Protecting a Cedar Creek Lake Home From Gun Barrel City Storms

Protecting a Cedar Creek Lake Home From Gun Barrel City Storms

A home on or near Cedar Creek Lake comes with a view most people only get on vacation, and it also comes with weather that works harder on a roof than a home a few miles inland. Gun Barrel City sits right on the lake in Henderson County, and the open water that makes the setting beautiful also gives storms a clear run at the homes along the shore. Wind comes off the lake with nothing to slow it, hail hits the same as it does across North and East Texas, and the humidity around the water encourages the algae and moss that shorten a roof's life. Protecting a lake home's roof takes a roofing contractor who understands these conditions, and SCR, Inc. serves Gun Barrel City and the Cedar Creek Lake area with exactly that knowledge.

A lakefront or lake-area roof faces a specific combination of forces that an experienced local roofing contractor plans for. Understanding what a Gun Barrel City roof is up against is the first step in protecting it, because the right materials and the right installation depend on the conditions the roof actually faces.

Wind Off the Open Water

The most distinctive challenge a Cedar Creek Lake home faces is wind. Open water gives wind a clear, unobstructed path, so a home on the shore or near it takes stronger, more sustained wind than a home sheltered by other buildings and trees. That open-water wind exposure works on a roof in a few ways: it drives wind uplift that can lift and loosen shingles at the edges, it forces wind-driven rain under shingles and flashing that would shed a straight-down rain, and over time it stresses the whole roof envelope. A roof on a Gun Barrel City lake home needs shingles rated and installed for wind resistance, with proper sealing and edge details, because the wind here finds any weakness. A roofing contractor who knows the lake plans for that exposure rather than installing a roof built for a sheltered inland lot.

Straight-line winds and the storms that roll across the lake add to the challenge. A severe storm that would be manageable inland can do more on the exposed shore, and a roof that is not built and sealed for the wind is the one that loses shingles when a storm comes through. Building the roof for the lake's wind is what keeps it intact through the storms Gun Barrel City sees.

Open Water Means Stronger Wind

Cedar Creek Lake gives wind an unobstructed path, so a Gun Barrel City shore home takes stronger wind uplift and wind-driven rain than a sheltered inland home, which is why a lake roof needs wind-rated shingles and proper edge sealing.

Lake Humidity Feeds Algae

The moisture around Cedar Creek Lake encourages algae and moss growth, especially on shaded north-facing slopes, which stains a roof and holds moisture against it, so algae-resistant shingles are worth considering for a Gun Barrel City lake home.

Lake Homes File More Storm Claims

Because a lake home's open exposure means higher wind and hail impact, these homes take more weather and file more storm claims than a sheltered inland home, which makes timely storm response and documentation especially valuable on the shore.

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Humidity, Algae, and the Lake Air

The water that surrounds Gun Barrel City raises the humidity, and that moisture encourages growth a drier climate would not. Algae and moss take hold more readily on a roof in the humid lake air, especially on north-facing slopes that stay shaded and damp, and that growth holds moisture against the roof, stains it, and can shorten its life. This is why an algae-resistant shingle, one made with granules that resist algae growth, is worth considering for a Cedar Creek Lake home, along with proper ventilation that helps the roof and attic stay drier. A roofing contractor who understands the lake environment recommends the materials and details that resist the humidity's effects, so a lake-area roof does not weather and stain faster than it should.

Hail and the Insurance Side

Gun Barrel City gets the same hail that hits the rest of North and East Texas, and hail damage on a lake home is handled the same way it is anywhere: with timely inspection, thorough documentation, and, where the damage warrants, an insurance claim. SCR brings former insurance adjusters and detailed line-item damage documentation to a Gun Barrel City hail claim, helping a homeowner document storm damage properly and understand the process. For a lake home, where the wind and hail exposure is higher, that storm-response capability matters, because these homes take more weather and file more storm claims than a sheltered inland home. SCR responds 24/7, including emergency tarping for a roof leaking after a storm, so a lake home is not left exposed while a claim is sorted out.

