Glen Arbor sits between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake, next to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Revive Exteriors builds roofs and exteriors for summer homes and year-round houses that face some of the strongest wind in the region.
Glen Arbor began as a trading post in 1848 and got its name in 1854, after Glen Lake and the grapevines that grew on its trees. Early on it sold wood fuel to Great Lakes steamers. D.H. Day built a lumber business and the company town of Glen Haven nearby, and by the 1900s the area was already a summer destination. Much of that land is now Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Glen Arbor Township has just over 750 year-round residents, and its population grows a lot in summer. Across Leelanau County, more than a third of homes were not occupied year-round at the 2020 census. Many homes here are cottages and summer houses that sit empty through the worst of winter.
On August 2, 2015, a severe windstorm hit Sleeping Bear and Glen Arbor with straight-line winds estimated near 100 mph, knocking down thousands of trees and power lines. Homes here face open Lake Michigan to the north, and tall trees around many lots add the risk of falling limbs.
Snow is heavy too. Maple City, the nearest inland weather station, averages about 143 inches a year; the shoreline gets less, but still plenty to cause ice dams on cottages that sit closed all winter.
Complimentary & no-obligation, we’ll respond within 24 hours.
After 2015, wind resistance is the first thing Glen Arbor homeowners ask about. Here’s how we build for it.
High-wind shingle installation or metal roofing with sealed edges and secured ridges.
Free storm inspections with photos and help with insurance adjusters after wind or fallen trees.
Ice and water barrier and ventilation, so summer homes don’t leak while they sit closed.
Cottage-style shake and board-and-batten siding that stands up to wind and needs almost no upkeep.
Learn more →ProVia windows that seal out wind-driven rain and frame lake and dune views.
Learn more →Secure, weather-sealed ProVia entry doors for homes that sit empty part of the year.
Learn more →Seamless gutters with guards for wooded lots and heavy, wind-driven rain.
Learn more →Every project is managed start to finish by a dedicated Revive Exteriors project manager and installed by our own crews.
A copper-colored standing seam metal roof, board and batten siding, and shake accents give this Northern Michigan home a bold, low-maintenance new look.
View projectA Tilcor stone-coated steel roof built to handle lake wind and heavy snow, with a shake-style look that suits this Northern Michigan log home.
View projectTell us what you’re seeing and a Revive Exteriors specialist will schedule your complimentary inspection.
Complimentary & no-obligation, we’ll respond within 24 hours.
Community facts: Wikipedia: Glen Arbor, Wikipedia: Glen Arbor Township, NWS Gaylord: Aug. 2, 2015 storm, Wikipedia: Maple City climate.
