Brooklyn-based roofer serving all five boroughs explains what to check on flat, shingle and tile roofs before the first freeze
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Sept. 15, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Power Roofing NYC (https://powerroofingnyc.com/), a licensed roof repair and roof replacement contractor that works in all five boroughs, has put out a winter roof prep checklist for New York homeowners and building owners. The checklist is short and free, and it comes straight from crews who have repaired, replaced or installed more than 2,300 roofs across the city since 2010.
Image caption: Power Roofing NYC crews on a flat roof in Brooklyn ahead of winter. Photo: Power Roofing NYC.
So why does winter do so much damage to roofs in this city? Mostly it comes down to the freeze-and-thaw cycle. On a mild afternoon, melt water finds a hairline crack. By 3 a.m. it has frozen and pushed that crack open a bit wider. The city goes through that cycle 40, maybe 50 times a winter, and the crack that would have been a small October fix is a wet ceiling by February.
“Every year we get the same calls, and almost every one of them was preventable,” said Mike Gini, owner of Power Roofing NYC. “Somebody noticed a small stain on the ceiling in the fall and figured it could wait. Then a nor’easter comes through, the snow sits on the roof for a week, and now there’s a bucket in the living room. I’d rather spend an hour on your roof in September than a whole day on it in January with ice everywhere.”
THE WINTER ROOF PREP CHECKLIST
Here is what the company tells its own customers to do before the first hard freeze, which usually lands in the five boroughs somewhere between late November and mid-December. None of it is complicated. Most of it just gets done too late.
- Get a roof inspection while it’s still mild out. Lifted shingles, open seams, sealant that gave up two summers ago. You can’t see any of that from the sidewalk. A roofer can, in about an hour.
- Clean out the gutters, downspouts, scuppers and roof drains. Nobody enjoys this one. It is still the single most common reason crews get called out for ice dams on pitched roofs and ponding on flat ones.
- Knock out the small roof repair items now. A cracked piece of chimney flashing or a loose vent boot is a cheap fall fix. The same problem after it has leaked through the plaster is not.
- Flat roofs (and that’s most of Brooklyn and Queens): water still sitting there 48 hours after rain is a warning. So are blisters in the membrane and seams that have pulled apart. Older modified bitumen and EPDM roofs on rowhouses love to split at the seams in cold weather, which is exactly when flat roof repair calls pile up.
- Shingle roofs: curling, cracked or missing shingles, and grit collecting in the gutters. Bare spots let ice slide right under the shingles.
- Tile roofs: look for tiles that have cracked, chipped or slipped out of line. One bad tile lets water underneath, the water freezes, and the tile beside it goes next.
- Go up in the attic with a flashlight. Daylight coming through? Damp insulation? Frost on the nail tips? Those point to the real cause of ice dams, which is poor ventilation and thin insulation. Not the snow.
- Cut back any tree limbs hanging over the roof, because a branch loaded with wet snow will find its way down in every big storm.
- Save an emergency roof repair number in your phone before you need one. Power Roofing NYC answers (718) 600-1133 around the clock for storm damage, active leaks and emergency tarping.
WHEN A REPAIR IS NOT ENOUGH
Some roofs should not get patched again. A shingle roof past 20 years. A flat roof that has been coated and patched three or four times already. Soft spots all over the place during an inspection. In those cases, Gini says, a full roof replacement in the fall almost always costs less over five years than chasing leaks all winter. There is a practical reason too. Shingles and membranes do not bond well below about 40 degrees, so a fall install simply comes out better than a January one.
“People search roofer near me at 11 o’clock at night when water is coming through the light fixture, and that’s the worst possible time to pick a contractor,” Gini said. “You end up with whoever answers the phone. Get to know a licensed local roofer now, get a free estimate, and you’ll know exactly who to call when something happens. Our customers get the same crew from the estimate to the warranty follow-up, and that matters more than people think.”
Power Roofing NYC is licensed by the New York City Department of Buildings (LIC #2122433), fully insured, GAF-certified and BBB accredited with an A+ rating. Estimates are free and there are no hidden fees. Crews are out seven days a week, from 7 in the morning until 11 at night.
Learn more: https://powerroofingnyc.com/roof-replacement-in-ny/
ABOUT POWER ROOFING NYC
Power Roofing NYC is a family-owned roofing and siding contractor at 1267 E 72nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11234, and has worked across all five boroughs of New York City, plus Long Island, Yonkers and New Rochelle, since 2010. The company handles roof repair, roof replacement and new roof installation on flat, shingle and tile roofs, along with 24/7 emergency roof service, roof inspections, commercial roofing and roof coating, gutters, siding, skylights and attic ventilation. All work is covered by a workmanship warranty, and manufacturer system warranties of up to 50 years are available on qualifying installations.
For more information visit: https://powerroofingnyc.com/
To schedule a free roof inspection or estimate, call (718) 600-1133 or email info@powerroofingnyc.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Gini
Power Roofing NYC
(718) 600-1133
info@powerroofingnyc.com
https://powerroofingnyc.com/
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NEWS SOURCE: Power Roofing NYC
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