Boulevard Greystone Roofing in Humboldt Park

The decorative masonry on the boulevard buildings complicates the counterflashing, and on buildings with deferred maintenance, years of water through open coping have often damaged the wall itself. The flashing needs sound masonry to hold, so a mason is often part of the job.

Small problems left for years, such as an open coping joint or a failed flashing, let water into the masonry and the deck over time. By the time a leak shows inside, the damage behind it is larger. Getting on top of it early keeps the repair smaller.

They share the parapet and coping issues but are simpler. The dense blocks of brick and greystone two-flats carry low-slope roofs behind parapets, without the elaborate ornament of the boulevard buildings. The work is more routine. Coping and counterflashing are where they usually fail.

Frame cottages scattered through the area usually have pitched roofs and older decking, which is steep-slope work rather than membrane. They have the issues typical of older frame homes. Say which kind of building you have when you call. The decking on these is often old enough to need checking.