What West Haven roofs have in common
The neighborhoods near Savin Rock, along Ocean Avenue and toward the beach are full of two- and three-family houses and small capes built between 1900 and 1950. Many carry two or three layers of shingle, some over original cedar. Inland toward Allingtown and the university the housing is a little newer and the roofs a little simpler.
Salt air is the constant. Anything within a few blocks of the water gets stainless fasteners and aluminum drip edge, because ordinary galvanized metal on those streets shows rust within a decade.
Layer counts and tear-off
Two-family houses that have been re-roofed twice without a tear-off are common. Three layers weigh around 750 pounds per square, which the old framing was never designed for, and the deck underneath is unknown until the layers come off. Every West Haven replacement estimate carries a deck allowance for that reason, and the allowance is only billed against what is actually replaced.
Where cedar turns up under the asphalt, it comes off too. Cedar on skip sheathing leaves 2 to 4 inch gaps between boards, and new shingle needs a solid deck, so a layer of half-inch plywood goes over the old boards before the underlayment. That step is written into the scope up front so it is not a surprise on the day.
Flat and low-slope sections
A lot of the older houses have a flat-roofed rear addition or a porch roof with a pitch under 2 in 12. Shingle does not belong on those sections and often was put there anyway. The right answer is a membrane, either EPDM or a modified bitumen, tied into the main roof with a proper transition flashing. Those sections are called out separately in the scope.
Wind off the water
The beach front takes wind directly off the Sound with nothing to break it. Roofs there are nailed six per shingle, starter strip is adhesive-edged, and ridge caps are a high-wind rated product. Standing-seam metal is offered where the owner wants to stop thinking about the roof.
Multi-family considerations
On a two- or three-family, the job is coordinated with tenants: notice of the work dates, parking cleared for the dumpster, and the roof opened in sections so no unit is exposed overnight. West Haven issues its own permit and the building department schedules its own inspection, both of which are handled as part of the job.