Roof Repair in Cherry Hill, NJ: Erlton, Barclay, Kingston Estates

If your roof is on its second layer and shows curling, missing granules or leaks in several places, replacement is usually the better value; a single-layer roof under about 15 years old with one leak is a repair. The question comes up in Cherry Hill more than almost anywhere in South Jersey, because the township tripled in the 1950s and doubled again in the 1960s. Those houses are now 55 to 75 years old and on their second or third roof.

Start with what is underneath. Many early ranches and split-levels were sheathed with plank boards instead of plywood, sometimes with gaps between them. When the roof comes off, those boards often need to be covered with new plywood or replaced in sections so modern shingles can be nailed properly. That is the hidden cost in many Cherry Hill re-roofs, and a good quote will tell you whether it is included.

Next, count layers. Two layers is the legal maximum in New Jersey, and a lot of Kingston Estates and Barclay homes reached it in the 1990s or 2000s. A two-layer roof can still be repaired, but nails have to go through both layers and patches are less reliable. When it fails across several slopes, tear-off is the only option.

Finally, look at the attic and the chimney. Mid-century ranches often have little soffit intake and a few small vents, which bakes shingles in summer and feeds ice dams in winter. Masonry chimneys from that era often have tarred flashing and missing crickets. A replacement should include new flashing, ice and water shield at eaves and valleys, drip edge and balanced ventilation. We put repair and roof replacement options side by side in writing, with photos, so you can decide with real numbers.

Split-levels and bi-levels leak most often where a lower roof meets the wall of a higher level, at the step flashing along that wall and at the corner where the lower roof’s gutter ends against the siding. Haddontowne is known for split-levels and Northwoods for bi-levels, and both were built when kick-out flashing was rare and siding was installed tightly over roof edges.

Here is what happens. Water from the upper roof pours onto the lower roof and runs along the wall. Each piece of step flashing should overlap the one below it and tuck behind the siding or a counter flashing, so the water stays on the roof. Over 60 years, siding gets replaced, flashing gets cut short or covered with caulk, and roofers on later jobs nail new shingles over old flashing without replacing it. Water then gets behind the siding, runs down inside the wall and appears as a stain in the room below or rot at the sill plate, sometimes far from the roof.

The other weak spot is the end of the lower roof’s gutter. Without a kick-out flashing, water running down the roof edge pours behind the gutter end and into the wall. On many Cherry Hill splits this has been happening for decades, and the first sign is soft siding or a stain near a window.

The fix is to remove a course or two of siding above the lower roof, replace the step flashing piece by piece with new counter flashing or a proper siding tie-in, install a kick-out at the gutter end and repair any rotted sheathing or fascia. On a low-slope garage roof with shingles, we also check the pitch; if it is too flat for shingles, we may recommend a membrane. We photograph the hidden flashing before and after so you can see the work. Our roof leak repair page explains how we trace these leaks.

Buyers’ home inspectors will look at the roof’s age, layers, flashing, attic ventilation and any stains, while Cherry Hill’s own resale inspection focuses on the exterior property, including grading, runoff and sump discharge. Knowing both helps you avoid a last-minute negotiation or a delayed closing.

Cherry Hill requires the exterior of a home to be inspected by the township’s Property Maintenance Officer before a sale can close. The township describes that inspection as covering walkways, driveways, fencing, trees, debris, grading and runoff, vegetation, exhaust vents, sump pump discharge, outbuildings and ground-level hazards. The roof itself is not on that list, but roof drainage is closely tied to it: downspouts that dump onto walkways or pond near the foundation, gutters hanging off the fascia, or a dead tree leaning over the house are the kinds of conditions that can come up.

The buyer’s inspector will go further. Expect notes on the number of layers, granule loss, curled shingles, chimney and skylight flashing, soft decking, attic moisture and mold, and the age of the roof. On a 1960s Cherry Hill ranch with a second-layer roof from the 1990s, the inspector will almost certainly flag it as near the end of its life, and the buyer may ask for a credit.

Our advice is to get a pre-listing roof inspection. We give you dated photos and a written report. If the roof has years left, the report helps you answer the buyer’s questions. If it needs a few repairs, you can make them before listing. If it needs replacement, you can decide whether to replace or price the home accordingly. Fix gutter and downspout problems before the township’s exterior inspection, and keep receipts for any recent roof work, since buyers and their lenders often ask for them.

Cherry Hill requires landlords to register each rental property and to get a Rental Housing Certificate of Occupancy from the township’s housing inspector at every change of occupancy, so roof leaks and water stains are best fixed before the unit turns over. The township’s rental rules also require annual proof of liability insurance, which ties into how roof damage is covered.

The township says the Landlord Registration Form must be filed once for each rental property under N.J.S.A. 46:8-27 and updated within 30 days of any change. A Rental Housing Certificate of Occupancy is required whenever there is a change of occupancy and before a new tenant moves in, and tenants may not move in until the housing inspector issues it. The township’s rental checklist is described as not all-inclusive, so treat active leaks, stained or sagging ceilings and loose gutters as items to fix before you schedule the inspection, not after.

Roof problems also cause tenant complaints that are hard to fix quickly once someone lives there: buckets under a skylight, mold in a bathroom under a cracked pipe boot, or ice dams dripping inside a window. A short inspection between tenants lets you schedule repairs during the vacancy, when access is easy.

For condo rentals, the association usually handles the roof, but owners still need to report leaks promptly and document them. For houses, remember that the roof must be in sound condition under the township’s property maintenance standards. If you own several rentals in Cherry Hill, a yearly roof check timed before fall leaf drop catches most problems before winter. Rent control rules in Chapter 14 of the township code are separate from these requirements, so check them before passing costs on to tenants.

Most leaks on Cherry Hill’s older condo buildings come from failed seams, parapet flashing, clogged drains and rooftop equipment, and a well-maintained flat roof can often be repaired or restored instead of fully torn off. Cherry Hill has one of the oldest stocks of suburban condo buildings in South Jersey: Playa Del Sol dates from 1963 with 125 units, Chestnut Place from 1965 with 92 units, Barclay Towers on Marlton Pike has 192 units, and Cherry Hill Towers is a long-standing landmark.

These buildings typically carry built-up, modified bitumen, EPDM or TPO roofs over insulation, with parapet walls, internal drains, scuppers and mechanical units. Over 50 to 60 years, many have been re-roofed once or twice and patched many times. The trouble is that wet insulation under an old patch keeps the roof deck damp and heavy, and leaks may appear far from where water enters.

A proper assessment starts with a full walk of the roof, a look at drains and parapets, and, where needed, core samples or moisture testing to find wet areas. If most of the insulation is dry, targeted repairs to seams and flashing plus a coating or a recover can extend the roof’s life. If large areas are wet, a tear-off of those sections or the whole roof is the better long-term choice.

Because these buildings are not detached homes, roof replacement goes through Cherry Hill’s Department of Code Enforcement and Inspections with a permit. The association’s board and property manager set scope, approve the contractor and handle notices to residents. We provide written condition reports with photos that boards can share with owners, and we coordinate access, safety and scheduling around residents. We explain the membrane options in plain terms before the board votes.