Chimneys, Skylights and Vent Pipes: Where Pitched Roofs Leak First
The penetrations that cause most leaks.
EDISON · STELTON
Roofing in Stelton
A leaking chimney or an aging roof on a Stelton house? A Middlesex County roofer, one call.
- Repairs, replacements and new roofs
- Edison & Middlesex County
Stelton in Four Lines
- Built: one of the township's oldest communities, named for the Stelle family who settled in 1688, with homes from many decades
- Typical house and roof: older houses mixed with postwar ranches and split-levels
- Trees and exposure: mature trees, leaves in valleys and gutters every fall
- What usually fails first: chimney flashing and valleys clogged with leaves, then aging shingles
Named for a Family That Arrived in 1688
Stelton is one of the oldest names in Edison. It comes from the Stelle family, who settled here in 1688, and the Stelton Baptist Church traces its founding to 1689. The neighborhood around it is a mix of eras: a few older houses, and many more built after World War II as south Edison filled in. Older roofs here often have chimneys, valleys between roof planes, and wood plank decking under several generations of shingles. What you see in the fall is often a drip that shows up after the leaves come down. What it usually means is a valley or gutter packed with leaves, sending water sideways under the shingles.
Roof Calls From Stelton
Valleys on older roofs carry water from two roof planes at once. When they're rebuilt during a replacement, ask for ice barrier underneath and a valley detail that sheds leaves well.
What Stelton homeowners usually call about: leak and storm repair, a new shingle roof, a roof on an addition or garage, metal roofing, a flat section, or simply finding a roofer.
Keeping the valleys and gutters clear each fall prevents a lot of the winter leaks roofers see here.
Worth Knowing Before You Call
Plank Sheathing and Old Decking Under Mid-Century Roofs
What's under the shingles on older houses.