Somerset County stretches from the wooded ridges of the Somerset Hills in the north to open former farmland in the south, and its roofs are as varied as its terrain. Bernardsville and the hill towns have large older estate homes with big masonry chimneys and heavy forest canopy. Bridgewater, Hillsborough and the townships around them were built out largely from the 1960s through the 2000s with colonials, split-levels and planned developments. Somerville, Bound Brook and Raritan are compact older boroughs with Victorian and early-1900s homes. Along Route 22, Route 202 and Route 206 there is a long run of commercial buildings with flat and low-slope roofs.
Asset Roofing & Chimney is based in Cliffside Park in Bergen County and serves all of North New Jersey, including every municipality in Somerset County. We handle roof repair, full roof replacement, flat roofing, skylights and roof hatches, and the complete range of chimney work: inspection, repair, liners, caps, crowns, flashing, repointing, rebuilds, waterproofing and cleaning. We are licensed and insured, estimates are free, and we work on residential and commercial properties.
Northern Somerset County is noticeably colder and snowier than the Hudson riverfront, with more freeze-thaw cycles on chimney crowns and mortar and more ice damming at the eaves. The open land in the center and south of the county exposes roofs to sustained wind, and summer thunderstorms and nor'easters bring heavy rain and wind-driven debris. The town pages below describe how those conditions play out in each community.
Roofing in Somerset County
Steep-slope asphalt shingle is the standard roof covering across Somerset County. The 1960s through 1990s colonials and split-levels in Bridgewater and the earlier Hillsborough neighborhoods are often on their second or third roof, and the question of repair versus full tear-off depends on what is under the current shingles. The 1990s and 2000s developments in Hillsborough and neighboring townships are now reaching the age where their original roofs need attention. Older homes in Somerville and the estate homes in Bernardsville may carry slate or cedar; we specialize in shingle and flat roofing and can assess those roofs and advise honestly on the right course.
Flat and low-slope roofing is a substantial part of our work in the county because of the commercial corridors along Route 22, Route 202 and Route 206, the downtown commercial blocks in Somerville, and the many residential additions, sunrooms and garages built with low-slope roofs. We repair and replace membrane roofs, correct ponding and drainage problems, and install or replace skylights and roof hatches on both residential and commercial buildings.
Chimney work in Somerset County
Chimneys in Somerset County follow the age of the housing. Homes from the 1960s through the 1990s typically have a brick chimney with a clay tile liner for the heating system and often a fireplace flue, and many later homes have a prefabricated metal fireplace enclosed in a sided chase with a sheet-metal chase cover. Rusted and ponding chase covers are one of the most common water-intrusion sources we find on these houses. Older homes in Somerville and the large estate homes of the Somerset Hills have substantial multi-flue brick or stone chimneys serving several fireplaces, with crowns and mortar that have weathered many decades.
The colder, snowier winters of northern Somerset County drive more freeze-thaw cycles than the river towns to the east, which accelerates crown cracking, open mortar joints and spalled brick. Wind across open land in Hillsborough and on the ridges of Bernardsville puts extra load on caps and tall stacks. Our chimney work in the county includes inspections, crown rebuilds, caps, flashing repair, repointing, partial and full rebuilds, stainless steel liners, waterproofing and cleaning.
