Pleasantville is a compact village of 1.85 square miles, incorporated in 1897. It became a commuter suburb after the railroad arrived in 1846, and much of its older housing dates from the boom that followed: Victorians and foursquares in sections such as the Flats and the Old Village. Mature street trees line many of those blocks, and the houses sit close together, which affects how Jersey Roofing's crew stages a job and protects neighboring property.
The village also contains Usonia Homes, a mid-century modern neighborhood with three Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses and others with low-slope roofs. Those roofs follow different rules from the village's steep Victorians. Asphalt shingles need a pitch of at least 2:12, and between 2:12 and 4:12 the code calls for a double layer of underlayment. Below 2:12, a membrane system is the right choice.
Late-1800s boom houses and mid-century low slopes
Most of Pleasantville's older neighborhoods were built out after the railroad made the village a commuter town, which is why Victorians and foursquares are common in the Flats and the Old Village. Those houses typically have steep main roofs with dormers, porches with shallower pitches, and chimneys that need re-flashing.
Usonia is different in almost every way: long, low roof planes, wide overhangs and flat sections that drain slowly. A roof replacement there starts with measuring the actual pitch of each plane.
What to plan for on a Pleasantville roof
Dormers, valleys and porches
Victorian and foursquare roofs have many places where planes meet: dormer cheeks, valleys, chimney faces and the line where a shallow porch roof joins the main wall. Each one needs new flashing, not a bead of sealant over the old metal. Porch roofs near 3:12 get double underlayment under shingles, and anything flatter than 2:12 gets a membrane.
Membrane roofs in Usonia
Shingles are not designed for the near-flat sections of mid-century modern houses, and they leak when water backs up under them. On those planes Jersey Roofing installs a low-slope membrane system, and the crew pays close attention to edge metal, drains and the transitions to any steeper sections. Wide overhangs also mean less ventilation intake, so we look at how the roof assembly breathes.
Board of Architectural Review
Pleasantville's Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review meet together and look at changes to a home's exterior. A same-color, same-material replacement is usually simple, but if you plan to change the color, material or roof profile, check with the board first. On Usonia homes in particular, keeping the low, horizontal look of the roof matters to the design.
Historic districts and design review
The Marmaduke Forster House is on the National Register, and Usonia Homes includes three Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses. Beyond individual landmarks, Pleasantville's Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review meet together to review exterior changes. If a new roof will look different from the old one, we recommend confirming with the village before ordering materials, and we can supply product specifications for the review.
Roof permits in Pleasantville
- Office
- Village of Pleasantville Building Department
- Phone
- (914) 769-1926
- Website
- pleasantville-ny.gov
Pleasantville issues its own permits from 80 Wheeler Avenue, and Jersey Roofing files the roofing permit for you.
The roof systems installed in Pleasantville
Jersey Roofing installs complete GAF and Owens Corning systems: ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, starter strips, architectural or designer shingles, matched ridge cap and balanced ventilation. On a qualifying GAF system it can register the Golden Pledge® warranty, and on an Owens Corning system, Platinum Protection. Both include lifetime workmanship coverage. Compare the warranties.
Neighborhoods we serve in and around Pleasantville
- The Flats
- Old Village
- Usonia Homes