Exterior Contractor Serving Bergenfield, NJ

Almost certainly yes. Bergenfield’s postwar cape cods and colonials are at the age where multiple shingle layers are common, and a third layer isn’t something we recommend — it adds weight, traps moisture, and hides the decking condition underneath. We do a full tear-off, inspect every square foot of the deck, replace any soft or damaged sections, and start clean. That’s the only way to know what you’re actually installing on top of.

On most Bergenfield homes from that era, it’s original wood clapboard. The aluminum was installed over it — sometimes with felt paper, sometimes directly against the wood. By now, the wood underneath has typically absorbed moisture at every seam and penetration for 50 years. Before we recommend a replacement material, we open up a section and assess the sheathing condition. What’s there determines whether it’s a straightforward re-side or whether there’s substrate work needed first.

On most Bergenfield homes, it’s sizing. The 4-inch gutters installed on these postwar colonials and capes were never adequate for the actual roof area they drain. Even clean, they overflow in a heavy rain event. We measure the roof area, calculate the correct gutter size and downspout count, and give you a written scope. On most Bergenfield jobs we go to 5-inch or 6-inch seamless aluminum. At the same time, we probe the fascia — because years of overflow means the boards behind the gutter lip are usually compromised.

Fogging means the double-pane seal has failed and the insulating gas is gone — the unit is now performing like single-pane glass. Drafts on top of that usually mean the frame itself is no longer sealing at the rough opening. On Bergenfield’s cape cods, the dormer windows are almost always in worse shape than the main level because they get more direct weather exposure. We measure every opening individually and give you options across Andersen, Pella, Marvin, and Provia based on what each frame actually needs.

A door that’s stopped sealing at the threshold has almost always also started to rot at the sill corners — water has been sitting under the door every time it rains. We assess the frame condition first. If the frame is sound and just the weatherstripping and threshold are gone, a slab replacement with a new threshold assembly makes sense. If the sill corners are soft, the prehung unit and the frame have to come out together. We give you the straight assessment before recommending a scope, and every job includes a proper sill pan so it doesn’t happen again.

The fascia has rotted behind the gutter lip where you can’t see it from the ground. When gutters overflow — which is the standard situation on Bergenfield’s undersized 4-inch systems — water runs behind the gutter and soaks the fascia board repeatedly. The wood softens until the gutter spikes have nothing to hold onto. The fix is to pull the gutters, replace the rotted fascia with PVC that won’t rot on the same timeline, and reinstall properly sized gutters with hidden hanger systems. We scope it all at once.