Roofing Contractor in Dauphin, PA

Old river-town housing under the ridge

The housing is predominantly nineteenth and early twentieth century — modest singles and twins on small lots, steep pitches, masonry chimneys and a fair amount of original slate and standing seam metal still in place.

The setting creates two specific conditions. The river brings flood exposure and high ground water at the low end of the borough. The ridge behind brings channeled wind, and the gap where the rivers meet acts as a funnel that intensifies gusts coming through.

That combination is hard on roof edges. Ridge caps, rake edges and any raised transition take repeated wind loading, and the older stock frequently has no starter strip at the rakes at all.

• Nineteenth and early twentieth century singles and twins
• Surviving slate and standing seam metal on older buildings
• Flood exposure and high ground water at the lower elevations
• Channeled wind at the river gap stressing roof edges

Wind detailing and drainage in a river gap

We specify for wind here. High-wind rated shingles nailed to the manufacturer's six-nail pattern, upgraded starter strip at rakes as well as eaves, and ridge cap rated to the same wind speed as the field. On the most exposed properties, standing seam metal genuinely earns its cost.

Drainage is the other priority. Where ground water is already close to the surface, roof water discharging at the foundation is the last thing a basement needs. Extending downspouts and correcting the discharge path is inexpensive during a roofing job and expensive to retrofit later.

For the surviving historic material — the slate and the standing seam — the recommendation is almost always to maintain rather than replace. Those roofs have already proven they can handle this location.