Roof Replacement on the South Side near the Gorge, Cuyahoga Falls

Where is the south side, and what is the Gorge?

The Cuyahoga River and its falls form part of the city's southern boundary, and Akron begins on the far bank. Gorge Metro Park covers about 155 acres on both sides of the river, in both cities, with its address at 1160 Front Street. Summit Metro Parks runs it. The dam inside the park was built in 1911 and 1912, and a long-planned project to remove it and free the river is under way.

The neighborhood above the park is a grid of older streets. Front Street and State Road both run down to it, State Road crossing into Akron on the High Level Bridge. Chestnut Boulevard and Sackett Avenue cut across. Smaller streets such as Arcadia, Wyandotte and Albemarle avenues and Hillcrest Drive fill in the rest.

How old are the houses here?

Older than most of the Falls. The two Census tracts that cover the south side have median construction years of 1943 and 1947, a decade or more ahead of the neighborhoods north of Portage Trail. In practice that means a mix: bungalows and two-story colonials from the 1920s and 1930s, then the small Cape Cods that went up just before and just after the war.

A house that went up in 1930 has probably had four or five roofs since, and not all of the old ones were removed.

What does that mean for the roof?

• Pitch. Prewar roofs are steep. A bungalow may have one big slope facing the street with a wide dormer set into it.
• Decking. Boards, not sheets. Expect a few replacements once they are uncovered.
• Layers. Two is common and three turns up. All of it comes off.
• Chimneys. Brick, usually on an outside wall or straight through the ridge, with flashing that has been tarred more than once.
• Porches. A front porch roof at a lower pitch joins the wall under the upstairs windows. That joint is a classic leak.
• Eaves. Open rafter tails or narrow boxed eaves with no vents. Intake air has to be planned, not assumed.

How does the park affect a roof?

Gorge Metro Park is part of a stretch of connected green space that Summit Metro Parks puts at about 1,900 acres, counting Cascade Valley and Sand Run. For the streets along its rim, that is a wall of mature trees on one side.

Shade is the main effect. Slopes that face the woods dry slowly, so moss gets a foothold in the gaps between tabs and algae leaves dark streaks. Moss lifts shingle edges as it thickens, and a lifted edge lets wind-driven rain underneath. Leaves are the second effect. They collect behind chimneys, in valleys and in the gutters, and a blocked gutter holds water against the bottom course.

A new roof does not change the shade. What it can do is start clean, with ice and water shield under every valley and along the eaves, drip edge on every edge, and shingles in a blend that hides streaks. Keeping the gutters open afterward matters more here than anywhere else in the city. The roof and gutters page covers that.

Do sloping lots change the job?

They can. Some lots near the rim slope toward the river, and a house on a slope has taller walls at the back than at the front. Taller walls mean longer ladders and more staging, and a sloped yard limits where a dumpster can sit. None of it is unusual. It just needs to be seen in person, which is why the price comes after a visit and not from a satellite photo.

Who issues permits on the south side?

Being next to Akron does not change the office. A south side address is a Cuyahoga Falls address, and the Falls sends building permits to the Summit County Division of Building Standards on East Tallmadge Avenue. The county's permit form for houses includes a line for re-roofing. City zoning staff are at City Hall on Second Street.

What is a sensible plan for a south side roof?

Start with facts. The free roof inspection in Cuyahoga Falls gives you a layer count, deck notes from the attic, close-ups of the chimney and a grade. A roof graded Watch may only need its flashing redone, which is roof repair, not replacement. A roof graded Replace Soon gets one written quote for a full tear-off and new roof. The houses a few blocks north have a similar story, told in the downtown and riverfront guide.