Forest Lake, Minnesota
Reliable Asphalt Roofing in Forest Lake, MN
A lake cottage that became a year round house in Forest Lake is rarely one roof. It is an original core, a wing added later, a porch tied in flatter than either, and pitches that never quite agree. Snow blows the length of the lake and drifts against whichever elevation faces the water, and it packs into exactly those tie ins.
Get your estimate today
Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews
- Licensed and insuredMinnesota exterior contractor
- 5.0 from 217 reviewsVerified on Google
- Storm and insurance workWe handle the claim with you
- Faith-based, locally ownedRefreshingly honest
One house, three roofs, three answers
Tear-off on a converted cottage rarely gives one layer count. The original core might come down through three layers over board decking while the wing added in the eighties has one over plywood, so we price and strip them as separate roofs. Pitch splits the same way. The main planes take shingles without argument, but the low porch tie in where snow drifts off the lake often sits below what asphalt can shed, and that joint between the porch and the wall above it is where these houses leak. Ice barrier goes well up the lake facing slopes, further than the minimum, because drifting snow sits there for months instead of blowing clear. A tie in flatter than shingles allow needs a membrane or metal roofing instead, and we will say so rather than shingle it and hope.
Asphalt Roofing in Forest Lake
Roofing a house that grew in stages
Each section priced on its own
The core, the wings and the porch usually carry different layer counts, different decking and different pitches. We measure them separately, so nothing gets averaged into a number that is wrong everywhere.
Ice barrier run up the lake side
Snow blows the full length of the lake and piles against the water facing elevations, then sits. We carry ice barrier higher on those slopes than on the sheltered side, because that is where meltwater backs up.
Porch tie ins built for drifting snow
The joint where a low porch roof meets the wall of the original cottage is the classic leak on these houses. It gets membrane, a proper turn up the wall and flashing over the top, not a bead of sealant.
Mismatched pitches transitioned cleanly
Where a shallow addition runs into a steeper original, water changes speed at the joint. We build that transition with the right underlayment and a break that carries runoff across instead of stalling it.
Vaulted wings vented separately
Many added on wings have no attic at all, just rafters and drywall. Those cavities cannot share the main attic's venting, so we treat each one on its own rather than running a single detail everywhere.
Shoreland rules checked before we start
Lakeshore parcels sit in a shoreland overlay district that caps how much of a lot can be impervious. A straight reroof does not change that math, but adding a dormer or extending a porch can, and we flag it.
Why lake homeowners here call us
We roof it in the right order
On a house built in stages we sequence the sections so the tie ins are open at the same time. That is how those joints end up watertight instead of patched together season by season.
Access worked out before delivery
Narrow lots, tight side yards and ground that slopes toward the water decide where a truck can set shingles down. We settle that on the estimate visit, not on the morning of the tear off.
Honest about cold weather work
Cold changes what seals and when. We will tell you plainly what can go on in February and what is better waiting for spring, rather than booking work that will not bond properly.
The porch gets measured too
Plenty of quotes cover the main planes and skip the porch because it is awkward. The porch is the part that leaks, so we measure and price it alongside everything else.
Willing to do the smaller job
Some of these houses need the porch tie in rebuilt and nothing more this year. The estimate is free and carries no obligation, and we would rather do the small job properly.
What people near Forest Lake say
The crew arrived early and spread tarps all around the house to capture every bit of debris. By 3:00 PM, my entire roof was completely finished.
Hazel JamesRoof replacement, Minneapolis, MN Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasStorm damage repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement
What Forest Lake owners ask
What people in Forest Lake ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Does a new roof in Forest Lake trigger the shoreland coverage rules?
A straight replacement does not. The shoreland overlay district caps how much of a lakeshore lot can be impervious, and swapping shingles for shingles does not change your footprint at all. Adding a dormer, extending the porch or building a new deck can, so if the reroof is one part of a bigger plan, that coverage math comes first.
Does every section of my Forest Lake cottage have the same number of layers?
Usually not, which surprises people. The original core often carries two or three, sometimes over board decking, while a wing added in the seventies or later has one over plywood. We check each section separately at the estimate, because one number for the whole house would be wrong on half of it.
Snow drifts against the lake side of my house. What actually helps?
On the roof, ice barrier carried further up that slope than the minimum, sealed flashing at any wall the drift leans against, and a hard look at the porch tie in where the drift packs deepest. Inside, keeping the attic cold and the insulation continuous stops the melting that turns a drift into ice. Both halves matter.
Get the whole roof looked at, porch included
Tell us about the house and we will walk every section, core, wing and porch tie in, then write a free estimate. Homes near Clear Lake and the older lakeshore streets included.
Get Your Free Exterior Estimate
Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
Request your estimate
Rated 5.0 from 217 Google reviews