Roof Replacement for Midland Park homes and buildings
Replacing a roof on one of Midland Park's older frame houses often means more tear-off than people expect. Multiple layers, and sometimes old wood shingles, come off down to the original board deck. That deck is inspected, rotted boards are replaced, and where the boards are gapped or uneven, the roof is sheathed over so the new shingles have a flat, solid surface. Then ice-and-water barrier, synthetic underlayment, new flashing and architectural shingles go on.
On the post-war capes and ranches, replacement is more conventional: tear-off, deck repair, ice barrier at eaves and valleys, new dormer and chimney flashing, ventilation improvements and new shingles. Either way, the chimney is checked first, since older brick often needs work before new flashing can be set against it.
Permits are typically required for a full replacement; check with the borough building department, and we can advise on what is usually needed. Lots here are smaller than in surrounding towns, so we plan staging and debris removal with the neighbors in mind.
Midland Park housing
Midland Park mixes older and newer housing on smaller lots than much of northwest Bergen. Late-1800s and early-1900s frame houses, some with steep gables and front porches, share streets with 1940s and 1950s capes and ranches and some later infill. Mixed-use and commercial buildings with low-slope roofs line Godwin Avenue, and there are a few small apartment buildings.
Weather & exposure
The borough is inland and fairly sheltered, with mature trees over most residential streets. Leaf and branch debris, shaded slopes that stay damp and ice dams on older uninsulated attics are the main weather issues. Brooks running through the area can rise in heavy rain, and low spots near them stay damp. Freeze-thaw cycles work on the old brick chimneys and on any masonry repaired with incompatible materials.
When replacement is the right call in Midland Park
An older Midland Park roof is ready for replacement when there are multiple layers and leaks in more than one place, when shingles are brittle across the surface, or when the deck is soft in spots. A post-war cape with one failed dormer is a repair. We inspect and tell you which you have.
Architectural asphalt shingles are the standard choice for both the older frame houses and the post-war homes. We will discuss how to handle the deck, ventilation and the chimney before work begins.
