Roof Repair in Garland: Fixing Leaks on an Older Housing Stock
Garland has some of the older homes in the Dallas area. That changes how leaks start and what a lasting repair needs to look like.
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Quick checks you can do from the ground
Look for shingles that are missing, curled at the edges or a different color from the rest.
Check the gutters and downspout outlets for piles of loose granules.
Scan the ridge line and the edges of the roof for dips or waves.
From the attic, look for dark rings on the decking or daylight around nails and vents.
Inside, note any ceiling stain, its size and whether it grows after a rain.
What a house built around 1978 means for the roof
Half of the homes in Garland were built before 1978 (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024). A typical house here is about 48 years old, so the roof on it is almost never the first one. Each replacement over the decades can leave behind a mix of old and new flashing, patched decking and vents added at different times.
Those mixed details are where older roofs tend to leak. A chimney flashed decades ago, a bathroom fan cut in during a remodel or a wall where an addition meets the original house can each let water in long before the shingles wear out. Our guide to roof leaks around chimneys and vents shows what to look for.
Hail adds to the load. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged 112 hail reports within 10 miles of Garland from 2015 through 2024, and 28 of those were 1.75 inches or larger. Stones that size can crack shingles and loosen flashing on any roof, but an aging roof has less margin to absorb the hit.
Common repairs on Garland roofs
Flashing rebuilds
Replacing rusted or caulk-patched flashing at walls, chimneys and skylights with new metal that is properly lapped.
Pipe boot replacement
Swapping cracked rubber collars around plumbing vents, one of the most common slow leaks.
Shingle replacement
Removing hail-cracked or wind-torn shingles and sealing new ones into the surrounding rows.
Decking repair
Cutting out soft or rotted boards found under a leak and installing new decking before re-roofing that area.
How we approach a repair on an older roof
Find the entry point
Water travels. We trace stains back through the attic to where it actually enters.
Check what is underneath
On older homes we look at decking and earlier patches, since a repair is only as strong as the surface it sits on.
Give you the real picture
The written estimate says what we will fix and what we saw that may need attention later, with photos.
Repair and test
New materials are installed and sealed, and the area is checked once the work is done.
When the repair is a bridge to a new roof
On a roof with many years behind it, a repair often buys time rather than solving everything. That is fine, as long as you know it. If we see wear across most of the surface, we will tell you, and our roof replacement page for Garland covers that next step. For a broader look first, book a roof inspection in Garland.
GemSco is family owned, fully licensed and insured, with 20+ years of experience on asphalt shingle, metal, tile and flat roofs. Estimates are free. Read more about our roof repair service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth repairing a roof on a house this old?
Often, yes. The age of the house does not tell you the age of the roof, since most Garland homes have been re-roofed at least once. If the current roof is sound overall and the problem is local, a repair makes sense. We check the whole surface before recommending anything.
Why does my older home keep leaking in the same spot?
Repeat leaks usually mean the real source was never fixed. A stain may be patched from inside, or caulk may be added over failed flashing, but water keeps finding the same path. Tracing the leak from the attic and rebuilding the flashing or decking at that spot is what stops it.
Can hail damage an old roof more than a new one?
It can. Shingles lose flexibility and granules as they age, so a stone that would only scuff a new roof can crack an older one. After a storm with large hail, an inspection is a good idea, especially if your roof has been in place for many years.
Do you repair roofs with more than one layer of shingles?
We can, but layered roofs make repairs harder, since nails need to reach the decking through both layers and leaks can hide between them. If we find two layers, we will explain how that affects the repair and whether a tear-off would serve you better.
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