Wheaton Roof Replacement, from Plank Decks to Wind-Ready Edges

Roof replacement in Wheaton: city or county permits?

A Wheaton mailing address does not, by itself, tell you who regulates the work, because the 60187 and 60189 ZIP codes reach beyond city limits. Inside the city, the City of Wheaton sets the rules. On unincorporated parcels, DuPage County’s building office does.

Before we sign a contract, we look up the parcel, confirm the current requirements with whichever office applies, and build the permit and any inspection into the schedule. If a permit is needed, we prepare and file the application and post the permit card on site. One caution: do not assume a neighboring town’s rules carry over. Naperville, for example, publishes an exemption for many shingle re-roofs, explained on our Naperville roof replacement page, and building departments differ on points like this.

Under the shingles of a prewar Wheaton house

Houses built before plywood was common were sheathed with boards, and many older Wheaton roofs started life as cedar shingles nailed to spaced boards with gaps between them so the wood could breathe. Later owners often put asphalt straight over the cedar, then a second asphalt layer over that.

Tear-off is the only way to know what you have. What we typically find, and what we do about it:

• Spaced boards under old cedar. Asphalt shingles need a solid deck, so we sheathe over the boards with plywood or OSB. This is priced as a separate line so you can see it.
• Solid plank decking with gaps or split boards. We re-nail, replace split boards, and overlay where gaps exceed what the shingle manufacturer allows.
• Two or three layers. Everything comes off. Codes allow at most two layers of asphalt, and the weight of three is hard on century-old rafters.

Because hidden conditions drive the final price on these homes, our estimate states the expected layers and gives unit prices for sheathing, so the number after tear-off is not a surprise.

Fixing attic moisture while the roof is open

A common Wheaton call in late winter is about water stains that appear without any rain. Up in the attic there is frost on the nail tips, which melts on the first warm day and drips onto the ceiling. The roof is not leaking; warm, moist house air is reaching a cold deck.

A replacement is the right moment to fix that. We look for bathroom fans and dryer or kitchen ducts venting into the attic and re-route them through proper roof caps, cut in or clear soffit intake so the attic can breathe, and replace scattered box vents with a balanced exhaust. We also point out unsealed openings around light fixtures, chimneys and the attic hatch, which an insulation contractor can seal.

Edges that hold up to western DuPage storms

Summer thunderstorms here usually arrive from the west, and the parts of a roof that face them take the beating: rake edges on tall gables, ridge caps, and any shingle tab whose seal strip never bonded. The June 2021 EF-3 tornado tracked through Naperville and Woodridge to the south rather than Wheaton, but the same storm seasons bring straight-line winds and hail across the whole county.

On a Wheaton re-roof we install new drip edge on every eave and rake, starter strip with sealant along the rakes as well as the eaves, the manufacturer’s high-wind nailing pattern, and ridge cap rated for the same wind class as the field shingles. Tall prewar gables get extra attention at the peak, where wind-driven rain finds its way behind loose trim. For hail-prone exposures we can quote impact-resistant shingles alongside standard architectural shingles so you can compare.

Wheaton Roof Replacement, from Plank Decks to Wind-Ready Edges: questions

You found old cedar shingles under my Wheaton roof. Does that add cost?

It adds a layer to remove and usually requires new solid sheathing over the spaced boards beneath. Both are listed as separate line items in our estimate, so you can see the effect before agreeing to the work.

Will a new roof stop the frost in my Wheaton attic?

Not on its own. Frost comes from household moisture reaching a cold deck. Better ventilation helps, but re-routing bath and kitchen exhaust and sealing air leaks into the attic matter just as much. We address the roof side and point out the rest.

Do you pull the permit for my Wheaton roof if one is needed?

Yes. We confirm whether the City of Wheaton or DuPage County has jurisdiction over your parcel, file any required application, and schedule inspections. See our Wheaton service area page for more on local housing.