ROOF RESTORATION & REPAIR

CHURCH ROOFS | SLATE & TILE ROOFS | HISTORIC ROOFS  

 

WE ARE CERTIFIED FOR HISTORIC ROOF CONSTRUCTION

FREE DRONE INSPECTION & QUOTE

OVER 35 YEARS OF COMMERCIAL ROOFING EXPERIENCE

ROOF MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS AND SERVICE 

FREE ROOF INSPECTION & QUOTE

HISTORIC ROOF RESTORATION & REPAIR

Do you have a historic roof in need of repair? 

If so, you may have a unique roof that requires care and attention to detail. Pfister Roofing has 35+ years experience with historic roof repair including slate, tile and steeples. We take pride in the number of religious and official buildings we have worked on – take a look at our Church References and the roof we put on Grant’s Tomb!

Why Choose Pfister Roofing?

  • State certified to handle all historical roofing restorations and repair
  • 37 years of roofing experience
  • We get the job done right, the first time
  • We restored the roof on Grants Tomb in NYC!

Pfister has been approved for historic restoration by the State of New Jersey Division of Building and Construction.

Roof Restoration of Historic Buildings

Historic roof restoration requires the knowledge and understanding of each of the building components involved in an historical building. Traditionally, knowledge means that the building is over 50 years or more in most cases the structure is made from sand stone wood beams as well as wood planking tongue and groove consisting of 1½” – 2½ “ in thickness to which the roof material is then secured.

Materials used on historical buildings can be i.e. copper, zinc, stainless steel, lead coated sheets and/or man made clay or concrete tiles as well as manmade and natural slate varying in thickness and color.

 

Failing or a leaking roof on a historical building can be caused by many influences the most prominent is age, rain, sunlight and wind as well as constant expansion and contraction caused by temperature swings which cause slate and tile material to become brittle and thereby losing their overall physical integrity.

Unfortunately repairs to such failures have not been made by qualified roofers who do not understand such damage and/or use roofing glue, corks or cement to make the needed correction solving a short term problem but also delaying the need for a qualified repair which must be done in order to prevent damage to the substructure.

What are the current steps to take to address repairs to historical buildings?

  • A good approach is to surgically take a section of the ailing roof apart step by step to determine the cause of failure. For instance in most cases tiles and slate will crumble during this process of removal metal roofs will tear and weaken due to the fact that they have lost their strength by water which washes away the thickness of most metal roofs through corrosion, expansion and contraction.
  • All in all understanding the weaknesses and self induced damage of a failing roof due to weather will allow the contractor to implement a proper roof repair and/or replacement.
  • Failure to analyze properly in advance will in all certainty bring about faulty repairs which will increase the likelihood of more damage done to the structure over time.

Therefore after a thorough inspection as outlined above and with the help of a qualified Architect a restoration program can be developed. Most failures in historical buildings occur in valleys. Roof penetrations such as dormers, chimneys, vent pipes and ventilators as well as elevation changes and ridges.

 

What Makes A Property Historic?
Age: A property must be “old enough” to be considered historic. Generally speaking, this means that a property must be at least 50 years old, although this is just a general rule of thumb.

Integrity: In addition to having sufficient age, a property must retain its historic physical integrity. For a building, structure, landscape feature, historic district, this means the property must be relatively unchanged. Its essential character-defining features relative to its significance must still be present.

Significance: Finally, and most importantly, a property must be significant to be considered historic. Significance is defined in three ways: (1) through direct association with individuals, events, activities, or developments that shaped our history or that reflect important aspects of our history; (2) by embodying the distinctive physical and spatial characteristics of an architectural style or type of building.

How Do We Decide what’s Historic?
National Register of Historic Places: One of the most important ways in which we determine which properties are historic and which are not is through the National Register of Historic Places. Since its creation by an act of Congress in 1966, the National Register has been one of the foundations of historic preservation across the country.
Other Historic Property Factors.
Documenting what role the property played in our history and ascertaining what it might tell us about the past, defining features of its building type or architectural style. Formal studies called “historic contexts” prepared according to National Park Service standards.

NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT YOUR ROOF RESTORATION OR REPAIR NEEDS? 

OUR TEAM IS READY TO HELP!

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PFISTER ROOFING WORKS WITH ALL THE TOP MANUFACTURERS

Pfister commercial roofing company works with most commercial roofing manufacturers and materials.  In most cases, Pfister Roofing holds an Elite or Masters status for our level of expertise in commercial roof repair. No matter what the project, Pfister will get the job done right, the first time!

