In September 2026, Prime Roofing & Restoration replaced the roof on a home in Mountain Brook, Jefferson County, Alabama. After the tear-off the crew replaced the old plank decking with new sheathing, rebuilt the flashing around a stacked-stone chimney, and installed synthetic underlayment and new shingles.
Project at a glance
- Location: Mountain Brook, Jefferson County, AL
- Inspection: July 21, 2026
- Re-roof: September 3 to 4, 2026
- Home: Home with a stacked-stone chimney and a front portico
- Service: roof replacement
- Decking: New sheathing over the old plank decking areas
- Roof: New architectural shingles over synthetic underlayment
About Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook is a city of about 22,000 people in southeastern Jefferson County. Many of its houses are decades old, built on plank decking with stone or brick chimneys. See our Mountain Brook roofing page.
Before: what the inspection found
The challenge: old decking and a stone chimney
The July inspection found worn shingles, and a closer look in August focused on the stacked-stone chimney. Stone chimneys are uneven, so the flashing has to be fitted carefully into the stone or water finds its way behind it.
After the tear-off, the old plank decking had gaps and damaged boards. The crew covered it with new sheathing, sealed the chimney with leak barrier, and finished the new roof the next day.
What we did
- Inspected the roof and the stone chimney.
- Tore off the old roof down to the plank decking.
- Installed new sheathing over the old plank decking.
- Installed leak barrier around the chimney and synthetic underlayment over the roof.
- Installed new shingles and new chimney flashing.
- Cleaned up the yard and portico.
During the job
The finished roof
Why these materials
New sheathing. Plank decking with gaps does not hold nails as well as solid sheathing. Covering it gives the new shingles a continuous, solid base.
A self-adhering leak barrier is used in the spots where water collects or changes direction: valleys, around chimneys, along walls and around pipes. It seals around each nail, which is why it goes where leaks usually start.
Architectural (dimensional) shingles are made from two laminated layers, so they are thicker and heavier than the old flat 3-tab shingles many Birmingham-area homes started with. Prime Roofing is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and also installs other major brands; see our asphalt shingle roofs page for the options.
Keeping your roof in good shape
- Check the roof from the ground after every hailstorm or strong wind. The National Weather Service office in Birmingham, which is based at the Shelby County Airport in Calera, issues the severe thunderstorm and hail warnings for this part of central Alabama.
- Keep gutters and downspouts clear, especially in fall, so water does not back up under the first row of shingles.
- Trim tree limbs back at least 6 to 10 feet from the roof. Limbs that rub the shingles wear off the granules that protect them.
- Look at pipe boots and roof vents once a year. Rubber pipe boots dry out in the Alabama sun long before the shingles do.
- If you see a ceiling stain, call right away. A small leak at a flashing is a quick fix, while wet decking left for months is not.
Frequently asked questions
The stone surface is uneven, so standard flashing does not sit tight against it. Water runs behind the flashing unless it is fitted into the stone and backed with leak barrier.
After the tear-off the crew walks the bare decking. Rotten, soft or broken boards are cut out and replaced with new sheathing before any underlayment goes down, so the new shingles have a solid base to nail into.
Most homes Prime Roofing re-roofs are torn off and covered in one day, with cleanup and a final check the same day or the next morning. Bigger or steeper roofs can take a second day.
Yes. See our Mountain Brook roofing services.
Planning a roof replacement in Mountain Brook?
See our Mountain Brook roofing services, read about roof replacement, or request a free roof estimate.