Pitched Roofs Around Elizabeth
Once you leave the dense blocks near the center of Elizabeth, the roofs start to slope. Elmora Hills and the towns west and south of the city, places like Union, Cranford, Roselle Park and Clark, are full of single-family houses built in the first half of the last century and in the years after the war. Most wear asphalt shingles now, whatever they started with. A shingle roof lasts a long time when water runs straight off it. It starts leaking where that flow gets interrupted: valleys, chimneys, dormer walls, skylights and vent pipes.
Roof Shapes You'll See Here
| Shape | What it looks like | Where it leaks first |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Cod | A steep roof over a story and a half, often with dormers | Dormer walls and the valleys beside them |
| Colonial | Two full stories under a simple gable roof | Chimneys, the edges in wind |
| Ranch | One story with a long, low roof | Low slopes near the eaves, vent pipes |
| Gambrel | A barn-style roof with two slopes on each side | The joint where the slopes change angle |
| Split-level | Several roof sections at different heights | Where a lower roof meets an upper wall |
More on Capes: Cape Cod roofs. More on steep and unusual shapes: mansard, gambrel and steep roofs.
Underlayment and Ice Barrier at the Edges
Under the shingles is a layer called underlayment, and along the lower edge of the roof, in valleys, and around chimneys, a sticky waterproof sheet often goes on first. That sheet matters here because winter can bring ice at the edge of the roof. When snow melts higher up and refreezes at the cold edge, water backs up behind the ice and creeps under the shingles. A good replacement uses that sheet well past the minimum on houses with a history of ice problems, and pairs it with better attic airflow.
Wind and Shingles
Strong gusts off the water during a nor'easter, or in a summer thunderstorm, can lift the edge of a shingle and break the strip that seals it to the one below. Once that seal breaks, the next storm can fold the shingle back or tear it off. Shingles are sold with wind ratings, and how they're nailed matters as much as the rating. More: wind and shingle ratings. Storm warnings for this area come from the National Weather Service in New York.
Architectural or 3-Tab Shingles?
Most replacements around here use architectural shingles, which are thicker and layered so they look dimensional from the street. They hold up better in wind and usually carry longer warranties than the older flat 3-tab style. 3-tab shingles are still sold, mostly for matching an existing roof during a repair.
Can a Second Layer of Shingles Go On Top?
Sometimes local rules allow one extra layer, but most roofers here recommend a full tear-off. A second layer hides the condition of the roof boards, adds weight, and can shorten the life of the new shingles. On a roof that already has two layers, a tear-off is generally required.
Typical Shingle Roof Repairs
- replacing shingles that lifted or tore off in wind
- new step flashing where a dormer or a wall meets the roof
- new flashing around a chimney
- a new boot around a plumbing vent pipe
- rebuilding a worn valley
- fixing the edge where gutters pulled the drip edge loose
If repairs keep coming, see roof replacement.
Look in the Attic First
If you can get into your attic safely, look with a flashlight after a rain. Dark stains on the wood, damp insulation, or daylight around a vent pipe all tell the roofer where to start. In a Cape, check the small storage spaces behind the knee walls upstairs; leaks often show there first.
Shingle Roof Work Around Elizabeth
In the city
- ElmoraElizabeth
- Elmora HillsElizabeth
- MidtownElizabeth
- North EndElizabeth
- Frog HollowElizabeth
- PeterstownElizabeth
- BaywayElizabeth
- ElizabethportElizabeth
- WestminsterElizabeth
- Keighry HeadElizabeth
West and north
South and southwest