 

FREE DRONE INSPECTION

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NEW ROOF CONSTRUCTION

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ROOF MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

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JOB REFERENCES

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Why Choose Pfister For Your Roof Restoration Needs?

  • Whether you are looking to begin an all-new roof installation project or would simply like the roof on your historic building inspected, our roofing contractors at Pfister Roofing are an excellent choice for the job. Below are several reasons why you should consider us for your historic roofing repair needs.
     
  •  Specialists in the retrofitting of existing buildings for more than 35 years
  • Historic Roofing Certification 
  • Listed with the State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury Division of Property Management and Construction and The New Jersey Schools Development Authority. We are also listed with the New Jersey Department of Building & Construction Approved
    Licenses # 13VH01376600 Contractor Certification # 0082830 Including Restoration of Historical Sites
  • Fully insured and bonded to 5 million. We offer consultation design build and project management
  • Infrared Moisture Scans availableAll estimates and proposals include picture documentation complete with a detailed scope of work and roof evaluationMembers of the National Roofing Contractors Association, North East Roofing Contractors Association, International Safety Network (ISN)
8 Steps To Take Before Choosing A Commercial Roof Repair Contractor
  1. Find roofing contractors that are associated with the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association)
  2.  Seek out contractors that have been in business 20 years or more.  Visit their offices and yards to determine who they are
  3. Get references of completed jobs that are at least the same size as the one in question to be restored or replaced
  4. Call and ask questions of the owner and ask how satisfied he was with the contractor
  5. Get at least 2 quotations and examine them thoroughly. Ask questions regarding the differences in those quotes
  6. View their insurance certificate.  Insist on a $2 million dollar liability coverage and be sure the coverage is current. One call to the insurance company can save you a great deal of problems and money
  7. Call the materials manufacturer stated in their proposal and ask if they have agreed to the roofing spec developed by your contractor. Ask if they are licenced with the manufacturer and find out what the manufacturer thinks of the roofing contractor
  8. Ask the workman’s comp modification rate, which should have a rating of 1 or less.  This will help you understand how safely the contractor is working. If the rate is way above 1, it means an unsafe contractor and you would not want them working on your roof

If you follow all of the above and get answers to your necessary questions, you should be able to define in the end what you are looking for. If you have any questions about the commercial roofing process, please feel free to contact Pfister Roofing at 800-367-2207. We will be more than happy to help you.

ROOFING PROJECTS

Pfizer Building | Pearl River, NY

Roof Type: Modified Bitumen

Felician College | Lodi, NJ 

Roof Type: Slate Roof

DIA Gallery Building | Beacon, NY

Roof Type: PVC Membrane

YMCA Building | Montclair, NJ

Roof Type: PVC Roofing

Novartis Building | Florham Park, NJ

Roof Type: PVC Roofing

Englewood Hospital | Englewood, NJ

Roof Type: PVC Roofing

Commerical Building | Fair Lawn, NJ

Roof Type: PVC Roofing

Retail Facility | New Jersey

Roof Type: EPDM Roofing

SUEZ Water Plant | Haworth, NJ

Roof Type: PVC Roofing 

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS 

Your company did an outstanding job for our community at Bellaire and we are most appreciative. It was a pleasure to work with you and your professional approach to our unique project played a huge part in the successful result.

Peter Marchetto

President, Tishman Construction Company - A leading construction company throughout the world

The Okonite Company has worked with Pfister Roofing for several years. The workmanship and service have always been excellent. We look forward to working with Pfister Roofing as the need arises.

Chris Wagner

President , Okonite Company - Largest underwater cable company

Pfister Roofing installed a 210,000 sq. ft. roof on Dia Beacon located in New York's Hudson Valley approximately 20 years ago. The roof membrane has held up
very well over the years and has been leak-free.

rachel pivnick

Chief Operating Officer, Dia Art Foundation

I have worked with Dieter & his company Pfister Roofing. I find him & his men extremely helpful in the roofing field and I was very satisfied with their work. Pfister Roofing pays close attention to details and is an organization I would highly recommend.

Ken Karle

President , LAN Associates - NY and NJ largest school restoration architect company

Commercial Roofing Specialists
Serving NJ, NY & PA Since 1982 Call Us Today: 1.800.367.2207