West Orange, NJ
Roofing in West Orange, NJ: Older Houses and Winter Thaws
What does a West Orange roof go through in a year? Most of the township's housing went up before 1960, January brings 25.7 nights at or below freezing, and storms have dropped limbs on roofs across Essex County. Start with roof repair if water is getting in, and dial (973) 841-8483 with the street address to talk it through.
Roof trouble you will see here
Three things that wear on West Orange roofs
Age comes first. The median house was built in 1956, and about 59 percent of the housing dates from before 1960, so the roof overhead may well be a replacement for the original. Layers add up, and the township handout caps a roof at two.
Winter comes second. Caldwell's normals count 25.7 freezing nights and 9.3 days that never reach freezing in January, and the daily swing across 32 degrees is how ice dams get started at the eaves.
Wind and limbs come third. Sandy's gusts reached 88 mph in Montclair, and Essex County's recovery report blames mature street trees for much of the harm from falling limbs. Tropical Storm Isaias dropped a great many trees across the state in August 2020.
Who to ask at town hall
The construction office sits in Room 217 at 66 Main Street. Its page gives Monday through Friday, from half past eight in the morning to half past four in the afternoon, and the number (973) 325-4112. Inspections are requested on a form, not by phone, with the permit number in hand. Two township pages mention money penalties for skipped inspections, starting at $500 on one and $2,000 on the other, so ask the office for the current figure.
On roofs, the township handout calls replacing under 25 percent of roofing with the same material an ordinary repair, says a whole new roof needs a permit, and caps a roof at two layers. The state's rule is wider for a detached one-family or two-family house: any amount of existing roof covering needs no permit. The rules page sets the two side by side.
Exterior work on a landmark or in a historic district goes to the Historic Preservation Commission first.
Have these ready
What to have beside the phone in West Orange
The street address, the room that shows the stain, when it began and whether wind or rain changes it. If you know when the roof went on, say so; if not, an old invoice or the previous owner can fill the gap.
Owners and landlords can dial (973) 841-8483 and talk it through. A tenant's first call goes to the landlord, since arranging roof work on a rental falls to the owner.
The five towns
Call (973) 841-8483 and talk the roof through.
Call (973) 841-8483Keep three things handy: the address, a description of the damage and a rough roof age. Renters: roof work is set up by the owner, so the landlord comes first. Dial (973) 841-8483 if you are in one of the five towns listed here.