Roof Repair for Weehawken homes and buildings
Many Weehawken roofs do more than keep out rain. Roof decks, large skylights and railings added to capture the Manhattan view sit on top of flat membrane roofs, and each deck post, sleeper and railing anchor is a potential leak. Combined with cornices and parapets on older rowhouses and direct wind off the river, Weehawken leaks often come from details rather than from the open roof.
We track down the source, whether it is a deck penetration, a cornice, a skylight curb or a parapet, and repair it with compatible materials and proper flashing. Where a deck has to be lifted to reach the leak, we explain what is involved before starting. We photograph the work and document storm damage for insurance claims if you choose to file one.
Weehawken housing
Weehawken's uplands have a mix of brick and frame rowhouses with flat roofs and cornices, two- and three-family frame houses, some older detached houses with pitched or mansard-style roofs, and small apartment buildings. Many homes along the cliff edge have been renovated with roof decks and large skylights to take advantage of the view. The waterfront below the cliffs is newer construction with association-managed roofs.
Weather & exposure
Buildings along the Palisades edge in Weehawken face east over open water, so storm winds coming across the Hudson hit them with no shelter at all. Cornices, coping, chimney tops and roof decks take the brunt. Rain driven horizontally finds weak points in front walls and parapets that ordinary rain never reaches. Flat roofs pond when drains clog, and freeze-thaw works on masonry every winter.
Repair or replace? What we tell Weehawken homeowners
If a roof deck is involved, we assess whether the leak can be reached by removing a few boards or whether a section needs to come up. Decks built with penetrations through the membrane often benefit from reflashing each post properly or converting to a floating design during the next roof replacement.
For cornice and front wall leaks, we inspect the cornice top, coping and parapet together, since water entering any of them can show up in the same place inside.
