Roofing Servicesin Boston, MA

Boston roof installation starts with a full deck inspection after the tear off. The existing shingles hide what is underneath and the deck condition determines the quality of the finished installation. We pull the old material, inspect every square foot of deck for rot, soft spots, delamination, and structural issues, and address what we find before any new material goes on. Installing new shingles over a compromised deck produces a failed installation regardless of shingle quality.

Ice and water shield installation on Boston roofs covers the full eave, every valley, all penetrations, and transitions at walls and dormers. Massachusetts weather creates the conditions for ice dam formation every winter on roofs with inadequate ventilation or insulation. Ice and water shield protects the deck in the areas where ice dam water infiltrates. We install six feet of shield at the eaves minimum, more when the attic conditions indicate severe ice dam risk.

CertainTeed shingles are our standard specification on Boston residential roofs. The Landmark series provides thirty year performance with a lifetime warranty on the shingle itself. We register every installation with the manufacturer for warranty tracking. The installation follows CertainTeed specifications exactly because warranty coverage requires proper installation. Nailing pattern, exposure, starter course, ridge cap, and ventilation requirements are all part of the specification.

Many Boston properties have flat or low slope roof sections that require different materials than pitched roofs. Federal era rowhouses in Beacon Hill and the South End often have full flat roofs. Triple deckers sometimes have flat roof sections at the back addition. Modern additions and renovations frequently use flat roof sections. We install TPO, EPDM, and modified bitumen on these surfaces depending on the drainage situation, the existing substrate, and the homeowner's budget.

Flat roof failure in Boston is almost always a drainage problem before it is a membrane problem. Water that cannot drain off a flat roof ponds and eventually finds its way through even intact membranes at seams and penetrations. We assess the drainage slope on every flat roof project and address inadequate drainage before installing new membrane. Adding drainage channels, improving the slope with tapered insulation, or installing additional drains are all options depending on the specific situation.

Combined roofing projects on Boston properties often involve both pitched and flat sections on the same building. A triple decker may have a steep pitched front roof and a flat rear addition. A rowhouse may have a pitched dormer above a flat main roof. We handle both sections in one project, coordinating the transitions and the drainage between the sections. Doing both sections at once avoids the incompatible flashing that happens when different contractors handle different sections.

Boston winters test every roofing system from November through April. Ice dams form when heat escapes through the roof, melts snow on the upper sections, and the meltwater refreezes at the cold eave. The ice backs up under shingles and damages the deck, insulation, and interior finishes. Proper ventilation, adequate insulation, and full ice and water shield installation prevent ice dam damage. A roofing contractor who does not understand ice dam mechanics cannot prevent them.

Boston Inspectional Services requires building permits for full roof replacement. We pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and receive the sign off as part of every full replacement project. The permit documents the work for the property record. Unpermitted roofing work creates disclosure issues at sale and can affect homeowner insurance claims when the insurance company discovers the permit was not pulled.

Roofing material selection on Boston homes affects energy performance in ways that go beyond the obvious. Ventilation from ridge to soffit moves hot attic air out in summer and prevents moisture accumulation in winter. Proper ventilation reduces cooling loads and extends shingle life. We assess ventilation during the estimate and recommend improvements when the existing ventilation is inadequate. The energy code requires ventilation that meets minimum ratios per square foot of attic floor area.