Janesville roofs take a lot of weather. Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding repairs them from our Roscoe office at 11704 Main St, and we’ve worked on Stateline roofs since 2006. If there’s a stain on the ceiling or shingles on the lawn, call (815) 624-6278. The line is answered 24/7.
Janesville Was Built in Waves, and Its Roofs Show It
Census estimates put the median home in Janesville at 1972. About 43% of homes went up between 1950 and 1979. Roughly 14% are older than 1940, many of them on Courthouse Hill and the streets near the Rock River downtown. Newer subdivisions at the edges of the city are a smaller slice, with about 15% of homes built in 2000 or later.
A 1960s ranch and a 1910 house on a hill don’t leak for the same reasons, so the repair plan always starts with the house in front of us, not a checklist.
Common Repairs on Janesville’s Mid-Century Homes
- Brittle shingles late in life. Older asphalt loses its give. A tab that once would have flexed in a gust snaps instead, and the bare strip under it starts taking on water.
- Chimney flashing that’s been tarred over. Plenty of ranches have a brick chimney near the middle of the roof. When the counterflashing works loose from the mortar joints, the leak turns up on a ceiling near the fireplace.
- The breezeway or garage tie-in. Where a later addition meets the original roof, the valley or wall joint is often the weakest spot on the whole house.
- Fans venting into the attic. A bath fan that dumps warm, wet air into the attic instead of outdoors can rot decking from below, and from inside it looks exactly like a roof leak.
- Nail pops and loose ridge caps. Decking moves with the seasons, nails back out, and each one becomes a tiny opening under a shingle.
Steep Roofs on Courthouse Hill and Near the River
The older houses closer to downtown are a different job. Steep pitches, dormers and porches add valleys and roof-to-wall joints, and every one of them depends on flashing done right. Some of these homes still have board decking, and some carry more than one layer of shingles. On those roofs we work carefully around the details, replace failed step flashing piece by piece, and tell you plainly if a section has gone too far to patch.
Hail and Wind: What NOAA Has Recorded Around Janesville
NOAA’s Storm Events Database lists about 30 hail reports in and around Janesville since 2010, and about two thirds of them were stones an inch across or larger. The same database has dozens of wind reports for the city, many describing trees and big limbs down, and a number of them ending up on houses.
Hail that size often doesn’t tear shingles off. It bruises them: granules get knocked loose, the mat underneath cracks, and the spot leaks a year or two later, long after everyone has forgotten the storm. Wind-driven hail also hits one side of a house harder than the rest, so a roof can look fine from the front yard and be bruised on the back slope. If a storm has come through and nobody has been on your roof since, a free inspection with photos settles it. See hail damage repair and wind damage repair. For Janesville-specific storm help, see hail damage roof repair in Janesville.
Duplexes, Condos and Association Roofs
About a third of Janesville homes aren’t detached houses. Duplexes, townhomes and condo buildings are common across the city, and we repair those roofs too. When one roof covers several owners, we trace the leak to where it starts, photograph it and put the repair price in writing, so the owners or the association board can decide together.
When a Repair Stops Making Sense
A repair is usually the right call when the damage is in one area, the shingles around it still lie flat, and the deck is firm. We’ll bring up roof replacement when the shingles are brittle across whole slopes, leaks keep showing up in new places, or there are already two layers on the house. Either way, you see the photos before you decide anything. If a new roof is the answer, see roof replacement in Janesville.
What to Expect From a Repair Visit
- Tell us what you’re seeing. Where the water shows up, and whether it comes with heavy rain, melting snow or wind from one direction.
- Roof first, then the attic. Shingles, flashing, vents and pipe boots up top, then the underside of the deck from inside. See attic ventilation.
- Photos and a written price. Nothing gets repaired until you’ve seen what we found and what it costs.
- The fix. Damaged shingles are replaced and matched as closely as we can, and failed flashing gets new metal instead of more tar.
Water Coming In Right Now?
Call (815) 624-6278 at any time. Emergency tarping can be done within 24 hours to keep rain and snow out until the permanent repair. See emergency roof repair and storm damage repair.
More for Janesville Homeowners
Our Janesville roofing page covers everything else we do in the city, and siding in Janesville covers new siding. Martin Exteriors is a GAF Master Elite contractor, a status GAF gives to fewer than 2% of roofers, and a four-time Inc. 5000 company, licensed in Wisconsin (#1436189). Financing is available, with payments as low as $149/month for qualified buyers. We also repair roofs in nearby Milton and Beloit.
Schedule a free inspection or call (815) 624-6278.
Janesville Roof Repair FAQ
Can hail damage my Janesville roof without leaving holes?
Yes. Hail an inch across or larger, which NOAA has recorded many times in and around Janesville, can crack the shingle mat and strip granules without tearing anything off. Those spots tend to leak later. A free inspection with photos shows whether your roof took a hit.
My ranch leaks near the chimney. Is it the roof or the chimney?
Usually it’s the flashing between them. On many mid-century houses the metal has pulled out of the mortar joints, or it was patched with tar that has since cracked. We replace it with new metal rather than adding more tar.
Do you repair roofs on duplexes and condo buildings?
Yes. We repair townhome, duplex and association roofs. We find where the leak actually starts and give you photos and a written price that every owner can see.
Is it worth repairing an older roof on Courthouse Hill?
Often, yes, if the problem is in one area and the deck is sound. Steep, detailed roofs take more care to patch, so we’ll tell you honestly if the shingles are too brittle to work on or if replacement makes more sense.
What should I do if my roof starts leaking at night?
Call (815) 624-6278. Someone answers 24/7, and emergency tarping can be done within 24 hours. Until then, catch the drip, move what you can and stay off a wet roof.
