Roofs that stand up to the Gorge in Stevenson, WA 98648

Stevenson's older homes near the river tend to have simple gables and steep pitches, a practical choice in a place with this much rain. Many have been reroofed with composite shingles, and the ones that hold up best were installed with high-wind nailing and sealed rake edges. Up on the hillsides, newer homes and vacation properties often go with standing-seam metal, which handles heavy rain, wind and snow better than most other options and needs little upkeep for owners who are not there every week. Wind-rated ridge vents matter too, since standard ones can let driven rain in.

Cedar shake still appears on some older cabins in and around town. In this climate shake turns dark and mossy fast, and once it starts splitting it lets water through quickly. We repair shake where it still has life, or convert it to composite or metal over new solid decking when it does not. Where shake is kept, we replace split pieces and clear the gaps between shakes so water drains instead of soaking the wood.

The Columbia River Gorge acts like a funnel. In winter, cold air pushes west through it as strong east wind; at other times, storms ride in from the west. Stevenson gets both, and the gusts can shift direction in a single storm. That means every edge of the roof, not just one side, needs to be fastened for wind. Heavy rain, often driven sideways, then finds any weakness at ridge vents, skylights, chimneys and wall flashing. Winter ice and snow are more common here than in Vancouver, and ice storms can coat roofs and trees, bringing down limbs from the forested slopes.

Because Stevenson is a longer drive, we try to inspect, measure and complete smaller repairs in one trip. For full replacements, we check with Skamania County or the City of Stevenson on permit needs and schedule work for drier windows when possible. Storm damage calls come through our 24/7 line, and we will secure the roof with a tarp as soon as wind and road conditions allow. We send photos of every finding so you can see the roof from wherever you are.