Roofing in North Center, Rehab and Infill
Gut rehabs and new construction next to frame two-flats, which leaves a lot of mismatched roof junctions.
What goes wrong on roofs in North Center
North Center carries frame and brick two-flats, workers cottages and bungalows, with a high rate of gut rehabilitation and teardown-rebuild activity over the past two decades. The result is blocks where a 1900s frame two-flat with a low-slope roof sits next to a 2015 single-family build with a roof deck and rooftop mechanical. Both are low-slope; they have almost nothing else in common. Rear additions, dormer additions and third-floor build-outs are extremely common on the older stock.
Additions are the story here. A dormer addition or third-floor build-out creates new roof-to-wall transitions, and the quality of that flashing determines whether the building leaks. Roof decks on the newer construction bring penetration and termination issues. On the un-rehabbed older buildings, standard parapet, coping and membrane work applies.
North Center sits on the North Side, covering 60618 and 60613, so the roof detail above is specific to these blocks rather than to Chicago as a whole.
What gets called in around North Center
Additions are the story here. A dormer addition or third-floor build-out creates new roof-to-wall transitions, and the quality of that flashing determines whether the building leaks.
Roofing questions from North Center
We added a third floor. Why does it leak?
A third-floor build-out or dormer addition creates new places where the roof meets a wall, and the flashing at those transitions decides whether it leaks. On North Center rehabs, those new joints are the usual source. Have the roofer check the transitions the addition created.
Why do North Center blocks have such mismatched roofs?
Two decades of gut rehabs and teardown-rebuilds have put new construction directly beside 1900s frame two-flats. The result is roofs of very different ages and heights side by side, and every place a new roof meets an older one is a joint that needs proper flashing.
Do roof decks on the newer homes cause problems?
They can. Decks on the newer construction add penetrations through the roof, and each is a potential leak point. If a deck is fastened through the membrane, those fasteners need regular checking. Pedestal decks that sit on top of the membrane cause fewer problems.
How do I find out whether my addition was flashed properly?
Have a roofer inspect the transitions where the addition meets the original house and photograph them. Signs of trouble include sealant smeared along the joint instead of proper step flashing, and staining inside near the addition. Catching it early is far cheaper than repairing a wet wall.
Adjacent neighborhoods
- LakeviewNorth Side
- Irving ParkNorthwest Side
- Lincoln ParkNorth Side
- Albany ParkNorthwest Side
Roofing estimate in North Center
Give us the address and what the roof is doing. 60618 and 60613 and the rest of the North Side are covered, and the estimate is free.