Roof Repair for East Orange homes and buildings
In East Orange, a large share of roof repairs are on flat roofs: brick apartment buildings, converted houses with flat rear additions and commercial blocks. On these roofs leaks rarely come from the middle of the membrane. They come from parapets, coping joints, drains, scuppers, bulkhead walls, roof hatches and the curbs around rooftop equipment.
We repair membrane and built-up flat roofs, asphalt shingle roofs on houses and two- and three-families, and the flashing at chimneys, parapets and sidewalls. For multi-unit buildings, we trace leaks from the top-floor unit back to the roof and photograph the source, so owners and managers can make clear decisions and keep tenants informed.
On large older houses, many now divided into apartments, steep main roofs with dormers and valleys sit next to flat rear sections and porches. We inspect the whole roof, because water from one section often appears in a unit beneath another.
East Orange housing
East Orange has an unusually high share of apartment buildings for New Jersey: brick walk-ups and mid-rise buildings from the early to mid-1900s with flat roofs, parapets, bulkheads and roof hatches. Between them are large Victorian and colonial houses, many converted to multiple units, and frame two- and three-family homes with steep main roofs and flat rear sections. Commercial blocks along the main corridors also have flat roofs. Brick chimneys, some very tall, are found on most older buildings.
Weather & exposure
East Orange is low and flat compared with the Watchung towns to its west, so ridge wind is not the main concern. Its challenges are density and building height: tall apartment buildings with exposed parapets and chimneys take wind-driven rain on their upper walls, flat roofs pond after heavy downpours, and closely spaced houses shed water and ice onto one another. Freeze-thaw cycles work steadily on old masonry parapets and chimney tops.
Repair or replace? What we tell East Orange homeowners
On a multi-unit building, act on leaks promptly. Water travels between floors and through wall cavities, and damage to plaster and ceilings in occupied units adds up quickly. A targeted repair of the parapet, drain or flashing that is actually failing is usually far less expensive than the interior damage it prevents.
If a flat roof has been patched in many places, ponds across large areas or has blisters and cracks throughout, repairs are buying limited time, and planning a replacement is the better use of capital. We give owners and managers photos and a written scope that separates immediate repairs from planned work.