The Right Materials for a Lake Home

Given the wind, humidity, and hail a Cedar Creek Lake home faces, the choice of roofing material matters. Impact-resistant shingles handle the hail, wind-rated shingles and proper edge sealing handle the open-water wind, and algae-resistant granules handle the humidity. For some lake homes, a standing seam metal roof offers strong wind performance and longevity, and other homes suit an upgraded asphalt system. A roofing contractor who works the lake helps a Gun Barrel City homeowner choose the material and system that fits their home and the conditions, rather than defaulting to one product. SCR installs the full range and matches the roof to the lake home in front of it.

A Roofing Contractor for the Lake

Protecting a Cedar Creek Lake home takes a roofing contractor that knows the lake's wind, humidity, and storms and installs a roof to handle them. SCR, Inc. is family-owned since 1998 with more than 25 years of experience, licensed, bonded, and insured, GAF and CertainTeed certified, and BBB accredited, backing its work with a $10,000 workmanship guarantee and 24/7 emergency response. That local knowledge and proper installation are what keep a Gun Barrel City lake roof sound through the weather the shore delivers.

Why a Local Contractor Matters on the Lake

The Cedar Creek Lake area has drawn its share of out-of-state storm-chasing crews over the years, contractors who follow hail events, sign up as many homes as they can, do fast work, and move on to the next storm. For a Gun Barrel City homeowner, that model carries real risk: when a problem shows up a year later or a warranty needs honoring, the crew is long gone, in another state chasing another storm. A local roofing contractor with a permanent presence in North Texas is a different proposition, there before the storm, there after it, and accountable for the work over time. SCR has served the area since 1998 with local offices, so a Gun Barrel City homeowner has a contractor that stands behind the roof for the long haul, not one that disappears after the check clears. On a lake home that takes more weather than most, that lasting accountability matters even more.

Local knowledge also means understanding the lake itself. A contractor who works Cedar Creek Lake homes knows which slopes take the worst wind, how the humidity affects the north-facing sides, and what the storms coming across the water tend to do, and that knowledge shapes a better roof than a generic approach. SCR brings that lake-specific experience to every Gun Barrel City roof it builds.

Serving Gun Barrel City and the Cedar Creek Area

SCR serves Gun Barrel City and the communities around Cedar Creek Lake, from Seven Points and Payne Springs to Mabank, Tool, and the homes lining the shore along Highway 198. These lake-area homes share the same conditions, the open-water wind, the humidity, the sun, and the North Texas hail, and they benefit from the same lake-aware approach to roofing. Whether a home sits right on the water or a bit inland in the Gun Barrel City area, a roofing contractor who understands the lake builds a roof suited to its exposure. SCR brings that understanding across the Cedar Creek Lake area, matching each roof to how exposed the home actually is and what the lake delivers to it.

For a lake home, the value of that local, conditions-aware roofing shows over the years, in a roof that handles the wind, resists the algae, survives the hail, and reaches its full life rather than aging early against the lake. That is the outcome SCR aims for on every Gun Barrel City roof, built on more than 25 years of North Texas experience and backed by the guarantee and the local presence a lake homeowner wants.

A Cedar Creek Lake home takes more weather than most, and it deserves a roof and a roofing contractor built for the lake. SCR brings the local knowledge, certified installation, and lasting accountability that protect a Gun Barrel City home through the wind, hail, and humidity the shore delivers, backed by more than 25 years in North Texas.

The Storms That Cross the Lake

Storms in North and East Texas can build quickly and hit hard, and a home on Cedar Creek Lake sees them arrive across open water with little to slow them. A severe thunderstorm can bring hail, straight-line winds, and heavy wind-driven rain all at once, and on the exposed shore each of those hits harder than it would inland. A roof built and sealed for that combined assault holds together, while one built for a sheltered lot loses shingles, takes wind-driven water under its edges, and ends up with a claim and a repair. This is why a lake home's roof deserves the wind-rated, impact-resistant construction and careful edge sealing that a roofing contractor familiar with the lake provides. SCR builds Gun Barrel City roofs to take the storms that cross the water, so a lake home stays protected when the weather turns.

A lake home deserves a roof built for the lake. To protect a Cedar Creek Lake home with a roofing contractor in Gun Barrel City TX, contact SCR, Inc. at (972) 839-6834 for a free inspection.

