When a roof is stripped and the deck beneath it has decayed, it has to be replaced before anything new goes on. Good Shepherd Roofing replaces roof decking across Gwinnett County and North Georgia. Licensed general contractor, licence number GCCO009698, trading since 2016.

New to the term? Start with what roof decking is.

Call (833) 477-7663 or book a free inspection.

A wavy or uneven roof surface. Visible dips and ripples from the street usually mean the deck is deflecting between rafters, or that panels have buckled.

Soft areas underfoot. Felt by a roofer walking the roof. A soft spot is saturated or decayed sheathing.

Sagging between rafters. Visible from inside the attic as a dip in the underside of the deck.

Fasteners that will not hold. Nails backing out or failing to bite indicate the panel no longer has the integrity to grip them.

Daylight or staining in the attic. Light through the deck, or dark staining and mould on the underside, both indicate sustained moisture.

From the roof surface and from inside the attic where it is accessible. Between them, most deck problems are identifiable before anything is removed.

The honest caveat is that full extent is confirmed only once the covering is off. Sheathing is concealed by the roof, so an inspection establishes that a problem exists and roughly where, and the tear-off establishes exactly how much. That is why deck work is handled as an allowance rather than a fixed quantity.

The covering comes off. Deck condition is assessed across the whole roof, not only where the symptom appeared.

Damaged panels are cut out and replaced. Replacement is by whole panel to the framing on either side, not by patching a hole, so every edge lands on a support.

The framing is checked. If the deck decayed because water was reaching it, the rafter tops beneath are frequently affected too, and that is dealt with at the same time.

New panels are specified to the framing. Correct span rating and thickness for the rafter spacing, gapped at edges and ends, with blocking or clips where a panel edge falls between supports.

Fastening to the code schedule. Closer at panel edges than in the field.

The new deck is inspected before underlayment goes down. It is the last time anyone sees it for twenty years.

Deck replacement is normally carried as an allowance: an assumed quantity, priced, then reconciled against what is actually found. Less needed, the difference comes off. More needed, you are told before it goes on rather than after.

Ask any contractor how they handle it. An estimate with no deck provision is not cheaper, it is incomplete, and the conversation still happens, just later and with the roof open.

Good Shepherd Roofing holds Georgia general contractor licence GCCO009698, issued as a General Contractor Company licence. We have operated since 2016, and we are based at 2505 2nd Ave, Dacula, GA 30019. We work throughout Gwinnett County and North Georgia.

How do I know if my roof decking needs replacing?

The usual signs are a wavy or uneven roof surface, soft areas underfoot, sagging visible from the attic, fasteners that will not hold, and staining or daylight on the underside of the deck. Full extent is confirmed once the covering is removed.

Can roof decking be repaired, or does it all have to be replaced?

Decayed sheathing is replaced rather than repaired, but only the affected panels. It is rare for a whole deck to need replacing. Replacement is done panel by panel so that every edge lands on a support.

Why did my estimate include an allowance for decking?

Because the deck is under the roof and cannot be fully assessed until the roof comes off. A stated allowance is the honest way to handle that: a quantity is assumed and priced, then reconciled against what is found.

What causes roof decking to rot?

Sustained moisture. Leaks at flashings, valleys and penetrations, condensation from an inadequately ventilated attic, and ice damming all wet the deck. Attic ventilation is checked at the same time, because a ventilation problem will damage a new deck as readily as it damaged the old one.

Call (833) 477-7663 or book a free inspection.