Pre-season checks of fixings, flashings, edge metal and gutter attachment on houses that face Long Island Sound.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Coastal roof readiness is a check of the parts that wind loosens first: shingle nails, tile fixings, flashing edges, the metal at the eave and rake, and how the gutter is attached. The aim is to find the loose or corroded fixing before a nor'easter or tropical system does. The check says what to fix and what to watch, and it does not promise that any roof will survive any storm.
Wind does most of its damage at the edges and the fixings. A covering lifts at the corners, metal pulls away at a loose nail or a tired clip, and once an edge has moved, the water that follows is not held back by the rest of the roof.
The reason this shore takes storms differently is in the record. During Sandy, east winds along the axis of the Sound drove surge into the western end, and the National Weather Service assessment estimated inundation possibly as high as six feet above ground in parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties.
A visit the same day is possible only when a technician is free, and no arrival time is promised, but phones are answered around the clock. Call (833) 751-2102 before the season to book a check, or after a storm to have an item looked at.
Do not go onto a roof in a gale, or within a day after a storm when edges may be loose. Do not try to lift or renail a loose covering in wind. Keep well clear of fallen wires and trees, and call the utility for any line that is down.
The edges, eaves, rakes and gutter attachments are looked at from the ground first, along with any loose items that could blow onto the roof. Edge metal is checked for bends and for rattle points. The first look shows which edges have already moved and which need a closer check.
The nail lines at the eaves, rakes and ridges are checked for pull-out and for lifted courses. Metal clips and edge fixings are tested by hand where it is safe. Fixings that have backed out are noted, since a wind event tends to find them first.
Flashing at chimneys, walls, vent pipes and skylights is checked for lifted edges and gaps. Penetrations are examined from the roof where it is safe to stand, and from the attic side where the view is better. Anything that is loose at a penetration is marked for attention.
Hangers, brackets and the fascia they fix into are checked for movement and rot. Downspouts are checked to see that they are held firm and that they discharge away from the foundation. A gutter that moves in a wind is marked, because it will move again in the next one.
The findings are written as a list of items, each with its reason and how soon it should be addressed. Loose items are fixed where they are found, and the rest are set out for the owner to decide.
The edges of a roof are held by fewer fixings and take the most wind, because air lifts under an overhang and pulls at the first course. Once an edge moves, water follows the gap, and the rest of the roof cannot hold it back.
Wind pressure is highest at the eave, the rake and the corners of a roof, and that is where the covering is most likely to lift. A lifted course exposes the fixings beneath it, and the water that follows is driven under the lap by the next gust.
Edge metal does a similar job at the rake and the eave. When it bends or pulls away, the sheathing under it is exposed to wind-driven rain.
A nor'easter brings sustained wind, often gale-force, together with heavy rain or wet snow and sometimes coastal flooding. The load lasts for hours rather than in gusts, and it comes from the water side.
The National Weather Service describes nor'easters as strong low-pressure systems that bring heavy rain or snow, gale-force winds and rough seas, and it notes that they are most frequent and most violent between September and April.
On this coast the wind often comes from the east, along the axis of the Sound. That direction is the one that drove surge into the western Sound during Sandy, and it is also the direction that pushes rain under the windward laps of a roof.
No. A barrier protects against surge, and a roof needs its own check. The barrier that guards the downtown in Stamford does nothing for the covering, the fixings or the flashing on a house.
The Stamford Hurricane Protection Barrier was built in 1969 and is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It protects the central part of the city from surge, and the barrier is a public works matter rather than a roof one.
Irene and Sandy are the storms that show the range of what a roof has to face on this coast. The wind and water that came with Sandy can loosen a roof that stood well through an ordinary rain, which is why the storm record matters for readiness.
A house on the water sees salt air as well as wind, and its metal fixings and flashings are where that exposure shows. The sources do not give a lifespan reduction for salt, so the check looks at what can be seen rather than predicting how long a fixing will last.
The fixings and metal joins at the edges are the first places to look on a waterfront house, because they carry both the wind load and the salt. Matched or isolated metals at each junction are checked, since a mismatch is where corrosion starts.