 

Gun Barrel City, Texas
Town
Flag of Gun Barrel City, Texas
Flag
Official logo of Gun Barrel City, Texas
Logo
Location of Gun Barrel City, Texas
Location of Gun Barrel City, Texas
Coordinates: 32°19′36″N 96°06′58″W / 32.32667°N 96.11611°W / 32.32667; -96.11611
Country United States
State Texas
County Henderson
Area
[1]
 • Total
 6.63 sq mi (17.16 km2)
 • Land 6.25 sq mi (16.20 km2)
 • Water 0.37 sq mi (0.96 km2)
Elevation
[2]
 364 ft (111 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
 6,190
 • Density 992.7/sq mi (383.28/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
75156
Area codes 430, 903
FIPS code 48-31592[3]
GNIS feature ID 2410673[2]
Website gunbarrelcity.gov

Gun Barrel City is a town in Henderson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,190 at the 2020 census,[4] an increase over the figure of 5,672 tabulated in 2010.

History

[edit]

The town began as an unincorporated community known as the "Old Bethel Community" in the 1960s after completion of Cedar Creek Reservoir. It was incorporated in the late 1960s so it could legally sell beer and wine. The town takes its name from a former road, Gun Barrel Lane (which is now State Highway 198), and has as its motto, "We Shoot Straight with You", and its symbol—a rifle with two crossed antique pistols after having to remove Yosemite Sam as its unofficial mascot on its signs along the road at the town limits. Gun Barrel Lane is rumored to have gotten its name during the 1920s and 1930s when Jesse Daniels frequented the area. It was considered a safe backwoods place during Prohibition when the likes of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hung out in the area. The road got its name for simply being "straight as a gun barrel" for 2 mi between US Hwy 175 and Texas Hwy 334 to the south.

Gun Barrel City was formed in the 1960s. Not long after Cedar Creek Lake (a reservoir for the Tarrant Regional Water District) completed construction, the fledgling community that sat on its banks took steps to officially become a town.

Gun Barrel City was incorporated on May 26, 1969. Since then, it has grown into a main hub and access point for visitors to Cedar Creek Lake. In addition to the high level of tourism that the community experiences (particularly during the summer boating season), Gun Barrel City and the surrounding communities have experienced a residential building boom over the past several years. This growth has largely been led by the relocation of retirees from throughout the Dallas region, building lake homes to take advantage of Gun Barrel City's lake access. [citation needed]

In May 2000, Gun Barrel City voters elected their 13th mayor, 21-year-old entrepreneur and newspaper publisher Randal Tye Thomas. He resigned after community outcry in May 2001 following a grand jury indictment for one count of misdemeanor perjury[5] and in the same week being arrested by the Gun Barrel City Police Department for public intoxication. All criminal charges were eventually dismissed.[6] Thomas and the community were featured in many local, state, and national publications and programs, including a feature story in Texas Monthly and a feature interview on the nationwide NPR program This American Life.[7] Thomas moved to the Dallas area in 2002, and died in 2014.

In 2008, Gun Barrel City received the coveted Certified Retirement Community recognition from the Texas Department of Agriculture's Go Texan program. The community has also received recognition from the governor's office, receiving second place on two separate occasions in the governor's Community Achievement Awards.[8]

Geography

[edit]

Gun Barrel City is located in northwestern Henderson County, on the eastern shore of Cedar Creek Lake, part of the Trinity River watershed. It is bordered to the north by the town of Mabank. To the west, across the lake, is the city of Seven Points. Texas State Highway 334 runs through the center of town, leading west to Seven Points and east to U.S. Route 175 between Mabank and Eustace. Texas State Highway 198 crosses Highway 334 in the eastern part of Gun Barrel City, leading north to Mabank and south 15 miles (24 km) to Malakoff. Athens, the Henderson county seat, is 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Gun Barrel City via US 175.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gun Barrel City has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.2 km2), of which 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), or 5.59%, is covered by water.[4]

Economy

[edit]

Nestled on the shores of Cedar Creek Lake, 55 miles (89 km) southeast of downtown Dallas, Gun Barrel City is the retail hub for a trade area of more than 75,000 people and features no town property tax.

The lake is the fourth-largest in Texas with over 220 miles (350 km) of shoreline, making it one of the most popular lakes for boating and fishing.

