feet of OmniRidge Pro ridge vent across the peak, hand-nailed for a tight fit. Four Smart Plugs sealed the old can vent openings in the deck. The switch from can vents to continuous ridge vent gives the attic a much more consistent exhaust path.

For shingles, Gayle wanted to match the garage roof that had been replaced five or six years ago. After Scott visited the property to check the existing color, we landed on Atlas Pinnacle Pristine in Pewter. We installed 94 bundles, which works out to just over 31 squares of field shingles, plus Pro-Cut starter strip along the eaves and rakes and Pro-Cut hip and ridge cap to finish the edges and peak. The total roof area came in at just over 30 squares, with a pitch mix that runs mostly 6/12 with some 4/12 sections and a small steep section at 21/12.

Roofing Army handled the permits, the dumpster, all materials, and full labor. When the crew wrapped up, we did a magnetic nail sweep of the entire property and completed a final walkthrough with before and after photos. Total project cost was not listed here, but the scope was comprehensive. For Southfield roof replacement work on a rental property like this, the job was done right from the deck up. Gayle has additional properties in the Oxford and Southfield areas that will need attention in the coming years, and we look forward to being the contractor she calls when those come due.