05/04/2026
Mansard roof replacement on a Downers Grove colonial, just wrapped up this week.
If you have not heard the term before, a mansard is the steep four-sided roof you usually see on French-style or older colonial homes. The front face is almost vertical, the back slopes more gently, and there are usually dormer windows tucked into the steep section. They look great when they are done well. They are also one of the harder roofing styles to replace.�
Here is why mansards are different. On a regular roof, gravity is mostly pulling the shingles down against the deck. On a mansard, the steep front face is closer to a wall than a slope, which means nail placement, underlayment overlap, and even the way the tear-off debris falls all behave differently. A crew that does mansards once a year tends to leave wrinkles, lifted edges, and uneven courses. The shingles look fine for a season, then start curling at the corners. We have replaced a number of mansards in Downers Grove and Hinsdale over the years, and the difference shows up in how flat and clean the finished face looks.
This project was a full system replacement, not just a shingle swap. New architectural shingles across the entire mansard. Fresh synthetic underlayment. Ice and water shield in the valleys.
The back ridge got new modern exhaust vents in place of the older galvanized boxes, which keeps the attic breathing properly and helps the new shingles last their full warranty term. You can see the new vents in one of the photos.
�
A few details from this job:
* No deposit. Pay on completion, like every HomeHero project.
* Itemized estimate up front, with photo documentation before, during, and after.
* One-day tear-off-to-cleanup, with magnetic nail sweeps around the entire property.
* 10-year transferable workmanship warranty on the install.
We are based right here in Downers Grove. Two of the guys on this crew live within a five minute drive of the house. That is the kind of accountability we lean into. When the roof is on a street we drive past every week, the work has to hold up.
�
If your roof is showing its age, or if you have a mansard, dormer, or steep-slope home that needs a specialist who has done this style before, free inspections are the first step. No deposit, no pressure. Just a real look at what your roof actually needs.
