Baker Project: Board Decking Repair and New Landmark Shingles

Board Decking Repair and a New Roof on a Baker Home

This Baker home in East Baton Rouge Parish needed more than new shingles. Roof Rescue tore the roof down to the deck, replaced the boards that could not carry a new roof, and rebuilt the whole system in a single install day.

What went on the roof

• Full tear-off of the old shingles and underlayment, down to the original board decking.
• New plywood decking cut in wherever the old boards were not sound enough to hold fasteners.
• Synthetic roofing underlayment across the full deck, with ice and water shield called for in the valleys and transitions.
• CertainTeed Landmark architectural shingles, finished with CertainTeed Shadow Ridge hip and ridge cap.
• New drip edge, pipe flashing and vents, plus a ridge vent along the peak.
• A framing repair behind the vinyl fascia, where a damaged board was replaced.

Older board decking, checked before anything went back on

Once the old shingles came off, the deck told the real story. This house was built on individual boards rather than modern plywood sheets.

Board decking can last a long time, but it moves, it gaps, and individual boards soften where water has found its way in over the years. The crew checked the deck and measured new plywood to fit where the old boards were not sound. A new shingle nailed into a soft board does not hold, and the first strong wind is usually what finds out.

Why the roof went back to bare wood

Laying new shingles over an old roof is cheaper on the day, and it hides every problem this job turned up on the deck. Going to bare wood is the only way to find the soft boards, fix them while the roof is open, and give the new shingles a solid surface to fasten into.

It also keeps the weight where the structure was designed for it. A second layer of shingles adds load to framing that was built for one, and it buries the edges and flashing details where leaks tend to start.

Dried in with synthetic underlayment

With the deck repaired, the crew dried it in with synthetic underlayment rather than felt. Synthetic sheds water better, does not wrinkle when it gets wet, and stands up to foot traffic through a long Louisiana install day. The scope also called for ice and water shield in the valleys and transitions, which are the spots where water concentrates and roofs most often fail.

CertainTeed Landmark shingles and a vented ridge

The finished roof is CertainTeed Landmark, a dimensional architectural shingle. It carries more weight per square than a basic three-tab and gives the roof real depth and shadow lines instead of a flat sheet of color.

The hips and ridge were capped with CertainTeed Shadow Ridge, and a ridge vent went in along the peak so hot attic air has a way out. In a Baker summer, that ventilation matters for the shingles and for the rooms underneath them.

New edges, flashing and a fascia repair

The details were rebuilt rather than reused. New drip edge went on at the eaves, new flashing went around the pipe penetrations, and new vents were set.

The scope also covered a damaged board behind the vinyl fascia. Roof Rescue replaced the board and worked to reuse the existing vinyl fascia over it, so the fix did not leave a mismatched strip along the edge of the house.

About 30 squares, one install day

The roof measured out at roughly 30 squares of material. Materials arrived early that morning, the tear-off and deck repair followed, and the finished roof was photographed the same day.

Thinking about your own roof in Baker?

Roof Rescue handles roof replacements across Baker, Central, Zachary, Greenwell Springs and the wider Baton Rouge area. Schedule a free roof inspection and we will tell you plainly what your roof needs, including when the honest answer is that it can wait. We also handle full roof replacements and roof repairs for homes that do not need a whole new system yet.