Roof repair & replacement in Bergen County, NJ

Older homes, older roof decks

Many prewar colonials and Cape Cods in towns like Teaneck, Ridgewood, Rutherford and Hackensack were built with board sheathing instead of plywood. Boards shrink and leave gaps, so during a tear-off we check every section and replace or overlay what will not hold nails properly.

Older roofs here often have two or more layers of shingles. New Jersey building rules limit how many layers a roof can carry, and a second layer hides rot in the deck. We price a full tear-off to the deck so you know exactly what is under your roof.

Once the deck is sound, the new system goes on in layers: ice & water shield at the eaves, valleys and around penetrations, synthetic underlayment over the rest of the deck, then the starter course, shingles, ridge vent and ridge cap. Every one of those layers is listed on the written estimate, so you can compare it line by line with other quotes.

Post-war capes, split-levels and ranches

Much of Bergen County was built out after World War II, and the median Bergen home dates from 1961. Split-levels and ranches from that era often have low-slope sections over porches and additions where shingles do not belong. We install a flat-roof membrane such as EPDM on those sections and tie it into the shingle roof.

Attic ventilation on these homes was rarely planned for modern insulation. A replacement is the right time to add ridge vents and balance the intake at the eaves, which helps the shingles last.

Bath and kitchen fans in older Bergen homes often vent into the attic instead of outside. That moisture condenses under the roof deck in winter, so when we see it during a replacement we point it out and route the fan through the roof with its own flashed vent.

Brick chimneys and winter leaks

Older Bergen homes usually have a brick chimney, and the joint where it meets the roof is one of the most common leak points we find. On a replacement we replace the step and counter flashing instead of reusing it, and we check the crown and mortar while we are on the roof.

Snow followed by freezing nights causes ice dams at the eaves. Every roof we replace gets ice & water shield along the eaves and in the valleys.

Ice dams are a symptom of warm air reaching the roof. Better attic insulation and ventilation reduce them; the membrane at the eaves keeps the water out when they still form.

Repair or replace a Bergen County roof?

Many Bergen roofs were last replaced decades ago, so the question we hear most is whether a repair will hold. If the damage is in one area and the shingles around it still bend without cracking, a repair is usually the right call, and that is what we quote.

When leaks show up in more than one place, shingles are curling or losing their granules, or the deck feels soft underfoot, patching tends to move the leak rather than stop it. In that case we photograph what we find and price both options in writing so you can compare them.

• Leak in one spot, shingles still flexible: repair
• Leaks in several places or brittle, curling shingles: replace
• Soft or spongy deck: replace the bad boards with the roof
• Not sure: we price both options in writing

Tight lots and permits

Lots are close together in much of the county, so we tarp the house, the landscaping and the neighbour’s side, and run a magnet sweep for nails before we leave.

Each Bergen town has its own construction office. When your job needs a permit, we file it and schedule the inspection, so you do not have to deal with the paperwork.