Reroofing an Occupied Two- or Three-Family
Notice, access, noise and the dumpster on a narrow street.
ELIZABETH, NJ · PETERSTOWN
Roofers in Peterstown, Elizabeth
A leak along the shared wall of a Peterstown house? Talk to an Elizabeth roofer.
- Flat roofs and shingle roofs
- Repairs and full replacements
- Elizabeth and Union County
Peterstown at a Glance
- Typical building: attached houses and two-family homes on working-class blocks
- Roof type: mostly flat roofs, with shared walls between houses
- Common leak: where the roof meets the wall shared with the house next door
- Who usually calls: long-time owners and landlords
"The Burg" on the Southeast Side
Peterstown, on Elizabeth's southeast side, is a long-established working-class neighborhood that many locals call "The Burg." Its blocks hold attached houses and two-family homes, and many share a wall with the house next door. On a flat roof, that shared wall is often the weak spot. The membrane on each side has to turn up and over the wall, and the top has to stay sealed for decades. What you see is a damp stripe running down an inside wall on the top floor. What it usually means is a cracked cap or open joint on top of the shared wall, letting water run down inside it.
Roofs on Peterstown Streets
Shared walls mean shared problems. A repair goes better when both owners know about it, and sometimes both roofs need work at the edge where they meet.
Pages owners here use most: flat roofs, roof repair and leaks, roof replacement, shingle roofs, porch and garage roofs, or finding a roofer.
Before a full replacement, ask the roofer how they'll tie your new roof into your neighbor's. A clean joint keeps both houses dry.
From the Roof Notebook
Ponding Water, Roof Drains and Scuppers on Flat Roofs
Why water sits, where it should go, and what fixes it.