Low-slope in Liverpool
Low slope roofing in Liverpool, NY: the old porch roof that leaks after every repair
A porch or rear-kitchen roof on an old Liverpool village house that leaks again after each patch may be too flat for what covers it. Low slope roofing in Liverpool, NY starts with its pitch, and we book the visit that goes with it.
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
Settle these before low-slope roofing in Liverpool
My Liverpool porch roof is rolled roofing. Is that allowed?
It depends on the slope. Mineral-surfaced roll roofing is not allowed below 1:12. Have yours measured and ask the contractor.
Do I need to redo the main roof too?
Not because the porch leaks. The porch roof is its own job and can be proposed separately.
Can the porch roof be repaired from inside?
Ask the contractor. Water usually has to be stopped at the surface, so look at what is on top and how it drains.
Should I measure a Liverpool porch roof myself?
No. Take a photo level with the roof edge from the yard and send it. Never climb a wet or frosty roof. A contractor can read the pitch from the picture.
Low slope roofing in Liverpool, NY: why the same patch keeps failing
Housing of this age commonly has a porch roof or back-kitchen roof that sits much flatter than the main one. In Liverpool, six in ten homes predate 1950, which makes the porch roof a fair place to start. It does not say yours is too flat.
You do not need to go up to get the pitch. A roof that falls 2 inches over every 12 inches of run is a 2:12 slope, and the roofer measures yours at the visit.
The code lets asphalt shingles go on at 2:12 and above, and asks for double underlayment between 2:12 and 4:12. Below 2:12, the roof needs a membrane or a similar low-slope product.
If your porch roof is flatter and wears shingles, new shingles will leak again. The article on why porch roofs keep leaking goes into it.
Signs
What Liverpool owners see before low-slope roofing
The porch roof was patched more than once
List each date and who did it. Three patches at one spot is a slope question.
Roll roofing or a tarred surface
Note what is on it. Mineral roll roofing has a minimum slope under the code.
Water ponds after rain
Look from a window above. A puddle that stays means it is not draining.
A stain inside the porch or kitchen below
Name the room and say whether it is under the porch roof or the main roof.
Roll roofing, membranes and what belongs on a Liverpool porch
Mineral-surfaced roll roofing is not allowed on a slope under 1:12. Membrane systems need at least a quarter unit of slope in 12 so the water can leave. Ask what product the contractor proposes, what slope they measured, and where the water goes.
Then ask what happens at the wall where the porch roof meets the house. That joint is the likeliest weak point on a porch, and a new membrane does not mend it. The flashing page for Liverpool lists the questions to ask about it.
Larger Liverpool buildings and flat roofs over many units
About one Liverpool home in ten sits in a building of 10 to 19 units. If you live in one, the roof over you is almost certainly the owner's. Put the stain in writing with photos and dates, and ask who the contractor will be. We can tell you what to ask them.
If your porch is on a house you own, the decision is yours. Send us a side photo, and ask the roofer for the pitch as a number. The Liverpool hub shows the other jobs a visit can cover.
Other ways in
The same Liverpool roof, other ways in
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
Low-slope roofing pages for towns near Liverpool
Send us a photo of your Liverpool porch roof.