Roofing in Chalfont, PA

Most Chalfont roofs are at the planning stage, not the emergency stage

The borough itself is small: older houses and twins near the train station, Main Street and Butler Avenue, some going back well over a hundred years. Around it, most of New Britain Township filled in with subdivisions in the 1980s, '90s and 2000s: colonials and two-stories on decent-sized lots, mostly asphalt shingles over plywood.

That puts a lot of Chalfont roofs at 20 to 35 years old. Shingles that age don't usually fail all at once. They shed granules, the seals around vents dry out, and they give you warning. Which means you have time to choose when to replace, instead of a storm choosing for you. Spring and fall are easy times to schedule, and a planned job costs no more than a rushed one.

The older borough houses are a different story: steeper roofs, chimneys and porches, more flashing to keep up. Those are closer to what we see in Doylestown than to the township subdivisions.

Check your attic: the problem a lot of Chalfont houses have and do not know about

Many houses here have had their attic insulation topped up over the years. That's good for heating bills, but blown-in insulation often gets pushed right up against the eaves and blocks the soffit vents. Without airflow, warm damp air sits under the roof. The shingles age faster from below, nails rust, and the plywood can go soft. You won't see any of it from the yard.

1. Pick a cold morning. Go up into the attic with a flashlight in winter, when condensation is easiest to spot.
2. Look at the underside of the roof boards. Frost, water drops, dark staining or rusty nail tips mean moisture is building up.
3. Check the eaves. Look where the roof meets the attic floor. You should see the baffles or daylight from the soffit vents. If insulation is packed solid against the roof, air isn't moving.
4. Smell it. A musty attic in summer is another sign. Note what you find and take photos.

Fixing airflow is cheap compared with new decking: Pulling insulation back from the eaves and clearing vents is a small job. Leaving it for years can mean replacing soft plywood when the roof finally comes off. If you see signs of it, ask about it at your free roof inspection.

Small fixes that buy a 20-year-old roof more time

If the shingles still lie flat and hold their granules, a few targeted repairs can carry a roof a few more years while you budget for the replacement. These are the ones we do most in Chalfont:

• Replace cracked vent pipe boots. The rubber collar fails long before the shingles. A cheap fix that stops a common leak.
• Reseal around exhaust vents and other roof penetrations, where the old sealant has dried and cracked.
• Re-secure loose ridge caps after a windy winter.
• Re-flash where a dormer or wall meets the roof if the step flashing has pulled away from the siding.
• Clean and re-pitch the gutters so water leaves the roof edge instead of soaking the fascia. See gutter repair.

When it's past that point, we'll say so. Our rule of thumb: once a repair would cost more than about 30% of a new roof, put the money toward replacement.

A family roofer a short drive down the road

Armstrong Roofing is family-owned and based in Horsham, a short drive from Chalfont. Owner Jim Armstrong personally oversees every job, and the team brings 50+ years of combined roofing experience. We're licensed (PA #PA164826), insured, BBB A+ rated, and have a 5.0 rating across 172+ reviews on Google. We also work in Lansdale, Warminster and across Bucks County.

• Free inspection with photos, including the attic where we can get in
• Written, line-item estimate before any work starts
• Replacements scheduled around your calendar, weather permitting
• Financing available through Hearth, our financing partner

What it usually costs

Small preventive fixes sit at the low end of the repair range. A planned replacement on a well-kept house with one layer of shingles and sound plywood usually has fewer surprises than one that has been ignored for years.

• Roof Inspection: Free
• Roof Repair: $350 – $2,500
• General Roof Maintenance: $350 – $2,250
• Roof Replacement: $6,500 – $18,000
• Gutter Repair: $350 – $1,500

Questions we get asked

Do you cover Chalfont Borough and New Britain Township?

Yes, both, from the older streets near Main Street and Butler Avenue to the subdivisions off Limekiln Pike, Bristol Road and Park Avenue. We also work in New Britain Borough, Doylestown and Warrington.

My roof is 20 years old and not leaking. Should I have it checked?

Yes, it's a good age to look. Vent boots, sealant and flashing usually start failing before the shingles do, and they're cheap to fix early. A free inspection also tells you roughly how long you have to plan a replacement.

How much does a new roof cost in Chalfont?

Most roof replacements we do run between $6,500 and $18,000. Well-kept houses with one layer and solid plywood tend to come in lower. Large colonials with lots of valleys, two layers or soft decking push it up.

Why is my attic damp or musty?

Often because insulation has been pushed against the eaves and is blocking the soffit vents, so warm damp air can't escape. Look for frost or dark stains on the underside of the roof boards on a cold morning. Restoring airflow is a small job compared with replacing rotted plywood later.

When is a good time of year to replace a roof?

Spring through fall is easiest, when it's warm enough for shingles to seal and the weather is predictable. If your roof is at the end, don't wait for the perfect week if it means another winter of leaks. Most re-roofs on an average house take a day or two, weather permitting.

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 Inspection: A free, top-to-bottom look at your roof with photos, so you know what you actually need before you spend anything.
• 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.
• Gutter Repair: Sagging, leaking or overflowing gutters fixed before they rot your fascia.
• Shingle Roofing: Architectural asphalt shingle repair and installation, the roof on most homes around here.
• 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.
• Bucks County: Warminster, Doylestown, Newtown, Yardley, Chalfont and everywhere in between.
• Doylestown: Historic borough homes plus the townships around it.
• Lansdale: Twins, singles and older borough homes.
• Warminster: Our neighbor to the north; lots of 1950s-70s ranchers and splits.
• Roof Replacement in Hatfield, PA: Full tear-off and new architectural shingle roof.
• North Wales: Borough homes and newer developments around it.
• Horsham: Home base. Our shop is here.
• Maple Glen: Established neighborhoods minutes from our shop.