Roof Repair in Lansdowne, Delaware County

Why do porch roofs and chimneys cause most leaks in Lansdowne?

A porch roof meets the wall of the house, and the seam there is a flashing line that moves as the house settles and the wood expands and contracts. Chimneys are the other usual source. Where the chimney passes through the roof, the flashing is what keeps water out, and it is often the first thing to fail on an older house.

A technician looks at those seams from the roof and from the attic side. A stain on the ceiling near an exterior wall often points to the porch junction, while a stain beside a chimney points to the flashing around it. Tracing the water from inside is usually faster than guessing from the outside.

How do borough permits differ from Philadelphia's?

A roof permit in Lansdowne is handled by the borough, not by Philadelphia's Licenses and Inspections office, so the forms, the inspectors and the timing are the borough's. Philadelphia's rules on contractors and processing do not carry across the county line.

The Pennsylvania home improvement rules still apply, so a written contract and the other state protections come with the job. Ask the borough office for its current process and fee before the work is booked, because those details are not set out here and can change.

What should a Lansdowne homeowner do after a storm?

Photograph the damage before anything is cleaned up, and make temporary repairs such as tarping to stop more water getting in. Keep the receipts for those repairs. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department advises reporting damage to your insurer promptly.

Do not pay a contractor in full or sign a completion certificate until the work is actually finished. The same department warns that some post-storm contractors promise to maximize an insurance payout or push for immediate repairs, so take your time and get a written scope first.

Why does a Lansdowne twin's chimney need attention even when the shingles look sound?

A chimney on an older Lansdowne house passes through the roof, and the flashing around it is what keeps water out of the attic. The flashing can be sound while the mortar joints in the chimney above the roof have opened, or it can be intact while the cap has cracked and let water run down the flue. Each of those is a different repair, and only a close look from the roof shows which one applies.

The valleys near a chimney are the next place to look. Water that runs down a slope collects where it meets the chimney, and debris held there keeps it wet. A roofer clears the valley and checks the metal, because a valley that holds water wears out faster than the shingles beside it.

In the attic, a stain on the framing next to the chimney often shows where the water has been running. Tracing it from inside helps a roofer decide whether the flashing, the cap or the masonry is responsible before any work is scheduled.