What a roofing contractor deals with in Guilderland depends on how far west you go. The suburban end near Albany is conventional work on conventional houses. Out past Guilderland Center the properties get older, the buildings multiply, and the wind coming off the rising ground changes what fails and how often.

From McKownville out to the escarpment

Guilderland changes character as you move west, and so do the roofs.

At the Albany end, McKownville and Westmere are suburban: Capes, ranches and colonials on regular streets, mostly postwar, mostly conventional roofs. Further out through Guilderland Center and toward Altamont the housing gets older and more varied, with village homes, farmhouses and barns and outbuildings that need roofing too.

Then there is the wind. Ground rising toward the Helderberg escarpment means the western end of town is more exposed than most of the Capital Region, and that shows up in the kind of damage we see.

What we do most in Guilderland

• Wind and storm damage repairs, particularly toward Altamont and New Scotland
• Replacements on McKownville and Westmere Capes, ranches and colonials
• Farmhouse roofs and older village homes around Altamont and Voorheesville
• Metal roofing on barns, outbuildings and some rural homes
• Architectural shingle replacements upgrading from older three-tab roofs
• Flashing repairs on older chimneys and additions

Wind exposure toward the Helderbergs

Wind damage is the thing that sets the western half of this town apart.

A roof that faces open ground with rising terrain behind it takes gusts that a sheltered suburban street never sees. The damage is often not dramatic. What actually happens is that the seal strip between shingle courses gets broken, the shingle lifts and lies back down, and it looks fine from the driveway. Then the next storm takes it off.

That is why after a serious wind event out here it is worth having someone look properly rather than assuming no missing shingles means no damage. See storm damage roof repair.

Barns and outbuildings

A lot of properties toward New Scotland and the escarpment have more than one roof. Barns, garages, workshops and equipment sheds all need covering, and the economics are different from a house.

Exposed fastener metal panels are common and sensible on agricultural buildings, going up quickly over a simple structure. They are not maintenance-free, since the fastener washers age and need attention, but for a large simple span they are usually the right answer.

Across Guilderland and New Scotland

We cover McKownville, Westmere, Guilderland Center, Altamont, Voorheesville, New Scotland and Fort Hunter.

Older village homes in Altamont

Altamont village has housing considerably older than the suburban end of town, and the work reflects it. Original chimneys, porch roofs meeting walls, and additions built at different times all create junctions that need proper flashing rather than sealant. On houses of this age we generally find the covering is not the problem. The metalwork where two surfaces meet is.

Neighborhoods we cover

• McKownville
• Westmere
• Guilderland Center
• Altamont
• Voorheesville
• New Scotland
• Fort Hunter