Roofs on Rahway's Older Homes

Rahway's downtown and older neighborhoods are full of houses built a century ago. Their roofs have quirks newer homes don't.

Walk the blocks around Main Street, Irving Street, Seminary Avenue and the streets near the train station and you'll see houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s: Victorians, foursquares, early colonials and big two-family homes. Rahway has been a city since the 1850s, and much of its older housing stock is still standing. These houses have character - and roofs that need a bit more thought.

What makes older roofs different

Steep, complicated roof lines. Multiple gables, dormers, porches and turrets mean more valleys, more flashing and more places for water to get in. Steep pitches also take longer and need more safety equipment to work on.

Several layers of shingles. Many older houses have had a new layer of shingles nailed over the old ones, sometimes twice. That adds weight and hides problems underneath. Once there are two layers, the next roof needs a full tear-off.

Plank decking. Instead of plywood, older roofs are often built on boards with gaps between them. Roofers may need to add sheathing over the boards before new shingles go on - which, in New Jersey, can turn the job into permit work. See our permit guide.

Original brick chimneys. Often more than one per house, with worn mortar and flashing that's been patched with tar for decades.

Built-in (box) gutters

Some older homes have gutters built into the roof edge or cornice, lined with metal and hidden behind trim, instead of hanging gutters. They look great and work well when the lining is sound. When the lining fails, water goes straight into the cornice, walls and ceilings below - and the damage can go unnoticed for a long time.

Signs of trouble: peeling paint or rot on the cornice, water stains at the top of exterior walls, or plants growing out of the gutter. Relining a box gutter is specialized work, so ask whether a roofer has experience with them.

Slate and older materials

A few Rahway homes still have slate on all or part of the roof, often on porches, bay windows or turrets. Good slate can last far longer than asphalt shingles, but the flashing and fasteners usually wear out first. Slate needs a roofer who knows how to repair it without breaking more pieces than they fix. If you're replacing slate, think carefully - a slate roof is a big part of an older house's look.

Attics that were never meant to be vented

Older houses were built when attics were drafty by design. Over the years, many have had insulation added and gaps sealed without any matching ventilation. That traps moisture, leading to damp, moldy roof boards and ice dams in winter. A re-roof is the ideal time to add proper intake at the eaves and exhaust at the ridge.

Planning a re-roof on an older house

• Expect surprises under the old shingles, and agree with the contractor in writing how rotted boards will be handled.
• Ask about chimney flashing, valleys and any box gutters specifically - not just "new shingles."
• Pick shingles that suit the house. Darker grays and blacks, or slate-look architectural shingles, often fit older homes best.
• If the house is in a designated historic area or you're applying for preservation incentives, check the requirements before choosing materials.

Thinking about a new roof? See roof replacement and chimney flashing repair.