All of this activity swells the stated population of 5,000+ to more than 10,000 during the boating season, which now starts before Memorial Day and extends well past Labor Day.[9]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
Census Pop. Note %±
1970 327   —
1980 2,118   547.7%
1990 3,526   66.5%
2000 5,145   45.9%
2010 5,672   10.2%
2020 6,190   9.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, Gun Barrel City had a population of 6,190 and a median age of 43.8 years.[11] 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older, with 99.0 males for every 100 females overall and 94.9 males for every 100 females age 18 and over.[11]

The 2020 census counted 2,484 households, including 1,629 families; 28.3% had children under the age of 18, 45.9% were married-couple households, 19.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]

There were 3,084 housing units, of which 19.5% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 4.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.4%.[11]

93.5% of residents lived in urban areas while 6.5% lived in rural areas.[12]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[13]
Race Number Percent
White 5,346 86.4%
Black or African American 77 1.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native 47 0.8%
Asian 44 0.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2 0.0%
Some other race 194 3.1%
Two or more races 480 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 615 9.9%

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[3] of 2000, 5,145 people, 2,163 households, and 1,498 families resided in the town. The population density was 1,000.5 people/sq mi (386.5/km2). The 2,736 housing units averaged 532.0/sq mi (205.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.23% White, 1.11% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 1.32% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 3.60% of the population.

Of the 2,163 households, 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families, 78 were unmarried partner households; 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the town, the population was distributed as 21.8% under 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,075, and for a family was $34,321. Males had a median income of $33,872 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,046. About 13.1% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

[edit]

Gun Barrel City is within the Mabank Independent School District. Elementary schools include Southside Elementary, Central Elementary, and Lakeview Elementary. A new high-school campus opened in the fall of 2007. The new campus is adjacent to the old high school in Mabank. Lakeview Elementary School (Gun Barrel City), Mabank Intermediate School (Mabank), Mabank Junior High School (Mabank), and Mabank High School (Mabank) serve Gun Barrel City.

Economic development

[edit]

Organization

The Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is a community team made up of resident executives and business owners, responsible for attracting new investment and helping expand existing businesses within the town. With a seven-member board and one staff person, the Gun Barrel City EDC is funded by a $.0025 sales tax.

Business assistance

The Gun Barrel City EDC provides business assistance to qualifying companies. They evaluate incentives for businesses to locate or expand in the Gun Barrel City area and base their findings on taxes assessed and paid, the number of jobs created or retained, wages paid, local purchases of products and services, indirect employment gains, and the general benefit of furthering the mission of the Gun Barrel City EDC.

They primarily seek businesses in manufacturing, production, medical/health, hospitality, and distribution. Funds may be used in land lease/purchase, building lease/purchase, rehabilitation or construction, capital equipment purchase, infrastructure improvements or employee training. Funds may not be used for venture or equity capital, working capital/inventories, or personal loans. Forms of business assistance include loans/loan guarantees, SBA 504, SBA 7(A) guaranteed and direct loans, and the rural economic development fund.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Gun Barrel City, Texas
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Gun Barrel City city, Texas". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2018.cite web: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ Lawrence Kestenbaum. "Index to Politicians: Thomas, O to R". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  6. ^ "dallasnews.com | Archives". Nl.newsbank.com. May 16, 2001. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
  7. ^ "Radio Archive by Date | This American Life". thislife.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  8. ^ Gun Barrel City municipal website, http://www.gunbarrelcity.net
  9. ^ a b "Gun Barrel City EDC | "There's Something for Everyone!"". gbcedc.com. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  12. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  13. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
 
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Frequently Asked Questions

They are worth considering. The humidity around Cedar Creek Lake encourages algae and moss, especially on shaded north-facing slopes, which stains a roof and shortens its life. Algae-resistant shingles use granules that resist that growth. SCR recommends the right materials and ventilation for a Gun Barrel City lake home.
Yes. SCR responds 24/7, including emergency tarping, and brings former insurance adjusters and detailed damage documentation to a hail or wind claim. Lake homes face higher wind and hail exposure and file more storm claims, so that storm-response capability matters. SCR serves Gun Barrel City and the Cedar Creek Lake area.