Roof repair in Sussex County, NJ
A Sussex County leak that shows up in February is often ice, not a missing shingle. Snow melts over the warm part of the roof, freezes again at the cold edge, and pushes water back under the shingles. We find where it gets in before we price the fix.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · GAF Certified · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney repairs roof leaks, ice dam damage and loose shingles on houses across Sussex County, NJ, including Hopatcong, Byram, Hardyston and Wantage. Winters here are among the coldest in the state, so we check the eaves and the attic as well as the flashing, valleys and vents. We are open 24 hours. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
The cold edge of the roof
The State Climatologist puts all of Sussex County in the Northern Zone. The first frost usually comes around October 7 and the last around May 4, and an average year brings 40 to 50 inches of snow. When the attic is warmer than the air, the roof melts snow from underneath, and the water refreezes at the overhang. Ice there can hold water against the shingles until it finds a gap.
Countywide, 79 percent of homes are detached houses, and a detached roof tends to have more going on: valleys, dormers, skylights, a chimney. Each joint is a place for water to get in, and the stain inside often turns up a few feet away from it.
Hardyston and Hamburg are different. About a quarter of their homes are attached. On an attached roof, a leak at the seam between two units can come from either side, so we look at both where the neighbor allows it.
We do not price a leak from the ceiling. We go up when it is safe, follow the water back to where it enters, and photograph that spot for you.
Finding the leak on a Sussex County house
Water runs along the rafters before it drips, so the wet spot inside is rarely right under the hole. We start in the attic and on the roof.
On Sussex County roofs, we check
- The first rows of shingles above the eaves, where ice pushes water back.
- Attic boards along the outside walls, for fresh stains.
- Flashing at the chimney, and the brick just above it on an oil or wood heated house.
- Valleys, which carry the most melt water off the roof.
- Rubber boots around vent pipes, and the seal around each skylight.
- On an attached house, the seam where your roof meets the neighbor's.
If the roof leaks in three places and the shingles are worn through, another patch is money spent twice. We tell you when it is time. Roof replacement in Sussex County
How a roof repair works in Sussex County
Finding the cause comes first, and your written estimate lists what we will fix and how long it will take. All six steps are on the roof repair page.
We find where the water gets in
We get on the roof when it is safe to, check the attic under the stain, and trace the water back to where it enters. You get the photos.
Written estimate
What is wrong, what we will fix and the price, on paper. If the roof is past repairing, we tell you that and show you why.
We fix the cause
New flashing, replaced shingles or a section of new underlayment. If the deck under it is soft, you get photos and a price before we replace it.
Seal, clean up and show you
New shingles get nailed and sealed to the ones around them. We run a magnet over the lawn for nails and go over photos of the repair with you.
Do you need a permit for a roof repair in Sussex County?
On a detached one- or two-family house, no. New Jersey's construction code treats repairing the roof covering on a detached one- or two-family house as ordinary maintenance, so there is no permit and no notice to the town. A townhouse or other attached house usually goes through the town's construction office. Newton has a historic district, where the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission reviews exterior work, though in-kind roof and siding repair does not need its review. We check with your town before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
What you can check on us first
- Our New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license is 13VH13268400. Look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
- We carry insurance and can send you the certificate before work starts.
- The inspection is free, and the estimate comes to you in writing.
- We are open 24 hours.
On roofing work, we are also GAF Certified. What GAF Certified means
If it is in Sussex County, yes. We cover all 24 municipalities, from Andover to Wantage. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
Call us. We are open 24 hours. If the roof is not safe to stand on, we stop what water we can for now and come back for the permanent repair when it is. You know which part is temporary.
That usually means ice at the eaves. Snow melts over the warm attic, the water freezes at the cold overhang, and it backs up under the shingles until the thaw. We look at the eaves and the attic above them, and you get photos.
It depends on what failed and how much roof has to come apart to reach it. A cracked vent boot is a small job. A whole eave damaged by ice, or the flashing around a chimney, takes more. We do not quote over the phone. You get a written price once we have found where the water gets in.
A detached one- or two-family house needs no construction permit for this. State code counts roof covering repairs as ordinary maintenance. Attached houses, common in Hardyston and Hamburg, and buildings with three or more homes go through the town's construction office. Newton has a historic district, where the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission reviews exterior work, though in-kind roof and siding repair does not need its review.
Call us, but check with your association first. In most condos the roof and the siding belong to the association, and the board hires the contractor. Townhouses vary. Your association documents say who owns what.
Stop the water, then fix the cause
Tell us your town and where the water shows up. A call back comes shortly, and the roof inspection is free. The photos show you the opening, and the price comes in writing. If a patch will not hold, you hear that from us first.
Or call 732-682-9251