Roofing in Ambler, PA

Ambler's older houses and what is on their roofs

Ambler grew up around its railroad station and the Keasbey & Mattison factory, and a lot of the housing near downtown dates from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Walk the streets off Butler Avenue, Mattison Avenue and Lindenwold Avenue and you see Victorians with tall, steep roofs, Colonial Revivals with third-floor dormers, and stone and brick twins sharing a chimney. Toward the borough edges and Butler Pike, the houses get younger: Capes and ranchers from the 1940s and 1950s.

Those older roofs are a different job from a suburban gable. They are steep enough that every hour up there takes more care and safety gear, they have more valleys and dormer walls to flash, and almost every one has at least one masonry chimney. Under the shingles there is usually board sheathing, not plywood, and sometimes an older roof underneath the current one. None of that is a problem if it is planned for. It is a problem if a roofer finds out on the day.

What is your Ambler roof made of? How to tell from the ground

Before you call anyone, it helps to know what you have. Stand across the street, or use binoculars, and compare your roof with these:

• Asphalt shingles. Gritty surface, soft edges, usually in overlapping strips. Most Ambler roofs today. If the grit is wearing off and the edges curl, they are near the end.
• Slate. Thin, flat, stone tiles with a slight sheen, usually gray, black or green, often with a crisp straight edge. A slate roof that is losing a tile here and there can often be repaired, not replaced.
• Asbestos-cement shingles. Stiff, flat, often diamond or rectangular shapes with a slightly textured face. Ambler made this material for decades, so some older homes here still have it on the roof or the walls.
• Flat or low-slope sections. Over porches, back additions and kitchens. Usually rubber or rolled roofing, and a common source of leaks into the room below.

If you think you have asbestos-cement shingles: Don't break, drill, sand or power-wash them. Intact, they are generally considered stable; broken, they can release fibers. Have the material tested before any work, and tell any roofer you call what you suspect so the job can be planned properly.

Not sure what you have? Our roof inspection is free and comes with photos, so you can see for yourself.

What usually goes wrong on Ambler roofs

Chimney flashing on old masonry

On a hundred-year-old chimney, the mortar wears out, and the metal flashing set into it pulls loose. The usual repair we find is roof cement smeared over the gap. It holds a season. The proper fix is new step flashing along the roof and counter-flashing cut into fresh mortar joints. If your leak shows up on a wall or ceiling near a chimney, start there. See roof repair for more.

Dormers and steep valleys

Every dormer has two side walls and a front edge that need flashing, and steep valleys move a lot of water fast. On older roofs, the metal in the valleys and along dormer walls often outlives two or three sets of shingles and gets reused when it shouldn't be. When we replace a roof here, valley and wall flashing gets replaced too.

Damp, shaded slopes near the Wissahickon

The lower parts of the borough toward the Wissahickon Creek stay damp, and the big street trees keep north slopes shaded. Moss and dark streaks follow, and fascia and soffit boards rot faster. Trim branches back from the roof, keep gutters clear, and don't pressure-wash shingles to get moss off: it strips the granules.

Built-in gutters on Victorians

Some older Ambler houses have gutters built into the edge of the roof itself, lined with metal and hidden behind trim. When the lining fails, water goes straight into the wall or the porch ceiling. If you have stains along the top of an exterior wall, ask whether your house has built-in gutters.

Repair or replace on an older Ambler home

Old houses get talked into new roofs they don't need. If the shingles still lie flat and hold their grit, and the leak is at a chimney or a dormer, fix the flashing and leave the roof alone. If the roof has been patched all over, leaks in more than one place, or has two layers on it, a roof replacement is usually the better money. Our rule of thumb: once a repair would cost more than about 30% of a new roof, put that money toward the new roof.

Armstrong Roofing is family-owned and based in nearby Horsham. Owner Jim Armstrong personally oversees every job, and you get a written, line-item estimate before anything starts. We also work in Fort Washington, Blue Bell and the rest of Montgomery County.

What it usually costs

Ambler's steeper, more detailed roofs tend to sit higher in the replacement range than a simple suburban ranch. Chimney work, dormers, board sheathing and tearing off more than one layer are what move the price.

• Roof Repair: $350 – $2,500
• Roof Replacement: $6,500 – $18,000
• Emergency Roof Repair: $550 – $3,250
• Flat Roof Repair: $350 – $1,800

Questions we get asked

Do you work in all of Ambler?

Yes, the whole borough, from downtown on Butler Avenue and Main Street to Lindenwold, Mattison, Rosemary and Tennis Avenues and out toward Butler Pike. We are based in Horsham, a short drive north.

How much does a new roof cost on an older Ambler home?

Most roof replacements we do run between $6,500 and $18,000. A simple Cape sits toward the lower end; a steep Victorian with dormers, chimneys and old board sheathing sits toward the top. You get a free written, line-item estimate after we see the roof.

My leak is next to the chimney. Do I need a new roof?

Usually not. Most chimney leaks on older Ambler homes come from worn mortar and loose flashing, not worn shingles. New step and counter-flashing set into repointed mortar joints fixes it properly; more roof cement does not.

Can old slate be repaired?

Often, yes, if it is only losing a tile here and there and the rest is sound. When slates are slipping across a whole slope, the nails are usually failing and the conversation changes. Call us and we will look and tell you honestly what we see.

What if my house has asbestos-cement shingles?

Leave them intact and don't break, drill or power-wash them. Have the material tested before any roofing or siding work, and tell your roofer what you suspect so the job is planned around it.

Are you licensed and insured?

Yes. PA license #PA164826, with general liability and workers' compensation insurance. We'll show you proof before any work starts.

Related pages

• Roof Repair: Leaks, missing shingles, flashing and vents. We fix the problem and tell you honestly how much life the roof has left.
• Roof Replacement: Full tear-off and new roof when repairs stop making sense. Written, line-item estimate before anything starts.
• Roof Inspection: A free, top-to-bottom look at your roof with photos, so you know what you actually need before you spend anything.
• Emergency Roof Repair: Active leak or storm damage? Call any time, day or night. We tarp it to stop the water, then make the permanent fix.
• Flat Roofing: Low-slope roofs over porches, additions and row homes, where ponding water is the enemy.
• Storm Damage Repair: Wind, hail and fallen limbs. We document the damage with photos and work with your insurance adjuster.
• Montgomery County: Where we do most of our work, from Horsham out across the county.
• Fort Washington: Wooded lots where trees and storms are the main roof threat.
• Blue Bell: Larger homes with complex rooflines and lots of valleys.
• North Wales: Borough homes and newer developments around it.
• Upper Dublin Township: Dresher, Fort Washington, Maple Glen and the rest of the township.
• Maple Glen: Established neighborhoods minutes from our shop.
• Dresher: Colonials and split-levels across Upper Dublin.
• Lansdale: Twins, singles and older borough homes.