The check does not claim a salt-driven decline in the roof's life. It records what is seen at each fixing and each edge, and it leaves the owner to decide what to replace.
The price depends on the size of the roof, the number and type of edges and penetrations, the access, and the amount of repair found during the check. It is explained and approved on site before any work starts, and no figure is given here.
A small roof with few penetrations and clear access is a short check. A large roof with several planes, a tile or slate covering, and many chimneys or skylights takes longer to walk and to record.
Work that is found during the check, such as a loose edge metal run or a lifted tile at the rake, is the usual reason readiness work grows. The technician reports what was found and what it changes, and gets approval before the next step.
On asphalt shingles, the key checks are the eave and rake courses, the nail lines, the lifted tabs and the ridge caps. A wind event tends to start at a corner or an edge, where the covering is held by fewer fixings. The technician looks at those points first and then checks the field of the roof for lifted or creased pieces.
On slate and tile, the hooks, clips and nails are checked for corrosion and for pull-out. The Park Service's preservation briefs note that the fastening usually fails before the tile does, and that copper or stainless fixings are the usual choice on historic roofs. Slipped or broken pieces are noted at the edges first, because those are the ones a wind can lift.
On a metal roof or a metal edge, the seams, clips and the metal trim at the eave and rake are checked for movement and for corrosion at the junctions. The Park Service advises matching or isolating metals where they meet, because the junction is where corrosion starts. The panels and the edge metal are checked as a set, since a loose trim can start a run of damage.
Along the shore in Stamford, Greenwich and Norwalk, the east winds that drive surge into the western Sound also load the edges of a house. The South End peninsula in Stamford is bordered almost entirely by water, and the downtown behind the hurricane barrier is a separate case from the houses beside it.
Greenwich is the largest town on the Gold Coast, and its neighborhoods differ in how close they sit to the water. Riverside, Old Greenwich and Cos Cob are the sections most often named for shore houses, while the inland estates carry heavier tree cover.
Across the line, the Westchester shore sits under the county's contractor rules, and a Connecticut registration does not authorize work there. A readiness check on a Westchester house can find items that need county-licensed work, and the building department for the address confirms the permit rule before any of it begins.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent coastal roof and wind readiness, send the form and we'll call you back.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Making a roof watertight again after wind, surge or a nor'easter has lifted, opened or broken the covering.
Re-sealing, replacing and matching shingles after wind has lifted or removed them from a slope.
Repair and installation of gutters, hangers and downspouts so meltwater drains off the roof edge before it freezes.
Repair and replacement of the metal at roof-to-wall joints, valleys and openings on older houses across Fairfield County and lower Westchester.
This coast gets two storm seasons: nor'easters from September into April and tropical systems from June through November.
No. A readiness check can find and reduce the known weak points, such as loose fixings, lifted edges and gaps at flashings, but it cannot guarantee how a roof will perform in a particular storm. The report describes the condition found and what was done about it.
Before the storm season is the usual time, which on this coast runs from September into April for nor'easters. A check after a storm is also worth having, since wind can move an edge without leaving an obvious leak. The timing is set by the owner, and the technician explains what the season is likely to test.
That depends on the policy and on what caused the damage, and this page cannot settle it. The guide on storm damage and insurance claims in Connecticut explains how to approach a claim, and the policy wording governs.
Stamford's building department publishes guidance that ordinary repairs to structures do not need a permit, and it keeps a list of exempt work. A repair that changes the structure or the roof opening is a different question. Ask the building department for your city or town to confirm the rule at your address.
Yes. The gutter and its hangers are checked for attachment and movement, because a gutter that pulls off the fascia in a gust also loses its drainage. The gutter is checked for winter as well, since the ice dam prevention work depends on the eave staying clear.
Call the number on this page. Phones are answered around the clock, and a crew is sent as soon as one is free, but no arrival time is promised. Move loose items off the roof and out of the gutters if it is safe to do so, and keep clear of the edges while the wind is strong.