Roofing in Cape Coral for Canal Homes, Lanais and Pool Cages

Roofing in Cape Coral mostly means single-story homes, many of them backing onto a canal, with a shingle or concrete tile roof and a screened lanai or pool cage running off the back. From the street that looks simple. From the roof it’s more involved, because water, wind and salt all go to work right where the cage and the lanai meet the house. That’s where we spend a good part of every inspection here.

Wide, low roofs

Most Cape Coral houses have a long hip roof with a gentle pitch spread over a wide footprint. That has its upside: the roof is easy to get onto, easy to inspect and quick to load with materials. The catch is that a low, wide roof sheds water slowly, so the underlayment works harder, and on tile the water runs underneath the tiles before it ever leaves the roof. During the inspection we check the eaves and valleys for the slow-draining spots, and we lift a few tiles anywhere the attic shows signs of moisture.

Lanais and pool cages

A pool cage usually fastens to the fascia or the roof edge along the back of the house. A screened lanai often has its own low roof tied into the main one. Both joins are where we find leaks:

• Cage fasteners loosen as the aluminum frame moves in the wind
• Sealant at the cage connection dries out in the sun and splits
• Flashing where a lanai roof meets the house wall gets bent, or buried under years of sealant
• Fascia boards behind the cage rot quietly where water has been running behind them

We open the joint, check the wood behind it and rebuild the flashing. Another bead of caulk over the old caulk doesn’t fix anything at this spot. Small jobs like this are a roof repair. When the whole roof is being replaced, the roof replacement plan includes the back of the house and the enclosure, and if the cage has to come loose we line that up with your screen company first.

Shingle, tile or metal

All three are on Cape Coral streets. Shingle roofs here tend to fail at the edges and ridges first, where the wind gets under them. Concrete tile lasts longer on top, but the underlayment beneath it wears out sooner, so a tile roof can leak while every tile looks fine. Some owners move to metal when they re-roof. If you’re weighing more than one, we price them side by side so you can see the difference in writing rather than take our word for it.

Living on the water

Homes on saltwater canals see more corrosion on exposed metal. We look for rust streaks, loose drip edge and vent caps that have started to flake, and we replace them before they let water in. A canal view also means wind straight off open water, which is one more reason the edges of the roof get extra attention.

After a storm

A pool cage that bends or comes down in a storm can pull at the fascia and lift the roof edge with it. If that happens, call us. Our hurricane damage visit covers tarping, a dated photo set of every slope and a written report. The insurance claim paperwork packet is ready to forward to your insurer as it is, and the claim itself stays between you and them.

Nearby

We also handle roofing in Fort Myers and roofing in Estero, with the same crew lead from the first look to the final sweep.

Services in Cape Coral

• Roof replacementShingle, concrete tile and metal re-roofs in Fort Myers, taken to the deck, re-nailed and sealed to code, with one crew start to finish.
• Roof repairLeak repair in Fort Myers for cracked pipe boots, lifted shingles, worn tile underlayment and the joint where a lanai roof meets the house.
• Hurricane damageStorm tarping and post-hurricane roof inspections across Lee County, with dated photos of every slope and a written report.
• Insurance claim paperworkA dated photo set, a written damage report and an itemized repair price for your roof claim. The claim itself stays between you and your insurer.

Guides

• How Long a Shingle Roof Lasts in Southwest FloridaHow long a shingle roof lasts under Southwest Florida sun, salt air and storms, the signs it's getting old, and what you can do to get the most out of it.
• Reading a Roofing Estimate Line by LineReading a roofing estimate without guessing. What each line on a re-roof quote should say, where prices hide, and how to compare two quotes fairly.

Questions from Cape Coral

• Who fixes the pool cage, you or a screen company?

  The screen enclosure itself is a job for a screen or aluminum contractor. We handle the roof side of it, meaning the fascia, the flashing and the fasteners where the cage meets the roof. On a re-roof we agree the order of work with your screen company so neither job undoes the other.

• Does salt air from the canal affect my roof?

  On a saltwater canal it can. Exposed metal like drip edge, flashing, vent caps and fasteners corrodes faster close to the water, so we look at those closely and use fasteners and flashing suited to a coastal roof when we replace them.

• Is a single-story roof cheaper to replace?

  Often a little, because the crew can work and load materials more easily. The bigger costs are the size and pitch of the roof, the material you choose and how much decking needs replacing, and all of those are written on the price.