A roof is the start of every other facade problem.

NYC roof types

Most Brooklyn and Manhattan buildings fall into one of four roof categories:

• Flat roofs (modified bitumen / EPDM / TPO) — the standard for nearly all brownstones, row houses, and most pre-1950 NYC buildings. "Flat" actually means slightly sloped (1/4" per foot is typical) toward drains.
• Pitched roofs with asphalt shingle — common on Victorian-era detached and semi-detached homes in Brooklyn (parts of Bay Ridge, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, Borough Park).
• Cedar shingle roofs — historic Victorian homes with original cedar, particularly visible on a few Brooklyn streets. We do these — see our 639 East 3rd Street project.
• Slate or tile — rare in NYC residential, mostly on landmark and institutional buildings.

We work primarily on the first three. For slate or tile, we refer to specialists.

How roofs cause facade damage

Most homeowners do not connect "leaking ceiling on the top floor" to "spalling brownstone six feet below the cornice." But they are usually the same problem.

When a roof or roof flashing fails, water enters the wall at the top of the building. It travels down inside the wall, often invisibly, doing two kinds of damage:

• The cornice rusts from above. Sheet-metal cornices are particularly vulnerable to roof drainage failures — water pools at the back of the cornice (the side against the wall) and rusts out the substrate from the inside.
• The brownstone or brick spalls below. Water saturates the masonry. Freeze cycles do their damage. The visible damage shows up two or three feet below the actual entry point, which is why it is so often misdiagnosed.

This is why every Excelon facade walkaround starts at the roof. If we do not stop the water at the top, anything we do below is temporary.

Our roofing process

1. Roof assessment

We get on the roof. We check the drainage, the flashing at the parapet, the membrane condition, the seams, the penetrations (vents, chimneys, skylights), and the connection to the cornice. We photograph everything.

2. Tear-off (when needed)

If the existing roof is at end-of-life or has failed underlying layers, we tear off back to the deck. We do not stack new layers indefinitely — that adds weight and hides problems.

3. Deck repair

Any rotted decking is replaced. This is more common than homeowners expect; sustained leaks rot out the wood beneath the membrane.

4. Membrane and flashing

Modified bitumen, EPDM, or TPO depending on the situation. Flashing is detailed properly at every parapet, drain, and penetration. Most roof failures we see are flashing failures, not membrane failures.

5. Drainage

Drains cleared, scuppers checked, gutters and downspouts confirmed working. A roof that drains properly outlasts a roof that does not.

6. Coordination with cornice and facade

The roof-cornice-facade junction is where most water entry actually happens. We detail this carefully and document it.

What NYC roofing costs

Pricing varies by roof type, square footage, and tear-off requirements.

Recent projects

Bedford-Stuyvesant · 11206

250 Vernon Avenue

Roofing

Frequently asked questions