Clifton, New Jersey
Roof Repair in Clifton, NJ
A brown stain spreading across a ceiling, shingles in the yard after a windy night, or a drip beside the chimney? Call and you are connected with an independent roofing contractor that repairs roofs in Clifton and the towns around it.
- Independent local roofing contractors
- Repairs, replacements and new roofs
- You decide whether to hire
Roof repairs
Where older Clifton roofs let water in
Most of Clifton's houses were built before 1960, and on houses that age a leak rarely starts in the middle of a slope. It starts where the roof is interrupted: around a brick chimney, along a dormer wall, at a plumbing vent, in a valley full of leaves, or at the seam where a low rear roof meets the main one.
Water also travels. It can enter at the chimney and show up on a bedroom ceiling several feet away, so the stain tells the contractor where to start looking, not always where the problem is. Finding the source is often the hard part of a repair.
Repairs that come up on local houses
Chimney flashing
Metal flashing seals the gap between shingles and brick. On old chimneys the mortar that holds it cracks, or the cap that crowns the chimney breaks up, and water runs in behind. Some of these repairs need masonry work as well as roofing.
Flat rear and porch roofs
Membranes over rear kitchens, additions and enclosed porches split at seams, blister, or pull away where they meet the house wall. Ask whether a patch will hold or the section has worn out.
Shingles lifted by wind
Once a shingle's seal lets go, wind folds it back until it creases or tears off. Missing shingles can be replaced and loose ones resealed if the rest of the slope is in good shape.
Vent pipe boots
The rubber collar around a plumbing vent dries out and cracks with sun and frost. A cracked boot is a frequent single-source leak, and a simple one to fix.
Ice dams
Snow melts over a warm attic, refreezes at the cold eaves and backs water up under the shingles. A repair stops the leak; attic insulation and ventilation deal with the cause.
Gutters and drip edge
Clogged or sagging gutters and missing drip edge send water into the fascia and the edge of the deck. Repairing, replacing or installing gutters and leaders is ordinary maintenance under the state code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(c)).
On the call
What to tell the contractor when you call
- The address and the kind of house: single-family, two-family or attached.
- Where the water shows up inside, and whether it comes with every rain or only with wind-driven rain or melting snow.
- Which part of the roof seems to be involved: the main slopes, a dormer, the chimney, or a flat porch or rear roof.
- Roughly how old the roof is, any repairs you know about, and whether there may be more than one layer of shingles.
- Whether there is attic access, and what you have seen up there: stains on the boards, damp insulation, daylight.
- Any photos you have taken from the ground or from the attic. Please don't climb onto the roof to take them.
How a contractor decides between a repair and a new roof
A repair makes sense when the damage has one cause and the roofing around it still has life. The contractor will look at the shingles near the problem: if they bend without cracking and still have their granules, new pieces can be worked in and should last. If they are brittle, lifting them to make a repair can break more than it fixes.
Layers matter too. New Jersey's rehabilitation subcode says the existing roof covering has to be removed before new covering goes on when the roof already has two or more layers, when it is water-soaked or too deteriorated to serve as a base, or when it is slate, wood shake, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile (N.J.A.C. 5:23-6.4(e)7). On a roof like that, laying a fresh layer over the old ones is not an option.
Ask for photos of what the contractor found. If they recommend replacing the roof, ask what a repair would achieve and for how long, so you can weigh the two. The repair-or-replace guide lists the signs on each side.
New Jersey rules
Rules that apply to a repair
Usually no permit
Repairing the existing roof covering on a detached one- or two-family home is ordinary maintenance: no permit, inspection or notice (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(c)). Work that affects the structure, such as cutting or replacing rafters, is not (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7(b)), and attached homes are outside that item. The Clifton Building Department can confirm for your house.
Registration covers repairs
New Jersey's definition of a home improvement contractor includes companies that repair homes and names roofing, and those contractors must register with the Division of Consumer Affairs (Division of Consumer Affairs guidance). Search the company under Business Search in the state's license verification system.
Put it in writing
State law requires a written contract only above a small dollar threshold, which a minor repair may fall under (Division of Consumer Affairs guidance). Ask for the scope, the price and any workmanship warranty in writing anyway, and pay the balance only once the work is done.
Questions
Roof Repair: common questions
Is a small leak worth a call?
Yes. A cracked vent boot or a few lifted shingles is a small job, and fixing it early keeps water out of the deck, the insulation and the ceilings. Describe it on the call and the contractor will say whether it is work they take on.
What affects the price of a roof repair?
Mainly how hard the spot is to reach, how long it takes to find where the water gets in, and what turns up once the old material is opened: wet decking or rotted fascia add work. Matching materials, masonry at a chimney and gutter work also count. Ask how extra damage found during the repair will be priced before work starts.
Will repaired shingles match the rest of the roof?
Often not exactly. Shingles fade with sun and product lines change, so new pieces can stand out on an older slope at first. Ask the contractor what match they can get and where it will show.
Can a repair be done in winter?
Many can. Shingles are stiffer in the cold and sealant strips need warmth to bond, so the contractor may hand-seal new shingles or make a temporary repair and finish it in milder weather. Ask what they plan to do and when.
Roof services
Other roof services
- Roof ReplacementOld layers off, deck checked, new underlayment, flashing and roof covering on.
- New Roofs for AdditionsAdditions, dormers and rebuilds: a new roof framed, permitted and tied into the old one.
- Asphalt Shingle RoofsArchitectural shingles, ice barrier at the eaves, and the ridge and soffit venting to go with them.
- Flat & Low-Slope RoofsMembrane roofs for porches, rear sections and garages that shingles can't cover.
- Metal RoofsStanding seam and metal shingles: longer-lived panels, with details that need care.
- Two-Family House RoofsTall gables, stacked porches and two households: repairing or replacing a two-family roof.
Roof leaking or worn out?
Talk to a Clifton-area roofing contractor
Call and you are put through to an independent roofing contractor that works in Clifton, Nutley, Little Falls, Woodland Park and Wayne. Tell them what you have noticed and ask them to inspect the roof and price the work, whether that turns out to be a repair or a new roof.
A leak to track down or a roof to replace? Talk to a local roofing contractor.
You are connected with an independent roofing contractor that works in Clifton and nearby towns.
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