Bungalow roof replacement and repair in Sellwood-Moreland, Portland, OR 97202
Rows of bungalows and cottages, a few big Victorians, and a river breeze off the Willamette. Sellwood-Moreland roofs are mostly modest in size but old, and many are on their second or third set of shingles.
In Sellwood-Moreland, most roof calls come from early 1900s bungalows and cottages: worn shingle layers ready for a tear-off, leaks at chimneys and porch tie-ins, small flat roofs over porches and additions, and moss on shaded slopes. Call (503) 917-5484 any hour. We look at the roof in person and give you a written estimate before anything starts.
Sellwood started as its own town on the east bank of the Willamette before Portland absorbed it, and you can still feel that in the grid of small lots between SE 13th Avenue, Milwaukie Avenue and the river. Westmoreland runs north toward the Bybee Boulevard area. The houses are close together, many with detached garages off alleys, and a lot of them were roofed most recently in the 1980s or 1990s.
That timing is why replacement is the headline here. A bungalow roof from that era, especially one laid over an older layer, is now brittle, missing granules and losing its seal. We tear off to the boards, fix what has rotted, and put on a new system sized for the house. Smaller jobs fill the rest of our time in the neighborhood: porch roofs, chimney leaks and moss.
What does a typical Sellwood-Moreland roof look like up close?
The neighborhood is dominated by Craftsman bungalows and simple cottages from about 1900 to the 1930s, with some older Victorian and Queen Anne homes closer to the original Sellwood town center and a sprinkling of newer infill and townhomes. Roofs are usually medium pitch with a front gable or a side gable and a shed dormer. Many have low-slope roofs over enclosed porches, rear additions and sunrooms, which were often roofed with rolled roofing.
The Sellwood Bridge, Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Sellwood Park and the antique shops along SE 13th give the area its character. Tree cover is patchy, with big street trees on some blocks and open sky on others, so moss depends a lot on the exact lot. Homes nearer the bluff above Oaks Bottom and the river get more wind and fog than those farther east toward Reed College.
Where do Sellwood-Moreland bungalow roofs usually fail first?
Worn second layer shingles
Overlay roofs from decades ago are curling and shedding granules. They also hide rotted boards beneath. A full tear-off lets us replace soft decking, sheath over skip boards and install synthetic underlayment, drip edge and new ridge venting.
Leaky low-slope porch roofs
Rolled roofing on enclosed porches and additions cracks and lifts at seams. Water then soaks the ceiling below. We replace it with a torch-down modified bitumen or TPO membrane and flash the tie-in to the main roof properly.
Chimney leaks on small bungalows
Single flue brick chimneys often have tar patches instead of real flashing. They leak at the back side where water collects. We install new step flashing and counterflashing, or remove an unused chimney below the roofline and deck over it.
Detached garage roof decay
Alley garages are often neglected until the roof sags. Rotted rafters and decking are common. We repair framing and reroof the garage, often during the same visit as the house, so materials match.
Roofing services in Sellwood-Moreland
These services match the housing in Sellwood-Moreland, where compact bungalows, porch roofs and garages often get roofed together.
Roof Replacement
When patches stop holding and the shingles are bare, curling or shedding granules, a full reroof is the smarter spend. We replace Portland roofs from...
Asphalt Shingle Roofing
Asphalt shingles cover most Portland roofs, but the line you pick, the granules on it and how each shingle is nailed decide how well it handles eight...
Flat Roof Repair
Low-slope roofs in Portland hold water for months at a time. We find where it's getting in, repair the membrane, seams and drains, and get your flat...
Torch-Down & Modified Bitumen
Torch-down covers a huge share of older Portland flat roofs, from porch roofs on Craftsman homes to storefront buildings on Hawthorne. We install new...
Chimney Flashing Repair
Portland's old brick chimneys are the single most common leak point we see. Proper chimney flashing uses two layers of metal, one woven into the...
Roof Moss Removal
Moss on a Portland roof is almost a given under the firs. We take it off by hand and brush, treat what is left and add zinc so it grows back slower.
Dry Rot & Roof Deck Repair
A soft spot underfoot on the roof or a sag you can see from the street points to rotted sheathing below the shingles. We open Portland roofs, remove...
What is it like to reroof a house on a tight Sellwood-Moreland lot?
Lots are narrow, so we often use the alley for the dumpster or a dump trailer, which keeps the street clear. Side yards between houses can be only a few feet wide, and we protect neighboring siding and windows with tarps. Most bungalow reroofs finish in two to three working days. We give neighbors a heads up on loud tear-off days and run a magnet over yards and alleys before we leave each evening.
Roofing questions from Sellwood-Moreland
How much does a bungalow roof replacement cost in Sellwood-Moreland?
For a typical one and a half story Sellwood-Moreland bungalow, a full tear-off and new architectural shingle roof usually runs about $11,750 to $21,380, depending on layers, sheathing repair, chimney work and porch roofs. These are typical ranges only, and the real price comes after an on-roof look and a written estimate.
Can you redo the flat porch roof on my Sellwood-Moreland house at the same time as the main roof?
Yes, and it usually makes sense. We replace the porch membrane and flash the joint between the low-slope roof and the main roof as one detail, which is where many leaks start. Doing both in one visit also saves on setup and dumpster cost.
Do Sellwood-Moreland homes near the river need anything different on the roof?
Homes near the bluff and river see more fog, wind and damp air, so good attic ventilation and full underlayment matter more. We pay extra attention to rake edges and ridge cap fastening on exposed houses, and to moss on shaded slopes. Materials are the same quality shingles used across Portland.
Nearby places we roof
Roof trouble in Sellwood-Moreland?
Call and describe what you are seeing. We answer 24/7 and send a roofer as soon as one is free.