Roofing crew installing shingles on a house in Melville, New York

Alec's Construction repairs and replaces roofs in Melville (11747) — leaks traced to the cause, flashings and valleys, wind and ice-dam damage, and full tear-off replacements — working out of the yard in East Patchogue. Repairs and sheet-metal work run straight through the winter; replacements go on with the warm days.

Roofs in Melville

Melville is the south end of the Town of Huntington, high and wooded along the Route 110 corridor. West of 110 and around the Sweet Hollow preserve, the residential streets are 1960s to 80s colonials and splits on half-acre wooded lots under oak and tulip trees that stand over two-storey roofs. East of 110 the newer subdivisions have younger trees and take less from them, but their roofs are newer, and owners are often unsure what condition they are in. Two-storey colonial roofs are hard to see from the ground, so damage on the upper slopes goes unnoticed until it reaches a ceiling. The office and industrial buildings along 110 and Pinelawn Road carry acres of flat roof and rooftop units in the open wind. In Melville, much of the roofing work is simply finding out what shape a roof is in before it starts to leak.

What We Look at First in Melville

On a two-storey Melville colonial we get eyes on the upper slopes, either from a ladder or a drone or up on the roof, and photograph every slope so the owner can see what we see. Then into the attic to check the underside of the deck. On the older houses west of 110 the trees over the roof are next. Permits file with the Town of Huntington at Town Hall on Main Street in Huntington.

Big Trees Over Big Roofs in Melville

The wooded lots in Melville put tall oak, tulip and hickory over two-storey roofs, and the roofs are larger and more cut-up than the Island average — hips, valleys, dormers, chimneys and long eaves. Every one of those intersections is a flashing detail, and every valley under a big tree fills with leaves twice a year.

Most leaks on these houses are at the intersections, not in the field of the roof. A packed valley overflows sideways under the shingles; a chimney flashing that was roof-cemented instead of counterflashed lets go a little more every winter; a skylight curb rots from the outside in. Tracing the leak to the actual entry point is the first job, and it is often nowhere near the stain.

Trees that tall also shade the north slopes. Snow sits there, the attic below melts it, and it refreezes at the cold eave. Ice-and-water membrane at the eaves and valleys is standard on a replacement here, and the attic ventilation gets corrected at the same time.

Failed step flashing and old roof cement where a chimney meets the shingles

Repair or Replace, Honestly

If the roof is sound and the leak is a flashing or a valley, the right answer is a repair, and the roof has years left in it. If the shingles are curling, shedding granules and already on a second layer, a repair buys a season and replacement is the honest answer. Alex goes up, photographs every flashing, the valleys and the field, and you get the photographs either way.

A replacement here is a tear-off to the deck. The sheathing gets checked and renewed where it is soft, ice-and-water membrane goes at the eaves and valleys, flashings are replaced rather than reused, and the attic ventilation is balanced so the new roof is not cooked from below or iced at the eave.

Permits in Melville

Melville files with the Town of Huntington at Town Hall on Main Street in Huntington. Roof replacement is permitted work in most of Suffolk, and the limit on shingle layers decides whether the old roof has to come off — on our jobs it comes off regardless. We file the permit.

Alex walks the house in Melville, photographs what he finds and gives you a written scope in the order the work has to happen — whether or not you hire us. Call (631) 312-7441 to set up a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

I live in one of the newer subdivisions east of Route 110 in Melville. How do I know when my roof needs replacing?

Look for signs, not age. From the ground: shingles curling at the edges, bare patches where granules have worn off, heavy granules in the gutters, lifted tabs after a wind. From the attic: daylight through the deck, stains around vents or chimneys, a deck that feels soft. If you see some of those, have the roof inspected. A roof that is still flat, sealed and dry does not need replacing just because the neighbour's did.

Can a roof in Melville be replaced in winter?

Repairs, flashing and sheet-metal work run all winter. A full asphalt replacement is a warmer-day job, because the seal strip on the shingles needs warmth to bond; when a replacement has to go on in the cold, every course is hand-sealed so it holds in the first wind. We schedule around the forecast.

Should I repair or replace my roof in Melville?

If the roof is sound and the leak is a flashing or a valley, repair it. If the shingles are curling, losing granules and on a second layer, a repair buys a season and replacement is the honest answer. Alex photographs the whole roof and tells you which it is.

Who issues the permit for roofing work in Melville?

Melville files with the Town of Huntington at Town Hall on Main Street in Huntington. Roof replacement is permitted work in most of Suffolk, and the limit on shingle layers decides whether the old roof has to come off — on our jobs it comes off regardless. We file the permit.

Related Guides

Work With Alec's Construction

This page is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's Roofing service — tear-offs, repairs, flashing and storm damage across Suffolk County. One crew from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.

Also in Melville through the cold months: Seamless Gutters and Attic Insulation.

Also Serving Melville

Talk to Alec's Construction About Roofing in Melville

We come out, look at the house, photograph what we find and put a written scope in your hand. No pressure, no obligation. Working across Suffolk County since 2018.

Or call (631) 312-7441

No cost, no obligation. We reply the same day.