Roofing in Hastings, NE, and Repairs for Older Brick Homes

How We Serve Hastings From Lincoln

Hastings is one of the longer drives on our list, about 104 miles from our office at 701 P Street in Lincoln. We do not have a Hastings office. Instead, we plan Hastings work around full trips: inspections grouped on the same day, written bids sent afterward, and jobs booked as a block so the crew is not making the drive for a half day of work.

The route is I-80 west, then south on US-281 into Hastings, the Adams County seat. With about 25,000 people, Hastings has plenty of exterior work, so a trip can often cover more than one home. It is also a town with deep roots: Hastings College was founded in 1882, and part of the former World War II Naval Ammunition Depot site is now home to a Central Community College campus.

• Free inspection on a planned Hastings day.
• Written bid by email or in person.
• Work booked as one block of days, start to finish.

Roofing in Hastings, NE: Hail Is the Main Threat

Hastings has a real hail record. On May 11, 2005 a storm dropped 2 to 3 inch hail on the city, and the National Weather Service reported widespread damage to windows, siding, roofs and vehicles, along with nearly 9 inches of rain nearby. On June 13, 2017 hail up to baseball size fell just west-southwest of town. Roofs here should be checked after every big storm.

Roofs common in Hastings

Hastings has some of the oldest housing on our service list. Census estimates put the median home at the mid-1960s, with about 23 percent built before 1940 and another 23 percent built in the 1940s and 1950s. That means:

• Steep roofs on early 1900s homes, often with several old layers, brick chimneys and worn flashing.
• Asphalt shingle roofs on 1940s and 1950s homes, where decking may need repair during a tear-off.
• Low-slope roofs on downtown commercial buildings and newer shingle roofs on the edges of town.

The National Weather Service summary of the May 2005 Hastings storm shows what large hail does to a whole town at once. Our storm damage repair page covers what we check after hail.

Exterior Problems Typical of Hastings Homes

Older Hastings homes show their age in predictable places: mortar that has washed out of brick walls and chimneys, wood trim with many layers of paint, small gutters that overflow and siding that has been patched more than once. Newer homes mostly need hail repair. Historic areas such as the Heartwell Park and Central Hastings districts, both on the National Register, call for extra care with brick.

• Mortar joints: tuckpointing is the most common masonry fix on older Hastings homes. Old soft mortar should be matched with a compatible mix, not a hard modern one that can damage the brick.
• Chimneys and foundations: loose brick, cracked crowns on brick chimneys and leaking foundation walls.
• Lead paint: homes built before 1978 may have lead paint, so exterior prep has to follow lead-safe practices.
• Gutters and fascia: undersized gutters on older roofs let water rot the fascia and stain the brick.
• Siding: mixed siding from past repairs and hail-cracked vinyl.

Services Available in Hastings

Everything we do in Lincoln is available in Hastings: roofing, masonry, tuckpointing, stone veneer, siding, gutters with soffit and fascia, painting, stucco and EIFS, storm repair and commercial exteriors. For older Hastings homes, the most common combination is a roof plus tuckpointing and new gutters, done in one planned block.

• Roof repair and replacement for homes of every age.
• Tuckpointing and brick repair for Hastings' early 1900s brick homes and chimneys.
• Brick, block and stone masonry for new walls, foundations and commercial buildings.
• Stone veneer for fireplaces, wainscots and columns.
• Siding replacement and repair for patched or hail-cracked walls.
• Gutters, soffit and fascia sized for older, steeper roofs.
• Exterior and interior painting, including careful prep on older trim.
• Stucco and EIFS repair on homes and commercial buildings.
• Hail damage repair for roofs, siding and gutters.
• Commercial exterior work for downtown buildings, builders and property managers.

Do You Need a Roofing Permit in Hastings?

The City of Hastings Building and Inspection department lists a roofing permit as its own option in the city's online permit system, so plan on a permit for a re-roof. Inspections are scheduled through the department. Siding, masonry and commercial work may have their own requirements. Confirm with the city, or ask us and we will note the permit in your written bid.

If your home sits in or near one of the historic districts, ask the city whether any local review applies before you change the look of an older brick facade.

Nearby Towns and ZIP Codes

Hastings is ZIP 68901, with 68902 used for post office boxes. Smaller towns around it, including Juniata, Kenesaw, Trumbull, Glenvil, Holstein and Ayr, are close enough that work there can often ride along on a Hastings trip. Call and ask, and we will tell you plainly how the timing looks.

From First Call to Clean-Up: A Hastings Project

A Hastings project has five steps. You call, we set a free inspection on the next Hastings trip, you get a written bid, the work is booked as one block, and the crew cleans up and walks it with you before leaving. On older homes we also talk through surprises like soft decking or hidden mortar damage before work begins.

1. Call: Brenton at (402) 417-3937, weekdays 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
2. Inspect: free, with photos of the roof, brick, gutters and siding.
3. Bid: written scope and order of work, no pressure.
4. Build: the crew stays on the job until it is finished.
5. Clean up: debris hauled away and a final walk-through.

Other Central Nebraska Towns We Serve

Hastings is part of a central Nebraska group of towns we serve. Grand Island is about 25 miles north on US-281, and Kearney is about 40 miles to the northwest. Owners and property managers with buildings in more than one town can have the work planned in the same week.

• Roofing in Grand Island, NE: Hall County, north on US-281.
• Roofing in Kearney, NE: Buffalo County, northwest via I-80.