A huge share of Homestead’s housing stock was built in the years right after Hurricane Andrew, as the city rebuilt itself through the 1990s. If your home went up in that era, there’s a good chance its roof is now reaching — or past — the end of its service life. Here’s how to tell, and what re-roofing one of these homes actually involves.
The post-Andrew building boom
After Andrew flattened so much of south Dade in 1992, Homestead spent years rebuilding. Whole subdivisions rose in the 1990s, and many of those homes got asphalt shingle roofs typical of the time. Those roofs have now been baking under the south-Florida sun and weathering hurricane seasons for roughly three decades. Asphalt shingle simply doesn’t last that long down here. Mathematically, a lot of these roofs are due.
Signs your post-Andrew roof is ready to retire
You don’t need to be a roofer to spot the warning signs:
Age alone is a signal. If your roof is original to a 1990s build and has never been replaced, it has likely outlived its expected lifespan for this climate, even if it looks okay from the street.
Curling, cupping, or balding shingles. South-Dade sun cooks asphalt shingles until they curl at the edges, cup in the middle, or shed their protective granules. Bald, shiny patches are a bad sign.
Granules in the gutters. Finding piles of sand-like granules where your downspouts drain means the shingles are wearing out.
Leaks or stains. Water stains on ceilings or in the attic, even small ones, mean the roof is already letting water in somewhere.
Daylight or soft spots. Daylight through the roof boards in the attic, or a spongy feel underfoot on the roof, can mean the deck itself is compromised.
Repeated repairs. If you’re calling for a patch every storm season, you’re spending replacement money one repair at a time.
If you’re seeing several of these, it’s worth a free inspection to get an honest read.
Why upgrade to metal
When a post-Andrew home needs a new roof, replacing shingle with shingle just restarts the same clock — another roof that’ll wear out in a couple of decades. Stepping up to metal changes the math:
- It can last decades longer, often outliving two or three asphalt roofs.
- It’s engineered for the hurricane wind this area is defined by — rated systems up to 175 mph.
- It stands up to the sun and salt air that wore out the original roof.
- It can improve your standing for wind-mitigation insurance credits.
For a home built in the shadow of Andrew, a hurricane-rated metal roof feels like the roof the house should have had all along.
What to expect from the re-roof
The inspection. We start by getting on the roof and into the attic, checking the covering, the deck, and the details, and giving you a straight answer about whether it’s time. Free, no obligation.
The quote. You get clear system options and a written price. We’ll walk you through metal profiles that suit your home and budget.
Tear-off. We strip the old roof down to the deck. This is the only way to see what’s underneath and to build the new roof properly.
Deck repair. Thirty years and the occasional leak take a toll. We inspect the decking and repair or replace any rot or damage we find, documenting it so you know what you paid for.
Permitting and code. The job is permitted through Miami-Dade and built to current HVHZ standards, then passed through the required inspection.
The new roof. We install your metal system to its approvals, seal the details, and engineer the fastening for our wind loads.
Documentation and walk-through. We walk the finished roof with you, leave the site clean, and hand back the documentation you’ll want for insurance and wind mitigation.
A roof for the next thirty years
The homes that rose after Andrew were built to start over. Re-roofing one in metal is a chance to do the roof the way south Dade now knows it should be done — and to not have to think about it again for a very long time. If your 1990s home is showing its age up top, let’s take a look.
CTA: Is your post-Andrew roof due? Call (305) 767-7681 for a free inspection.