Roof Repair and Replacement in Bloomfield, CT

What do postwar Bloomfield houses usually need?

A postwar house with an asphalt-shingle roof has usually been through at least one replacement. The roof you have is more likely a second covering than the original, which means the questions are practical. How many layers are on there, when was it last done and where is it starting to fail?

The usual answers are age, flashing and ice dams after snowy stretches. Age shows as curling edges and bare patches. Flashing shows as stains around chimneys and where a wall meets a roof. Ice dams show up as icicles and a wet stain near an exterior wall. Our roof repair page covers small fixes, and roof replacement covers what changes when a roof is at the end of its life.

Connecticut caps asphalt shingles at two layers (IRC R908.3), so a house roofed over once may need a tear-off the next time. A full re-roof requires a building permit under the 2022 state code. Confirm local rules with the Bloomfield building office.

Who handles a flat roof on a Bloomfield apartment or warehouse?

Large flat roofs sit on new apartment and warehouse buildings, and the owner or the property manager is the person to call. A flat roof has no slope to throw water off, so drainage, seams and the points where a roof meets a parapet or a rooftop unit do the work. Water that sits is water that eventually finds a way in.

Our flat and low-slope roofing page describes what a roofer looks at and why. Be ready to tell the contractor how big the roof is, how it drains and whether the building is residential. Registration as a Home Improvement Contractor covers residential property of six units or fewer, condominiums and common interest communities, so ask a roofer on a larger building how they are set up and get a written contract.

What does a roofer ask about a new apartment or warehouse roof?

The first questions are about the roof itself: how large it is, how it drains and what is on it besides the membrane. Rooftop equipment, skylights and parapet walls all create joints, and joints are where flat roofs leak. A roofer will also ask when the building went up and whether the roof has ever been repaired, because that tells them whether a leak is a defect, wear or a later patch.

Large buildings add questions that a homeowner never faces. Who owns the roof, who is on site and whether tenants have to be told before a crew arrives all affect scheduling. Ask any roofer to put the scope, the materials and the contract in writing before work starts.

Bloomfield's recent apartment and warehouse construction means these roofs are not old. A leak on a young flat roof is often a seam, a drain or a flashing detail, and it is worth asking whether the original installer or a manufacturer is still responsible before paying for a repair. Our roof inspection page explains what a documented look includes.

What does winter do to a Bloomfield roof?

Hartford's weather records show about 49.0 inches of snow a year and a January low near 22 F. When temperatures sit in the low 20s for several days with several inches of snow, heat from the attic melts the snow and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. That ice is what pushes meltwater back under shingles.

Attic insulation of R-49 to R-60 and sealed attic air leaks are the standard advice. A roof rake can clear a single-story roof from the ground. Never use salt or calcium chloride on a roof. If water is already inside, call and describe what you see.