A roofing contractor in the glove cities

Gloversville and Johnstown sit closer to the Adirondacks than most of our service area, and they get the weather to match.

More snow, longer, and more freeze-thaw cycles working on every joint and fastener. That changes what matters on a roof here. Eaves detailing and ventilation stop being nice-to-have and become the difference between a roof that lasts and one that stains a ceiling every February.

The housing is largely older, dating from the city’s glove-making era, with the steep pitches and masonry chimneys of that period.

What we do most in Gloversville

• Replacements on older homes, with snow-country eaves detailing
• Ice dam damage repairs, the most common winter call here
• Metal roofing, which suits both the snow and the older rooflines
• Chimney flashing on original masonry
• Ventilation corrections in older attics
• Decking repairs found during tear-off

Snow load and where it goes

Snow does not sit evenly. It drifts, it slides, and where one roof plane sheds onto another it concentrates.

On older houses with additions built at different times, that is worth looking at, because a lower roof receiving everything the upper roof sheds is carrying far more than its area suggests. Where that is happening we look at whether the lower section needs a stronger detail or snow retention above it.

Metal roofs shed readily, which helps with load and creates a different question about where the snow lands. Over a doorway or a walkway, snow guards are worth fitting.

Ice dams in a colder climate

The mechanism is the same everywhere, but it bites harder here. Attic heat melts snow on the deck, the meltwater runs to the cold eave and refreezes, the ice ridge builds, and water backs up under the covering.

More snow means more meltwater and a bigger dam. The answer is the same but the margin for error is smaller: real ice and water shield well up from the eaves, and ventilation that moves air from soffit to ridge.

Timing work in a shorter season

The working season here is shorter than it is closer to Albany. Shingles need reasonable temperatures to seal properly, and a roof laid in deep cold may need hand-sealing or may simply be better left until conditions improve.

That affects planning. If your roof is marginal going into autumn, it is worth deciding early rather than in January, because a temporary repair through the winter and a proper replacement in spring is often the better sequence. We will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

Around Gloversville

We cover downtown Gloversville, Johnstown, Mayfield and the Kingsboro Avenue area, in Fulton County.

Neighborhoods we cover

• Downtown Gloversville
• Johnstown
• Mayfield
• Kingsboro Avenue area