Contact Hunterdon Roofing Experts

It comes down to whether the covering as a whole still has serviceable life and whether the damage is confined. A single failed component — a cracked pipe boot, a length of failed flashing, a few shingles lost in a storm — on an otherwise sound roof is a repair. Leaks appearing in several unrelated places, or curling, cracking and granule loss across multiple planes, means the covering itself is finished and patching it only buys short reprieves.

Most leaks start where the roof is interrupted rather than in the open field of shingles. The usual sources are failed flashing at a chimney, wall or skylight; worn valley metal; a cracked rubber pipe boot at a plumbing vent; wind-damaged or missing shingles; and ice damming forcing water back up under the covering. Previous repairs made with roofing cement instead of metal are a very common underlying cause.

Promptly. The most common form of wind damage breaks the adhesive bond holding shingles down without moving them at all, so the roof looks untouched but will lose those shingles in the next storm. Early assessment also means damage is documented close to the event, and any water that has already entered has less time to travel through insulation and framing.

A typical single-family asphalt shingle roof is often completed in one to three working days. Size, pitch, the number of valleys and dormers, how many layers have to come off and how much decking needs replacing all affect that. Complex roofs and extensive deck repair take longer, and we will tell you what to expect before starting.

Architectural asphalt shingles cover the majority of homes here — they suit the pitches found in the region, handle freeze-thaw cycling and can be repaired in sections. Metal roofing is common on barns, outbuildings and rural properties, and increasingly on houses where a long service life is the priority. Low-slope sections and commercial buildings use membrane systems such as TPO, EPDM or modified bitumen.