Downers Grove Roofing: Catalog Homes, Storm Checks and Flat Roofs

Rafters and rafter tails: Downers Grove roofing on catalog homes

Downers Grove is known for a large collection of early-20th-century catalog homes, houses ordered by mail and shipped as precut lumber. Most are modest bungalows, foursquares and cottages, and their roofs have a few things in common. Rafters were cut to standard sizes for the plan, not always generous ones. Eaves often show exposed rafter tails, part of the house’s character. And after a century, many carry more weight than they were designed for.

Before recommending anything heavier than standard asphalt, we look at the rafters from the attic and check the ridge for sag. On re-roofs we keep exposed rafter tails and wood soffits visible where the owner wants the original look, repairing rotted ends rather than boxing everything in with aluminum. If you know your house’s catalog model, tell us; the original plans help us anticipate what we will find.

Small leaks on older houses along the BNSF line

The neighborhoods around the Belmont, Main Street and Fairview Avenue stations, and the blocks near the Tivoli Theatre downtown, mix Victorian and early-1900s houses with 1920s bungalows and a steady stream of new homes on teardown lots. Tall trees are everywhere, and the wooded land of the Morton Arboretum lies just west of town, so gutters here fill early and often.

The typical older-house leak is not dramatic: a chimney flashing that has been tarred three times, a valley worn thin under years of leaf litter, a porch roof that never drained. Each gets the same treatment from us, which is to find the actual entry point, photograph it, and fix the detail with new metal. For how we track a leak to its source, see roof repair.

Checking a Downers Grove roof after a severe windstorm

The 2021 tornado formed in Naperville late on June 20 and tracked east through Woodridge and Darien toward Willow Springs. Its worst destruction followed a fairly narrow path, which is typical of tornadoes. But severe storms of every kind leave quieter damage well outside their worst-hit areas, and it is easy to miss from the ground. After a big wind event, look for:

• Shingles creased or lifted along ridges, hips and rake edges, even if none are missing.
• Gutters pulled away from the fascia or bent by debris.
• Punctures and scuffs from flying branches, often on the side facing the storm.
• Siding cracked or knocked loose at corners.

We inspect, tarp anything open, and give you dated photos and an Xactimate-format scope. Should you decide to file a claim, we can meet the adjuster on site, though the coverage decision belongs to your insurer. For the full sequence, see storm damage repair; our guide to hail and wind damage insurance claims explains the paperwork.

Flat roofs on Ogden Avenue and 75th Street

The village’s commercial corridors, Ogden Avenue through the middle of town and 75th Street to the south, are lined with one-story retail and office buildings on low-slope roofs. What goes wrong is predictable: water standing around slow or clogged drains, seams opening on aging membranes, and flashing at rooftop units that has worked loose. Owners and managers get a photo report and a phased flat roofing plan that separates urgent repairs from work that can be budgeted.

Roof and exterior problems we see in Downers Grove

• Undersized or sagging rafters on century-old catalog homes
• Rotted exposed rafter tails and wood soffits
• Chimney flashing patched repeatedly with roofing tar
• Wind creasing along ridges and rakes after severe storms
• Ponding and seam failures on commercial flat roofs

Areas we work in

Downtown Downers Grove and Main Street · Blocks near the Belmont station · Fairview Avenue station area · Ogden Avenue corridor · 75th Street corridor · Neighborhoods near the Morton Arboretum · Butterfield Road and the north edge of town

Downers Grove roofing questions

How can I tell if my Downers Grove house is a catalog home?

Stamped part numbers on rafters or joists in the attic or basement are a common clue, and local historical resources can help with identification. It matters for the roof because rafter sizes and loads were fixed by the original plan, which affects what materials the roof can carry.

Should I get my roof inspected after a storm if nothing looks damaged?

It is worth a look. Creased shingles and broken seal strips often cannot be seen from the yard, and they tend to fail in the next wind event. An inspection with dated photos also gives you a record if problems appear later.

Can exposed rafter tails be kept when the roof is replaced?

Yes. We replace rotted tails with matching profiles, prime and paint them, and leave the eave open. Wrapping them in metal is an option, but it changes the look the house was built with.