Brainerd Storm Replacement

Brainerd sits at the south end of the lakes chain, and every roofer in Crow Wing County still measures storms against the July 12, 2015 supercell — straight-line winds that hit 70 to 80 mph, with pockets over 100 near Pillsbury State Forest, that tore the roof clean off a building at Madden's on Gull Lake. This job wasn't that storm, but the July line that pushed through last season carried the same marble-to-golf-ball hail, and three homes on this street took direct hits.

The home's roof was a 2010 install — 15 years old, which normally has years left, but golf-ball hail doesn't leave much undamaged. The homeowners called us two days after the storm, before they'd contacted their insurer. That order matters: we walked the roof with them first, documented every impact bruise with chalk and photography, and had a full written scope ready before the adjuster ever came out. Claim approved in eight days.

The original roof was a standard three-tab at an 8/12 pitch — fine on its own, but three dormers were channeling runoff straight onto the lower courses, and the valleys had only builder-grade felt underneath, already delaminating before the hail hit. The replacement went in as GAF Timberline HDZ in charcoal, keeping the home's profile close to the original color. We ran ice-and-water shield through every valley and all six dormer saddles this time.

Job ran two days, finished a day ahead of a second storm front. New ridge vent, new step flashing at all dormers, new drip edge. The GAF system carries a 50-year lifetime limited warranty on the shingles and a System Plus warranty on the full install. The homeowners had their insurance paperwork ready the same week the job closed.