Cedar Grove, NJ
Roofing in Cedar Grove, NJ: Peckman River Rain and Winter Ice
Cedar Grove shares the Peckman River valley with Verona. The 2020 census counted 12,980 residents in a township that borders Verona, Montclair, North Caldwell and Little Falls, and its roofs take the same storm rain and winter freezes. For a leak or loose shingles, start with roof leak repair. For ice along the eaves, see ice dam damage. Call (862) 396-4866 to ask for a visit.
Weather on record
The nearest long-term numbers come from the Caldwell airport weather station (NOAA 1991-2020 normals), which may differ at your street. January averages a 38.3-degree high and a 22.9-degree low, and July an 85.2-degree high. The twelve monthly precipitation normals add up to about 44.9 inches, with August the wettest at 4.49. On 1 and 2 September 2021, Ida's remnants put 7.14 inches on Little Falls, the Passaic County town beside Cedar Grove.
Checklist for this town
- 1
The USGS maps Peckman River flooding across Verona, Cedar Grove, Little Falls and Woodland Park. After a flood, note which water came up from the river and which came down through the roof.
- 2
Tropical Storm Isaias brought down countless trees across New Jersey in August 2020. Look at the limbs hanging over your roof, and photograph them while the weather is calm.
- 3
January's normal low at the Caldwell station is 22.9 degrees against a 38.3 high. That daily thaw and refreeze is what builds ice at an eave.
- 4
Rutgers figures a one-inch rain turns an 800-square-foot roof into about 500 gallons headed for a downspout. After the next rain, see where yours lands.
- 5
If a stain keeps growing after rain, or ice backs up along the eaves, call (862) 396-4866 and ask about a visit time.
The houses
Wikipedia gives 4,661 housing units for Cedar Grove in the 2010 census, which works out to 1,096 per square mile across the township's 4.36 square miles. Newer Census figures on housing age did not load during research, so none are quoted here. Without them, a roof's own history is the better guide: when it was last redone, what the attic boards show, and what the papers from the purchase say. Those facts are worth having in hand before a call.
Have this ready
Before you call from Cedar Grove
Four details make the call shorter. First, the address, with the nearest cross street. Second, what you can see and from where: a stain on the ceiling of the back bedroom, say, or shingles in the driveway. Third, the date it started and whether it returns after every rain. Fourth, the roof's age if anyone knows it, with a photo or two. Keep them on a card by the phone, ready for the moment you call (862) 396-4866.
Where the water goes
Where river water and roof water each go
The USGS flood maps for the Peckman River model water levels from 3.0 feet, near bankfull, up to 6.5 feet. The report calls that approximately the highest level recorded at the Ozone Avenue gauge in Verona between 1979 and 2014. Roof water is a separate flow. It leaves through gutters and downspouts, and Rutgers advises sending it where it can soak into the ground. The EPA adds a caution: a downspout may feed an underground pipe that runs to the sewer or the storm drain, so find out before changing it.
Short answers
Does the Peckman River matter for a roof?
Mostly for basements and yards. USGS flood maps cover about 7.5 miles of the river, from Verona Lake Dam to the Passaic, and name Verona, Cedar Grove, Little Falls and Woodland Park. River water comes up from below, while roof water comes down from above. Tell the contractor which one you have.
How hard did the Ida rain test local roofs?
Newark Airport recorded 3.65 inches in a single hour on 1 September 2021, which the state weather network rates at a 1,000-year recurrence interval, and Little Falls totaled 7.14 inches over two days. Rain like that finds weak flashing and clogged gutters. Look for new stains afterward.
Who can call from Cedar Grove?
Owners and landlords of Cedar Grove homes can call (862) 396-4866. Bring the address, a note on what is visible and the roof's age if anyone knows it. A tenant passes them to the landlord, since roof work is the owner's call.
Problems that come up
Three weather stories on the record
Heavy rain is the first: Ida's remnants put 7.14 inches on nearby Little Falls in two days, and rain like that exposes weak flashing. Winter ice is the second, with January normals that swing across freezing every day. Limbs are the third, after storms such as Isaias. Matching service pages: storm damage roofing, ice dam damage and gutter repair.
Have this ready
Write down the address, what is visible from the ground and the roof's age if known, then call (862) 396-4866. Tenants start with the landlord. Towns covered: Verona, Cedar Grove, North Caldwell, West Orange.