Roof Replacement in Northern New Jersey

Signs It's Time for a New Roof

No single sign means you need a new roof, but when several of these show up together, more repairs usually stop being worth the money.

• The roof is near the end of its expected life. If your shingles were installed a couple of decades ago or more, they may be close to worn out even if they look acceptable from the street.
• Shingle wear across the whole roof. Curling, cracking, and bare spots on every slope point to aging materials, not one damaged area.
• Repeated leaks in different spots. Fixing one leak only to find another a few months later is a sign the roof is failing as a system.
• A sagging roofline or soft decking. Dips in the roof or boards that flex underfoot mean moisture has reached the wood underneath.
• Moss, dark streaks, or heavy granule loss. These speed up wear and often show up on roofs that are already past their prime.
• Major storm damage. When wind or a fallen limb damages a large part of the roof, replacing it can make more sense than piecing it back together.

What Happens on Replacement Day(s)

Here is the order of work, from old roof to new.

• 1. Tear-off. We protect your landscaping, siding, and windows, then strip the old shingles and underlayment down to the wood deck.
• 2. Deck inspection and sheathing repair. With the deck exposed, we check every section and replace rotted or damaged sheathing so the new roof sits on a solid base.
• 3. Ice-and-water shield. We install this self-sealing membrane at the eaves, valleys, and other areas where water and ice tend to collect.
• 4. Underlayment. The rest of the deck is covered with underlayment as a second line of defense under the shingles.
• 5. Flashing. New metal flashing goes in around chimneys, walls, skylights, and pipes, the places where most leaks begin.
• 6. Ventilation. We review your intake and exhaust vents and adjust them so the attic can breathe, which helps the shingles last and reduces moisture problems.
• 7. Shingles. The new shingles are installed to the manufacturer's instructions, finished with matching hip and ridge caps.
• 8. Magnetic nail sweep and cleanup. We haul away the debris and run magnetic sweepers over the driveway, walkways, and lawn to pick up stray nails.
• 9. Final walkthrough. We walk the property with you, answer your questions, and make sure you are satisfied before we call the job finished.

Choosing Materials

The right material depends on your home's style, the pitch of the roof, your budget, and how long you plan to stay. We will show you samples and explain the tradeoffs before you choose.

• Architectural asphalt shingles. The most common choice for homes in our area. As a GAF Certified contractor, we install GAF architectural shingles in a wide range of colors.
• Designer shingles. Thicker asphalt shingles shaped to look like wood shake or slate, for homeowners who want more depth and texture.
• Synthetic or natural slate. Natural slate suits older and historic homes built for its weight. Synthetic slate gives a similar look at a lighter weight. If you already have slate, see our slate roof repair page before deciding to replace it.
• Flat roof membranes. Low-slope roofs, porches, and additions need a membrane system such as TPO, EPDM, or modified bitumen rather than shingles.

For a side-by-side comparison, read our guide to choosing a roofing material in NJ.