Roofing in Waunakee

Waunakee at a glance

Waunakee is a village of 14,879 people north of Madison, and it bills itself as "The Only Waunakee in the World." The name is said to mean "fair and pleasant valley."

What that means for your roof

Waunakee has grown steadily, with new subdivisions and apartment buildings alongside a historic Main Street. Larger new homes often have multiple gables and valleys, which need well-installed ice-and-water membrane to cope with winter melt. See roof replacement. Where several roof sections meet, snow piles up and melts slowly, so those areas need the most carefully installed flashing on the house.

Creek and valley

Six Mile Creek runs through the village on its way to Lake Mendota. Low-lying areas can hold damp air and frost, which makes attic ventilation important for keeping the roof deck dry; see attic ventilation.

Born of the railroad

When the Chicago and North Western Railway extended its line from Madison toward St. Paul, two settlers platted a village on their land and persuaded the railroad to move its depot there. Waunakee was founded in 1871 and incorporated in 1893. Some buildings from that era still line Main Street, and older homes nearby often have chimneys and porches with low-slope roofs that are common leak points.