Low roofs over additions, porches and dormers
Flat Roof Repair in Wallington, NJ
Is there still a puddle on the rear addition's roof two days after the rain stopped? Flat roof repair in Wallington deals with seams, drains, flashing and standing water on low-slope roofs.
Dial (973) 791-8220 and ask what a first look at the roof would involve.
Signs you may have spotted
- Water still standing on the roof a couple of days after rain
- A ceiling stain beneath a rear extension, a porch or a dormer window
- A blister, split or open seam in the roofing membrane
- Leaves and grit packed around the drain or the scupper
- Metal edging or wall flashing lifting away from the roof
Jot these down first
Flat roof facts to have on hand
- Which part of the building the flat roof covers: an addition, a porch, a dormer or the whole top.
- How long water stays after rain, and where.
- Whether the drain or scupper is clear when you can see it.
- Stains below, with dates.
- The roof's age, if you know it.
Walk away and get help if
- A wire has dropped near the house or across the roof. Keep back and report it to 911, then to PSE&G on 1-800-436-7734.
- The ceiling under the flat roof bows with trapped water. Keep everyone out of that room, then dial 911.
- Water has reached a light, a switch or an outlet under the roof. Out of the room first, then dial 911 from somewhere dry.
- Standing water or ice makes a low roof slick: stay off it, and call 911 if someone slips.
Four things people ask
When does a puddle on a flat roof count as a problem?
The federal GSA lists ponding among the common sources of flat roof failure. A puddle that is still there days after the rain stopped is worth a roofer's look, and so is a drain that stays blocked.
Do I have to climb up to see the problem?
No. A window that overlooks the roof, or a view of the drain area from an upper room, shows standing water and debris. New York's health department says to avoid ladders in wet or icy conditions.
What is flashing, the metal strip at a roof-to-wall joint?
That is flashing. GSA's guidance names flashing that is not turned up high enough as one source of failure, along with blocked drains and gutters. A roofer can see how high it runs on your wall.
Do the other three towns have low roofs like this too?
Rear additions and porch roofs turn up all over. Local notes are at the Garfield page, the Passaic page and the Wood-Ridge page. Dial (973) 791-8220 and describe the roof.
What usually sets it off
- Drains and gutters blocked with leaves, grit or other debris
- Ponding, which is water sitting in a low spot instead of draining away
- Wall flashing that does not turn up far enough above the roof surface
- Seams in the membrane that open as the roof moves through the seasons
- Pipes, vents and equipment that poke through, each one a joint water can find
The one-to-ten gut check
Where a flat roof lands out of ten
8–10
a wire is down, a ceiling sags or water is at a fixture. Move away and call 911 or PSE&G.
4–7
a stain below grows after each rain, or a seam has opened. Call (973) 791-8220 this week and say which part of the building the roof covers.
1–3
a puddle that drains within a day or so, and a dry ceiling below. Look at the drain after the next rain and dial if water hangs around.
Around Wallington
A heavy hour tests a flat roof's drains. During Ida, the state weather network logged 3.65 inches at Newark Airport in the peak hour, a reading that comes from a gauge several towns away from Wallington.
In Passaic, 16,123 of 21,151 occupied homes are rented, roughly three in four, per the 2024 Census estimate. Where a building is rented, the roof is the owner's to decide, which means the owner hears about a leak before anyone calls a roofer.
What the calendar does to it
Rain in July, freezes in January
July is the wettest month in NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Teterboro Airport, at 4.45 inches, and June and August each reach 4.25. Winter adds 23.6 January days with a low at or below freezing, and a low roof that drains slowly has water sitting in it during those freezes.
The station is one airport, and your street may differ.
Where the rules live
Flat roofs and the building office
The state's ordinary-maintenance alert speaks of existing roof covering on freestanding houses for one or two families and never mentions flat roofs or multi-unit buildings. Whether a given flat roof falls under it is a question for the building office. Each office is on the town-by-town list.
Roof jobs sorted by sight
Jot these down first
Before you call (973) 791-8220, note the street address, where water showed up and the roof's age if known. If you rent, talk to the owner first. Towns: Wallington, Garfield, Passaic, Wood-Ridge.