Most interior water damage we get called about is not a roof hole — it is a parapet, a flashing detail or a blocked drain. We find where the water actually gets in, then fix the system rather than the stain.
Flat roofs in New York
The typical NYC row-house roof is a low-slope membrane surrounded by masonry parapets, with drainage running to an internal leader. Almost every leak we trace starts at a transition — where the membrane turns up the parapet, where it meets a drain or a bulkhead, or where coping stones have opened up and are feeding water down inside the wall.
So we look at the whole assembly. Re-covering a field of sound membrane while leaving a failed parapet cap in place is a repair that fails again next spring, and you will be told the roof is the problem.
Waterproofing the wall, not just the roof
Exterior waterproofing overlaps heavily with our masonry work, which is the advantage of using one contractor for both: repointing, coping and flashing repair, below-grade damp-proofing and drainage all get handled by the same crew, with no one pointing at the other trade when water shows up inside.
Our work
Roofing, Siding & Waterproofing in the field
FAQ
Questions about roofing, siding and waterproofing
Can you find a leak if I do not know where it is coming from?
Usually, yes. Water travels — the stain on a ceiling is often several feet from the entry point. We start at the most likely transitions for your building type rather than guessing, and we will tell you plainly if the honest answer is that a section needs to be opened up to be certain.
Repair, coat, or full replacement?
Depends on how much life is left in the membrane and how wet the insulation below is. A sound roof with local failures is worth repairing or coating. A membrane that is saturated underneath will keep failing no matter what goes over it, and we will say so even though it is the more expensive answer.
Do you work in winter?
Masonry and concrete are temperature-sensitive — mortar and finish coats need conditions to cure properly, so some work is genuinely better scheduled for warmer months. Emergency leak repairs and roofing we handle year round.
