Low-slope in DeWitt
Low-slope roofing in DeWitt, NY: a porch or back-kitchen roof that keeps leaking may be too flat for shingles
Low-slope roofing in DeWitt, NY can be the real answer when the same ceiling spot has been patched more than once. Ask for the slope to be measured, then book a visit to ask what product belongs on that roof.
Asking where the water gets in commits you to nothing.
What we do
We help you find where the water really gets in and book a diagnostic visit with an independent roofer, who puts the fix in a written proposal.
Our word before the ladder goes up
- You owe nothing for asking, and you can walk away.
- The visit looks for the way in before any roof talk.
- You see the repair proposal in writing before work starts.
- The $100 credit follows the rules on our Terms page.
The roofer you hire answers for their own work and contract.
Signed Roofing Pros Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
What this word covers
Questions
Low-slope roofing in DeWitt: short answers
How do I know my DeWitt porch roof is too flat for shingles?
Have the contractor measure the rise over twelve inches of run. Under 2 is below what the state code allows for shingles. A repair that has failed three times is another clue.
Is the fix a better patch?
Usually not. If the slope is wrong for the product, the fix is a different product, such as a membrane. The proposal should name it and say how water leaves the roof.
Does the state code apply in DeWitt differently than in other towns?
No. The residential code is the same statewide. What differs is your roof, so ask about its slope, not about local rules.
Low-slope roofing on a DeWitt addition: why the patch keeps failing
Shingles shed water by gravity. Below a 2:12 slope, which is two inches of rise over twelve inches of run, they are not allowed under the state residential code. From 2:12 to 4:12 they need double underlayment. A roof flatter than that needs a membrane, which is a different material laid in sheets.
Housing of this age commonly has an added room somewhere. In the Town of DeWitt, half of all housing dates from 1963 or earlier. If your addition was roofed to match the house, the shingles may be on a slope they were never meant for. Then every patch fixes a seam and leaves the cause.
Mobile homes are 2.6 percent of DeWitt units. If yours is one, ask what slope the roof has before any product is named.
Signs
Signs a DeWitt roof needs low-slope roofing
The same spot, patched again and again
A repair that fails three times is rarely a bad patch. It can mean the product is on the wrong slope.
Water stands at the low edge a day after rain
A roof that does not shed water gives it time to find every seam.
The roof looks almost level from the yard
Porch, sunroom and breezeway roofs can sit far flatter than the main roof beside them.
The stain is under a room, not the main house
A different roof over a different room is a different job. Name the room when you call.
Getting the slope of a flat DeWitt roof without climbing
Do not walk on the roof, and do not crawl across attic insulation to measure it. Slope is stated as rise over twelve inches of run, so a 2 means the roof climbs two inches for every twelve it runs. The contractor can measure it at the visit.
From the yard, compare the addition roof with the main roof. If it looks nearly level beside it, say so when you book.
When the contractor gives you the number, under 2 means shingles are not allowed there. From 2 to 4, ask whether double underlayment was used. Either way, it sets which roof leak diagnosis questions come first.
What a membrane proposal should name on a DeWitt house
The code sets a design slope of at least a quarter inch in twelve for single-ply membranes, so water can leave the roof. A roof that is not sloped to drain over its edges needs drains at each low point. Those two lines show what your proposal needs to say.
- The slope of the roof, as measured.
- The membrane product and how its seams are closed.
- How the membrane meets the house wall.
- Where the water goes when it leaves the roof.
Ask for each one in writing. If the proposal names only a price and a covering, ask what it does about the slope. The porch roof article explains the ladder in more detail.
Other ways in
Other ways water gets into a DeWitt house
Roof Leak Diagnosis
Trace the stain to its source first.
Roof Flashing Repair
Name the joint nearest the drip.
Gutters and Drainage
Follow the water from edge to ground.
Attic Ventilation
Seal the ceiling before adding any vents.
Nearby
Neighbors of DeWitt with this page
Ask about the flat roof over your DeWitt addition.