Delano, Minnesota
Skilled Commercial Certified Roof Assessment in Delano, MN
Commercial property in Delano is mostly Main Street: 1880s brick storefronts with low-slope roofs hidden behind parapets, and small shops and offices on the blocks around them. The scale is honest, no industrial park, no big box row. What these buildings do have is age, layered roofing, wood decks and a flood map that changed in June 2024.
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Old buildings hide their roofs behind parapets
You cannot judge one of these roofs from the sidewalk. Behind a brick parapet there is usually a low-slope roof with two or three roofs already layered on it, sitting on a wood deck that has been patched by whoever was cheapest that decade. We check the number of plies, the condition of the deck from underneath where there is attic or ceiling access, and the parapet itself from both sides, since a soft mortar joint lets water into the wall and the roof gets blamed. Downtown blocks share walls, so a leak often starts over your neighbor. We also note the floodplain status for the file, because the June 2024 maps pulled in ground that was never mapped before. If the deck is sound and the layers come off, TPO roofing is a straightforward answer on a small square roof like these.
Commercial Certified Roof Assessment in Delano
What a downtown Delano survey turns up
Parapets and coping on old brick
On an 1880s building the parapet is often the leak. We look at the coping, the mortar joints and the inside face, because water entering there shows up as a roof problem.
Floodplain status noted for the file
New FEMA maps took effect June 20, 2024 and the city adopted an updated ordinance two days earlier. If your building is now mapped, the report records it for your insurer and your lender.
Wood decking checked from below
Old storefronts sit on board decking that rots quietly under layers of roofing. Where there is ceiling or attic access we look from underneath, which tells you more than walking the surface.
Layers counted before anything is planned
Two or three roofs stacked on a wood deck changes everything about a replacement: weight, tear off, disposal and what the deck will take. We find out first, not on the first day of work.
Shared walls between storefronts checked
Downtown buildings share walls, and water coming in over your neighbor can end up on your ceiling. We look at the joint between the two roofs and say whose side the problem is on.
Damp separated from roof leaks
Low streets near the South Fork Crow River carry damp that higher ground never sees. We separate what the roof is letting in from what is working up through an old masonry wall.
How we approach an older building
We treat old masonry carefully
Setting a ladder against an 1880s parapet or leaning on soft brick can do real damage. We plan access before we climb and stay off anything that will not hold.
Small buildings are worth our time
Downtown Delano is not a warehouse district, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. A single storefront roof gets the same walk, the same photographs and the same honest recommendation.
We coordinate with the tenants below
There is usually a business under the roof. We work out access, timing and where a ladder can stand with whoever is downstairs before anybody starts moving equipment.
We put the file together for you
Between the report, the photographs and the floodplain note, you end up with one document to hand an insurer, a buyer or the city rather than three half finished ones.
We know what is under these roofs
Pre 1940 commercial buildings around here follow a pattern: board deck, layered roofing, a parapet on three sides and a slope you cannot see from the street. We start looking in the right places.
What people near Delano say
Fantastic guys to work with, did an excellent job of fixing our siding. You can tell it’s a high integrity company. Definitely recommend.
Carolyn MillerSiding repair 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
Delano building owner questions
What people in Delano ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Do the new Delano flood maps affect my downtown building?
They may. FEMA maps took effect June 20, 2024, and the city adopted an updated floodplain ordinance two days earlier, which pulled in property never previously mapped as flood prone. That affects insurance and what the city requires for certain work, so we note your status in the report and tell you to confirm it with city hall.
Can you get onto the roof of an 1880s storefront in Delano safely?
Usually, and the answer depends on the parapet and the deck. Some downtown roofs have soft board decking under three layers of roofing, and we will not send anyone across a deck that feels wrong. Where interior access exists we assess from below as well, and where it does not we can document from a lift instead.
Is a single storefront too small for a formal assessment?
No. The report scales to the building. On a small roof it comes back shorter: the assembly, what we found, photographs keyed to locations, and what we would do about it. Owners use it for a sale, a refinance or an insurance file, and those readers care about the same things whatever the square footage.
Have the storefront roof looked at
Tell us the building and what you need the report for. We will get up behind the parapet, look at the deck from below where we can, and write down what is actually there.
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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
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