Roof Replacement in Hudson Park Estates, Hudson, Ohio

What is the story of Hudson Park Estates?

It was a dairy farm. According to the Hudson Heritage Association, the Grissom Farm covered about 400 acres, and most of it was sold to housing developers in 1961. The plan that followed had 387 lots, the largest development of its era in Hudson Township. Part of the land that was left later went into the site of Hudson High School, which opened in 1992.

A neighborhood that size was not built in a season. It went up in numbered phases, and listings today reflect that: homes for sale on Woodspring Lane, Hudson Park Drive, Lakedge Court and Parkside Drive in recent years were built between 1987 and 1990. Other streets may be older. The year on your own house is the one that counts.

Listings mention a lake, a pool, tennis courts and a playground shared through the homeowners association.

What are the roofs like in Hudson Park Estates?

The typical house in those listings is a two-story colonial with four or five bedrooms on a lot of half an acre or a little more. From a roofer's point of view that means:

• A big main roof. Two full stories put the eaves well over 18 feet up, with a long ridge.
• An attached garage roof that meets the house in a valley or dies into a wall. Both spots depend on flashing.
• One or more front gables, each adding two valleys.
• A family room or sunroom addition at the back, often with a lower pitch and sometimes a skylight.
• A fireplace chimney, boxed in siding or built of brick.

Lots of this size were large enough for builders to leave trees standing. Thirty-five years on, those trees shade whole slopes. Shaded shingles stay wet longer after every rain, and the valleys below them collect whatever falls.

Is a late 1980s roof in Hudson Park Estates due?

Do the math on your own house. A home finished in 1988 most likely got its first new roof somewhere between 2005 and 2015, since builder shingles of that time commonly lasted 15 to 25 years. If the reroof was early in that window, the second roof is now around 20 years old. If the house somehow still has its first roof, it is far past due.

Signs worth a look from the driveway:

• Dark streaks or green patches on the side that faces the trees.
• Shingle edges that look wavy against the sky at the rake.
• Granules piled at the bottom of downspouts.
• Rusty stains under a pipe vent or along the chimney.

None of these proves the roof is done. They are reasons to have someone go up. A free roof inspection ends with a rating of Good, Watch or Replace Soon, and photos that show why.

Does a new roof here need a permit or association approval?

Hudson Park Estates is not in the Historic District. For homes outside the district, the City of Hudson says reroofing does not require a zoning certificate. The city also points homeowners to the Summit County Building Department in Akron for building permit questions.

The homeowners association is a separate matter. Some associations keep a say over exterior colors and materials. Read your covenants or ask the board before you settle on a shingle color, so the choice is cleared before it goes on the quote.

What does roof replacement look like on a Hudson Park Estates colonial?

The same full scope as anywhere in the city: tear-off to the deck, membrane at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, new drip edge, starter, architectural shingles and a ridge vent. The Hudson roof replacement page lists every item.

Two things come up often on these houses. First, the original roof edge. Homes of this age were often built without drip edge, so the deck edge and fascia get a close look at tear-off. Second, the gutters on the tall side of the house. A reroof is a sensible week to deal with them, as the roof and gutters page explains.

For budgeting, a colonial this size is usually in the middle rows of the table on the roof replacement cost page.

Related pages

• When a roof from the late 1980s or 1990s is due
• Roof and gutters the same week
• Roof replacement cost in Hudson
• Other Hudson neighborhoods