Spring and fall looks, and what they catch
Roof Condition Check in Warren, NJ
A roof condition check in Warren, NJ goes over the shingles, flashing, gutters and attic before a small problem turns into a leak.
Call (908) 827-6709, say what prompted the question, and the contractor can explain what a look can cover.
What the contractor can look at
Call (908) 827-6709 and tell the contractor what prompted the question and how old the roof is; a visit can follow.
- The contractor can look along each slope for lifted, cracked and missing shingles and for worn surface.
- Flashing at chimneys, walls and vents, and the metal along the edges, can be checked for gaps and lift.
- Gutters, downspouts and the fascia behind them can be checked for sag, clogs and rot.
- The attic can be checked for daylight, stains, damp insulation and ventilation openings.
- The contractor can explain what to repair now, what to watch and what to plan for, and put it in writing.
Looks from the ground
Stick to what the lawn, an upstairs window or the attic hatch shows. A ladder, or a walk over the shingles, is a roofer's job.
- From the lawn, scan each slope with binoculars for gaps in the shingle pattern, curled edges and bare spots.
- Look at the gutters for shingle grit and at the foot of each downspout for sand.
- Look at the top-floor ceilings for faint rings or color changes, especially under the chimney and along outside walls.
- Peek into the attic from the hatch with a flashlight, looking along the roof boards for daylight, dark streaks or damp insulation. Keep out of the attic itself.
Step back and get help if
- A ladder on soft, sloped or icy ground, or within ten feet of a wire: stay off it. NIOSH advises level, firm footing and a distance of ten feet or more from power lines.
- A wire touching a branch or hanging close to the house: keep 30 feet between you and it, and let 911 or your electric company know (PSE&G 1-800-436-7734, JCP&L 1-888-544-4877).
- A ceiling that has started to bulge: get people and pets away from the area under it, then call 911.
- A roof that is wet, frosty or steep: do not go up to look. The ground and an upstairs window show enough.
Questions to put to a roofer
What a written roof report can spell out
Ask for findings by slope or by area, so a note about "the back" is not left to memory. Ask which items need action now, which can be watched through a season and which are signs of age.
Ask for photos tied to each finding. A report with pictures can be shown to a second roofer, a buyer or an insurer without a long explanation.
About the picture
In the picture: a ladder and a close look at the edge
The scene shows the setup NIOSH describes: a ladder on level ground, the roofer's hand on the rail and his eyes on the shingle edge and gutter rather than on a walk across the roof. Edges are where lifting and loose gutters tend to show first.
The picture is a rendering, not a photograph of a real visit.
Questions this job raises
Where does a roof check land on a 1-to-10 scale?
Something happening right now, such as water through a ceiling, a sagging ceiling or a downed wire, rates 8 to 10, and the first move is 911 or the utility. Newly missing shingles or a fresh stain rate 4 to 7, a reason to call (908) 827-6709 this week. A quiet roof and a curious owner is a 1 to 3: do the ground-level walk and call if it turns up anything.
Which months suit a roof check?
FEMA's roof fact sheets point to spring and fall, plus any day after high winds. The Somerville airport normals show lows at or below freezing on about 124 days a year, so a fall look ahead of November, when the average runs 16 such days, catches trouble before frost does.
Can I do the looking myself?
From the ground, yes. The shingle trade group suggests a view from the yard or an upstairs window, binoculars if you have them, then the attic. On a ladder the risk jumps: NIOSH reports more than 100 ladder-related deaths each year nationwide and asks for firm, level footing and about 75 degrees of tilt.
What does a roofer see that I cannot?
The condition of the deck, the underlayment and the flashing joints. The trade group notes that a look from the ground cannot confirm what the roof assembly is like, and it calls flashings the most vulnerable points. A roofer can lift a shingle and press the boards under it.
Is a roof check available in all six towns?
Yes. The contractor covers Warren roofing, Watchung roofing, Green Brook roofing, Bridgewater roofing, Bernards roofing and Long Hill roofing. Call (908) 827-6709 and give the address and a rough guess at the roof's age.
Parts of the roof involved
Edges, valleys and openings: where a check goes first
Edges take the wind. Valleys, where two slopes meet, collect water from both. Openings, such as chimneys and vent pipes, break the surface and need flashing. The Department of Energy's building science pages name valleys and penetrations as the most vulnerable areas.
Those are the spots a roofer looks at before the open field of shingles. The attic gets the same attention from below.
Paperwork, briefly
A look costs nothing in paperwork, a hire does
An inspection only looks; nothing is built or changed. Hiring someone to do the work is another matter: the state's Division of Consumer Affairs expects any contractor who makes or sells home improvements, roofing included, to register. The hiring checklist shows how to look up a registration.
Where this comes from (8)
- FEMA, Fact Sheet 3.3.1: Roof Systems, Sloped Roofs (Mar 2022)
- Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, Assessing roof damage after Superstorm Sandy (7 Nov 2012)
- NIOSH, Ladder safety (reviewed 1 Mar 2024)
- U.S. Department of Energy, Handy Homeowner technical brief: Repairing Roofs and Ceilings (Jan 2006)
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 monthly normals, Somerville Somerset Airport (USW00054785)
- PSE&G, Downed power lines
- FirstEnergy, Downed power lines
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Improvement Contractor Registration FAQ
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Have these ready
Start with the street address, the room that shows water and a guess at the roof's age, then call (908) 827-6709. Renters can pass their photos to the owner, who arranges roof work.