Garfield sits low along the Passaic River, and that drives most of the calls we get here. Snow lingers on north-facing slopes, then melts fast and hunts for gaps in the flashing. We have walked enough of these rooflines to know where the weak points hide.
Common Roof Problems in Garfield
The same handful of failures turns up again and again on Garfield roofs, and each one gets worse through a normal winter.
- Ice dams — meltwater refreezes at the eave, backs up behind a clogged gutter, and wicks under shingles that have no ice-and-water shield; ice dam removal is a winter call we make often.
- Soft roof deck — rot in the plywood or OSB sheathing spreads toward the rafter, joist, and ridge beam connections, so we check the trusses and purlins before anyone steps on the decking.
- Failed flashing — step flashing corrodes at a sidewall, counter-flashing lifts off the chimney, and a cracked pipe flashing or vent boot drips into the valley below.
- Granule loss — asphalt shingles that have shed their granules are in end-of-life wear, and once the felt or tar paper under them is bare, the underlayment above the roof deck starts to fail too.
- Rotted trim along the roofline — water curls over the drip edge, saturates the rake, verge, and fascia, and softens the soffit and overhang until gutters sag away from the house.
How We Protect Garfield Roofs
Our crews work to building code and install every layer the way the inspector expects to find it.
- Tear-off and substrate repair — we strip the old roofing with a roofing shovel and pry bar, haul the debris down in a dumpster, and replace rotten decking and battens or counterbattens before anything new goes on.
- Self-adhered waterproofing — synthetic underlayment and a self-adhered membrane run along the eaves and valleys, with a vapor barrier in the attic assembly; that combination is the real weatherproofing against wind-driven rain.
- Fastening done right — we count the roofing squares first, then set ring-shank nails with a nail gun and air compressor so every nail, fastener, and screw holds the starter course and staggered field courses without an overdriven head.
- Ventilation that balances — a ridge vent and ridge cap paired with soffit vents and an attic fan pull hot air off the roof deck before it forms steam ice at the ridge, which keeps insulation dry and eases your cooling load.
- Sealants and coatings — mastic, roof cement, and a good sealant, caulk, or adhesive close the apron flashing and boot flashing, and a reflective coating buys years on a low-slope section.
- Safe access — scaffold, ladders, and a safety harness on every steep pitch, a torch only where modified bitumen needs it, and snow guards or anchors where snow sheds hard onto a walkway.
Why Garfield Homeowners Choose Us
We are a Newark roofing company and a licensed, insured roofing contractor, and Garfield is a regular part of our week.
- Free roof estimate — a full roof inspection from the ladder up, with photos of every flashing detail, so you see what the roofer sees before you spend anything.
- Roofing materials for the older housing stock — architectural shingles and three-tab shingles cover most homes, while wood shake, cedar shake, slate, clay tile, and concrete tile suit the early-1900s brick houses.
- Flat and low-slope systems — TPO, EPDM, PVC membrane, modified bitumen, and a built-up roof mopped with hot asphalt and tar handle porches, additions, and commercial rooftops, with standing-seam metal panels and corrugated panels as options.
- Roof shapes we know — a mansard, gambrel, hip, or gable roof each needs its own flashing approach, and dormers, skylights, parapets, canopies, and awnings all add a place for water to sit.
- Insurance claim assistance — we document storm damage with dates, photos, and measurements so your file is complete before the adjuster inspection.
- Maintenance, energy efficiency, and honest answers — a fall tune-up with clean gutters and balanced ventilation is the cheapest roof maintenance you can buy, and customer satisfaction here is earned one detail at a time.
Call 877-840-1315 for a straight answer on whether your roof needs a repair or a replacement.