Roofing in Chaires

Chaires at a glance

Chaires is a small community just east of Tallahassee, near Chaires Cross Road and Capitola Road, northeast of Lake Lafayette and the Edwards Wildlife Area. Its population was 308 at the 2020 census, and its ZIP code is 32317.

What that means for your roof

Rural properties around Chaires often include barns, sheds and workshops as well as the house, many with metal roofs. Exposed-fastener metal roofs need their screw washers checked as they age; see metal roofs.

Open land and wind

Homes on open land near the lake and wildlife area catch more wind in storms than those tucked among other houses. Loose ridge caps and edge shingles are the first to go, and a quick look after any strong blow can catch them.

The Chaires brothers

The community is named for Green Hill Chaires, one of three brothers, with Benjamin and Thomas Peter Chaires, who moved to Florida and helped settle Tallahassee and the surrounding area. Green Hill built a cotton plantation on the edge of Lake Lafayette. The plantations are gone, but the area keeps its rural character, and older farmhouses here may have layers of roofing added over the years that hide problems underneath, which is when a full tear-off earns its cost.