Roofing Contractor in Morris Plains, NJ

What a tear-off tells you about a roof

The photo at the top of this page shows a Morris Plains roof halfway through the tear-off stage of a full replacement. The old dark shingles have been stripped from half the roof, exposing the plywood deck underneath.

This is the part of a roof replacement most homeowners never see. Everything that matters is under those shingles:

• The deck. Plywood or OSB sheathing is the structural surface the shingles are nailed to. When it is exposed, we walk the entire deck and check for soft spots, water staining, rot and delamination. On a Morris Plains home from the 1950s or 1960s, the original deck may be plank boards rather than plywood.
• Old nails. Every nail from the previous roof is pulled. Nailing over old nails means the new shingles sit unevenly, and the fasteners do not seat properly.
• Signs of past leaks. Dark staining or swollen spots in the sheathing show where water has been getting in. Even if those areas dried and the leak stopped, the wood may no longer be sound enough to hold nails.
• The pipe boot. You can see it in the center of the photo: a rubber collar around the plumbing vent pipe. Pipe boots crack and separate after 15 to 20 years and are one of the most common slow-leak sources on any roof.

Any deck damage is repaired or replaced before the new underlayment and shingles go on. This is the only chance to fix it without tearing the roof off again.

Morris Plains housing and when roofs come due

Morris Plains grew steadily through the mid-twentieth century. The borough had about 1,700 residents in 1930, 3,500 by 1960 and 5,200 by 2000. The housing stock reflects that arc: capes and ranches from the 1940s and 1950s, split-levels and colonials from the 1960s and 1970s, and newer construction where the former Pfizer campus along Route 53 was redeveloped.

What that means for roofing:

• Homes from the 1940s through the 1960s are typically on their second or third roof. The question at this point is often the deck. After two or three tear-offs over 70 or 80 years, the nail holes accumulate and the wood weakens. We expect to replace at least some deck sections on these jobs.
• Homes from the 1970s and 1980s have usually had one replacement. If the current roof is the original or a first replacement done in the 1990s, it is at or past the end of a standard asphalt shingle life.
• Homes from the 1990s and 2000s often still have their original roof. These are coming due now, and the condition varies depending on sun exposure, ventilation and whether the builder used 25-year or 30-year shingles.
• New construction on the Pfizer site will not need roofing for years, but the mechanical systems, including pipe boots and attic ventilation, still benefit from a check around the 10-year mark.

Why pipe boots fail and what to do about them

The rubber pipe boot visible in the tear-off photo is worth talking about, because it is one of the most common sources of slow roof leaks on any home, including Morris Plains homes built in the last 40 years.

A pipe boot is a rubber or neoprene collar that seals around the plumbing vent pipe where it exits the roof. It keeps rain out of the gap between the pipe and the surrounding shingles. The problem is that the rubber degrades:

• UV exposure breaks down the rubber over time, especially on south-facing slopes where the boot gets full sun.
• Temperature cycling causes the rubber to expand and contract with the seasons. After enough cycles, it cracks.
• The seal separates from the pipe. Once the rubber shrinks or splits, water runs down the pipe into the attic. The leak is usually small and slow, which means it can go unnoticed for months, staining the ceiling or rotting the deck from below.

On a full replacement, every pipe boot is replaced. On an aging roof where a full replacement is not yet needed, a cracked pipe boot can be replaced individually for a fraction of the cost. It is one of the most cost-effective roof repairs that exists.

Roofing and chimney work we do in Morris Plains

• Full roof replacement with complete tear-off, deck inspection and repair, ice and water barrier, synthetic underlayment, ventilation corrections, new flashing and new shingles.
• Roof repair for leaks, wind damage, pipe boot failures, valley issues and flashing problems.
• Chimney repair including flashing, crowns and masonry.
• Gutters replaced or re-hung with the new roof.
• Siding repair where damage at the roofline or walls connects to the roof work.

See every service on our services page, or read about when roof decking needs replacing.

Morris Plains roofing questions