Shingles on new construction
Architectural asphalt shingles are the most common choice for pitched roofs on new homes and additions in Bethesda, North Bethesda and Chevy Chase. They balance cost, wind resistance and appearance, and they come in profiles that suit everything from new colonials to modern farmhouse designs. On new construction, getting the shingles right means starting with a properly built deck and coordinating with the other trades. For general new-construction roofing, see roof installation.
What we coordinate on a new shingle roof
- Deck readiness: sheathing fastened and gapped correctly before underlayment goes down
- Prompt dry-in: underlayment and ice-and-water membrane installed quickly to protect the framing
- Wall flashing: step flashing coordinated with the siding installer so it laps correctly behind the weather barrier
- Ventilation: soffit intake and ridge exhaust matched to the attic design
- Penetrations: plumbing vents, bath and kitchen exhausts, and skylights flashed as shingles go on
- Roof edges: drip edge and fascia ready for gutter installation
- Roof deck: plywood or OSB sheathing on the rafters. Soft or rotted sections are replaced during tear-off.
- Drip edge: metal edge that steers water off the deck and into the gutter.
- Ice-and-water membrane: self-adhered waterproofing at the eaves (and valleys) where ice dams and wind-driven rain get in.
- Synthetic underlayment: secondary water barrier over the rest of the deck, lapped over the membrane.
- Architectural shingles: installed to the manufacturer’s nailing and exposure specifications so the warranty stays valid.
- Ridge vent: lets warm, moist attic air escape at the peak.
- Soffit vents: let outside air into the attic under the eaves.
- Attic airflow: balanced intake and exhaust keeps the deck cool and dry, extending shingle life and reducing ice dams.
Matching an addition to the existing roof
When an addition joins an existing shingle roof, we match profile and color as closely as current products allow and weave the new shingles into the old at tie-ins. If the existing roof is near the end of its life, consider a shingle roof replacement at the same time. You get one uniform roof, one warranty start date, and no seam between old and new shingles.
Tying a new roof into an older local house
Most new shingle work we do in Bethesda and North Bethesda is not a bare new house. It is an addition, a dormer or a second-story pop-top on a 1950s through 1970s rambler, split-level or colonial, or a substantially rebuilt infill home. The field of the new roof is the easy part. The hard part is the tie-in, because the existing shingles have been fading in the sun for fifteen or twenty years and a brand-new bundle of the same nominal color will not match them. A new section that stops at an arbitrary line in the middle of a visible slope announces itself from the street permanently.
There are two honest ways to handle that, and we price both so the decision is yours. The first is to shingle the addition and the adjoining existing plane together, carrying the new material to a natural break such as a ridge, a valley or a change of plane where a color difference reads as intentional. The second is to replace the whole roof while the crew, the staging and the dumpster are already on site, which often costs less than doing the addition now and the main roof in three years. That path is covered under shingle roof replacement or, where several roof types are involved, a full roof replacement. Our shingle roofing overview compares both paths against simply repairing what is there.
The detail that determines whether an addition leaks is the junction where its new roof dies into the existing wall. That junction needs proper step flashing woven into each shingle course, counterflashing, and a kick-out at the bottom to throw water into the gutter rather than down behind the cladding, all integrated with the weather barrier before the wall is closed up, which is why we coordinate directly with whoever is handling the siding. Two other things get designed in at this stage rather than retrofitted: ventilation for the new attic area, tied into the existing path so the whole roof vents as one system, and any rear addition built with a low-slope roof, which is built with slope and drainage designed in under flat roof installation and often paired with skylight installation while the framing is still open.
Shingle Roof Installation across Bethesda, North Bethesda and Chevy Chase
We provide shingle roof installation throughout southern Montgomery County, including Bethesda, MD (20814, 20816, 20817) , North Bethesda, MD (20852) , and Chevy Chase, MD (20815) . Each area page covers the housing types, permit considerations and storm history particular to that community.
Frequently asked questions
Which shingle is best for a new home?
For most homes, an architectural shingle from a major manufacturer, chosen for color and wind rating, is the right choice. Designer and impact-rated lines cost more and suit specific design goals or insurance requirements.
Do new roofs need ice-and-water membrane?
We install self-adhered ice-and-water membrane at eaves, valleys and penetrations on every new shingle roof, because ice dams and wind-driven rain are both local risks.