Premium Roofing & Exterior Services for Gladwyne, PA Estate Properties

Roofing in Gladwyne: Stone, Slate and Big Old Trees

Gladwyne is a village in Lower Merion Township. Until about 1890 its center was called Merion Square; the name was changed to cut down on confusion with the many other “Merions” nearby. Fifty-seven buildings in that old core make up the Gladwyne Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The homes we see in Gladwyne

Beyond the village, Gladwyne is mostly large homes on wooded lots — stone colonials and manor houses, many with slate, cedar or copper details — along with newer custom homes. Mature trees are the norm here, and they shape how a roof ages as much as the weather does.

• Shade and leaf litter: moss, clogged valleys and gutters, and roofs that stay wet longer
• Slate and copper worth repairing — selective slate replacement and re-flashing before a full replacement
• Long, steep roofs with several chimneys and dormers, each one a flashing detail
• Falling limbs: 24/7 emergency tarping and drone documentation for your insurance claim

Permits and historic review

Lower Merion asks for a roof permit addendum with every roofing permit, describing the existing and proposed materials. Its rules allow no more than two layers of shingles, and a new roof can’t be laid over wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile — those have to come off first. National Register listing on its own doesn’t add a township review step — Lower Merion Township’s Chapter 88 rules decide whether a roof replacement needs Historical Commission review. We check that before your project is scheduled and handle the permit.

Gladwyne by the numbers

Half of the homes in Gladwyne’s 19035 ZIP code were built before 1968, and 37% predate 1960. Many of them are on their second or third roof, so the decking, flashing and ventilation underneath deserve a close look.

Gladwyne’s tall trees make wind the real risk. Storm wind damage was reported within 5 miles on 66 days since 2005 — one of the highest counts of the towns we feature — and a 72 mph gust was measured near Conshohocken in June 2017. The Ida tornado of Sept. 1, 2021 passed within 5 miles, across the Schuylkill near Fort Washington. Live Gladwyne forecast, radar & alerts →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 — ZIP code 19035 (Gladwyne); National Weather Service storm reports 2005–2026, within 5 miles of the town center (snowfall: 10 miles).