Garland residents do not need convincing that severe weather is real. The tornado that tore through Garland and Rowlett on 26 December 2015 was an EF4, and it is still the reference point for storm preparedness in this part of Dallas County.
Garland at a glance
Dallas County, Texas
- Housing stock
- Substantially mid-century — 1950s through 1970s single-storey homes — with later development around Firewheel and the northern edges.
- Hail exposure
- High, and Garland has direct experience of severe convective storms beyond hail alone.
- Local factor
- A lot of original attic ventilation on the older stock is inadequate by current standards and shortens the life of anything laid over it.
Neighbourhoods we work in
Firewheel · Duck Creek · Camelot · Oakridge · North Garland
Mid-century homes, modern weather
The bulk of Garland's housing went up between the 1950s and 1970s. These are generally single-storey homes with simple, shallow-pitched roofs — which sounds like the easiest possible roofing job and mostly is, with two caveats.
The first is layers. Older Garland roofs have frequently been covered rather than stripped at some point in their history. A second layer hides the decking, adds weight, and traps heat. We tear off to the deck so we can see what we are actually working over.
The second is ventilation. Attic airflow on homes of this era was designed to a standard that has since moved on considerably. Inadequate intake and exhaust means summer heat sits in the attic and degrades the underside of the shingles. We assess this on every Garland replacement and price the correction where it is needed, because the alternative is a new roof that ages like an old one.
December 2015 and what it changed
The EF4 tornado that crossed Garland and Rowlett on 26 December 2015 caused severe structural damage across parts of the city.
Tornado damage is a different category of work from hail. It is structural rather than cosmetic — decking torn away, framing compromised, whole sections removed rather than bruised. It also demands a different documentation standard for insurance, because the scope is larger and more of it is invisible until the covering comes off.
That event is also why a lot of Garland homeowners are more careful than most about who they let on their roof after a storm, and about contractors who arrive from out of state and leave with the season.
Firewheel and the newer north
Development around Firewheel and the northern edge of the city is considerably newer, with larger homes, more complex rooflines and HOAs that often have architectural requirements.
Those roofs are builder-grade and now at the age where hail causes claimable damage. Replacement is the natural moment to move to impact-resistant material — see roof replacement for the comparison, or storm damage if you have already been hit.
