Roofing in Edgewater, High-Rises and Frame Houses
Sheridan Road towers and the frame houses of Edgewater Glen are two different jobs on one street grid.
What goes wrong on roofs in Edgewater
Edgewater splits cleanly. Along Sheridan Road and the lakefront, mid-century and later high-rise buildings carry large low-slope membrane roofs. Inland, Edgewater Glen and the surrounding blocks carry frame single-family homes and two-flats from the 1900s through the 1920s with steeper pitched roofs, dormers and front porches: a different roofing profile from the rest of the lakefront North Side. Vintage courtyard buildings and walk-ups fill in between the two.
On the high-rises, membrane condition, perimeter and parapet termination, and rooftop equipment curb flashing are the focus, with wind uplift at the perimeter a real consideration at that height and exposure. On the frame houses inland, it is conventional steep-slope work: valley and dormer flashing, and the ventilation issues that come with attics converted to living space.
Edgewater sits on the Far North Side, covering 60660 and 60640, so the roof detail above is specific to these blocks rather than to Chicago as a whole.
What gets called in around Edgewater
On the high-rises, membrane condition, perimeter and parapet termination, and rooftop equipment curb flashing are the focus, with wind uplift at the perimeter a real consideration at that height and exposure.
Roofing questions from Edgewater
What matters most on a Sheridan Road high-rise roof?
The condition of the membrane, the perimeter and parapet terminations, and the flashing around rooftop equipment curbs. At that height and lakefront exposure, wind uplift at the perimeter is a real consideration. Those are where a high-rise roof survey should concentrate.
Why does wind uplift matter more on a lakefront high-rise?
Wind speeds rise with height, and the lakefront gives the wind a clear run off the water. Uplift is strongest at the edges and corners of a flat roof. That puts the perimeter and its terminations under the most stress, so they need to be fastened and flashed with that load in mind.
Are the houses in Edgewater Glen roofed like the high-rises?
Not at all. Edgewater Glen and the nearby blocks carry frame single-family homes with pitched roofs, which is ordinary steep-slope work. The high-rises are commercial membrane roofs. Edgewater splits cleanly between the two, so say which you have. The two need different roofers.
How do rooftop equipment curbs cause leaks?
Every rooftop unit, fan or vent sits on a curb that penetrates the membrane, and each needs its own flashing. When that flashing ages or the equipment is serviced carelessly, water gets in around the curb. Check the curbs after any rooftop equipment work.
Adjacent neighborhoods
- AndersonvilleNorth Side
- Rogers ParkFar North Side
- UptownNorth Side
Roofing estimate in Edgewater
Give us the address and what the roof is doing. 60660 and 60640 and the rest of the Far North Side are covered, and the estimate is free.