Roofing in Fort Lee, NJ

Most of the roofs we replace in this part of New Jersey are asphalt shingle, and most of them are not the first roof on the house. Somewhere along the way a second layer went on over the first, which hides whatever the decking was doing underneath. That is why we tear off rather than layer over. Once the old material is gone we can see the plywood, the rafters and the places where water has been sitting, and we can tell you about it before it gets closed back up.

A roof is a system and it fails at the joints, not in the middle of the field. Valleys, the flashing where a chimney or a wall meets the roof, the boot around a vent pipe, the ridge. Those are the places we spend time on, because a perfect field of shingles over bad flashing still leaks.

On every one of these jobs

What the work covers

Full tear off down to the decking, so nothing gets buried
Any rotted plywood or rafter we find replaced, and shown to you first
Ice and water shield in the valleys and along the eaves
New flashing at chimneys, walls, skylights and vent pipes
Ridge vent and intake venting checked so the attic breathes
All debris hauled off

Start to finish

The order we do it in

We look at it

We get on the roof, not just in the driveway, and go through the attic where we can. You get a straight answer about whether it needs a repair or a replacement.
You get a price in writing

A written scope of what we are doing, which materials, and what it costs, before anyone starts.
We protect the property

Tarps over landscaping, plywood against the siding where we are loading, and the driveway kept clear.
Tear off and inspect

The old roof comes off and we look at the decking. If something is wrong under there you hear about it that day, with a photo.
The new roof goes on

Underlayment, ice and water shield, flashing, shingles and venting, in that order.
Cleanup and walk through

We walk the job with you before we pull out.

Roofing questions

Things people ask us

How do I know if I need a new roof or just a repair?

If the leak is at one flashing or a few shingles came off in a storm, that is usually a repair. If the shingles are curling or losing granules across the whole roof, or there is already more than one layer up there, a repair is money spent on something that is going to need replacing anyway. We tell you which one it is after we get on the roof.

Can you put a new roof over the old one?

We do not. Layering over hides the decking, adds weight, and shortens the life of the new shingles because the heat has nowhere to go. It is cheaper on the day and more expensive over the life of the roof.

How long does a roof take?

A normal house is usually one to two days once we start. Steep roofs, cut up rooflines and bad weather add time. We tell you the schedule before we book it.

What happens if you find rot under the old roof?

We stop, take a photo, and call you before we cover it. Replacing bad plywood is priced separately because nobody can see it until the old roof is off, and we would rather quote it honestly than pad the original number.