The village was first known as Saw Pit, for its colonial wood-cutting operations, and took the name Port Chester when it incorporated in 1868. It grew as an industrial harbor town on the Byram River at the Connecticut line and was home to the Life Savers factory from 1920 to 1984. About 31,700 people live in its 2.4 square miles today, which makes for close-set buildings and narrow side yards, and the Capitol Theatre still draws crowds downtown.
Port Chester has about two miles of waterfront on the tidal Byram River and Port Chester Harbor. The county hazard mitigation plan records tidal flooding of two to three feet on lower King Street, North Main Street and Abendroth Avenue, damage from Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012, and heavy snow loads in 2013. Each of those events tests a roof differently: wind lifts edges, water finds weak flashing, and snow loads old framing.
Prewar frame houses and apartment buildings in 2.4 square miles
An older village waterfront revitalization plan reported that more than 55 percent of Port Chester's residential buildings had been built before 1939. In that plan, only about a quarter of homes were single-family, and roughly 35 percent were in buildings with five or more units. Those figures date from that older plan, but they explain the mix of roofs we see: older frame houses with pitched asphalt roofs, two- and three-family buildings with flat rear sections, and apartment blocks with membrane roofs behind parapets.
What to plan for on a Port Chester roof
Flat sections on multi-family buildings
Shingles need a pitch of at least 2:12, and the code requires double underlayment from 2:12 to 4:12. Flat rear additions, porch roofs and apartment roofs fall below that, so they get a membrane such as EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen. Where a flat section meets a pitched roof or a parapet wall, Jersey Roofing's crew builds up the flashing properly, because that joint is where most Port Chester roof leaks start.
Old framing and heavy snow
The county plan notes heavy snow loads in 2013, and Westchester can see 25 to 50 inches of snow in a winter. On a century-old frame house, Jersey Roofing's crew checks for sagging ridges, cracked rafters and soft decking during the tear-off. Removing several old layers also takes real weight off the framing, which is one more reason the code bars a new layer over two existing ones.
Near the harbor and the Byram River
Houses close to the water get corrosion-resistant fasteners and flashing, along with high-wind detailing at the eaves and rakes, since storms like Irene and Sandy hit this stretch of shoreline hard. On low-lying streets we also look at where downspouts discharge, so roof water isn't added to ground that already floods at high tide.
Roof permits in Port Chester
- Office
- Village of Port Chester Building Department
- Phone
- (914) 939-5203
The department is at 222 Grace Church Street; Jersey Roofing files the permit, and we confirm the address isn't in Rye Brook, which shares the 10573 ZIP.
The roof systems installed in Port Chester
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 Port Chester
- Edgewood
- Traphagen
- Willett Estates
- Downtown / Main Street
- Byram River waterfront