Roofing in Parchment

Parchment at a glance

Parchment is a small city of 1,926 (2020) just northeast of Kalamazoo, mostly surrounded by Kalamazoo Township with Cooper Township to the north. It covers less than one square mile.

What that means for your roof

Parchment's homes were largely built for mill workers and their families, and many are well over half a century old. Older homes may have layers of roofing, tired flashing and attics with little insulation, which leads to ice dams; see ice dams.

Mature trees

Kindleberger Park and the city's tree-lined streets mean leaves in gutters every fall. Keeping them clear helps meltwater drain in spring.

A paper-mill town

The Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company was founded in 1909 by Jacob "Uncle Jake" Kindleberger along the Kalamazoo River, and the company sold land around the mill to its workers. In 1932 Kindleberger donated 40 acres of hilly land across from the mill, which became Kindleberger Park, and Parchment became a city in 1939. Houses from the mill era are compact and close together, so roofers plan tear-offs carefully to protect neighbouring homes; see roof replacement.