Out back, the deck that once felt solid now shivers when the grandkids run across it, and the stoop out front has dropped an inch from the door. North Huntingdon's typical house dates to 1967, and sixty winters find every soft post and joint. We open the failing spot, trace the water to its source, and frame it back true.
North Huntingdon Repairs
The sixties were the township's busiest decade for building, and roughly nine of every ten houses have the owner living there. On those lots, the trouble usually starts at the deck, the eaves or the front steps.
On a sloping township lot, a kitchen deck can stand well above the yard on long posts. Owners notice a sway underfoot, posts with a lean, and a ledger board that has dark streaks running down the siding.
We test each post, beam and joist and check the ledger for rot behind it. Failing members are replaced, posts get fresh footings and bracing, and the ledger is flashed and bolted. Decks 31 inches or higher are permitted first.
Porch and stair structureSnowfall at the airport averages 44.1 inches, and frost settles in on well over 100 nights each year. On a low-pitched ranch roof, ice builds at the edge, water backs up under it, and the fascia and soffit rot behind the gutter.
We pull the gutter, cut out the soft fascia and soffit, and repair any rafter tails that have gone punky. New drip edge carries meltwater into the rehung gutter, and we show you where attic heat may be feeding the ice.
Trim, fascia and soffitsWhere the owner is 65-plus, as in one owned home of every three here, and a step that has dropped or tipped is the thing they mention first. The gap at the threshold grows, the risers turn uneven, and the railing loosens in its post.
We take up the failing steps, set new footings, and rebuild with even risers no taller than the code's 7-3/4 inches. A railing goes on wherever there are four or more risers, fastened into the framing so it holds a full grip.
Porch and stair structureRain heads downhill toward Long Run, and on a house cut into a slope, the wall facing uphill catches it. Look for siding that swells near the grade, a sill that crumbles, or a basement wall stained at the top.
We open the wall, replace the rotted sill and sheathing with treated lumber, and flash it back with clearance to the soil. Then we point out the grading or downspout runs that keep sending water at the house.
What the rot is hidingOld coal workings run under wide stretches of the township, thickest toward its south end. When a hall floor slopes or a doorframe racks, the question is whether it's a tired girder or something deeper.
From the basement, we look over the main beam, its posts and the joists, measure the slope, and note any cracks in the walls. Sagging framing gets sistered, posts are reset on footings, and anything pointing to ground movement we photograph for your insurer.
Sagging floors and joistsWhen an old front porch is too far gone to patch, owners often ask whether the new one can come out a few more feet. In most of the township's residential districts, an open porch can reach 22 feet from the front line.
We measure your setback before drawing anything, then rebuild on new footings and framing sized for the snow. If a roof goes over it, that's a roofed deck in the township's eyes, so the permit is filed before we start.
Township setbacksHousing ages and owners: Census ACS 2020–2024, North Huntingdon Township. Snow and frost: Pittsburgh International climate normals (NOAA). Porch setback: township zoning ordinance.
The rest of the job
How it runs, what it costs and who builds it are on our main exterior restoration & structural repairs page.
Repairs in North Huntingdon
In North Huntingdon, a repair answers to the township's own inspectors, sits on land that was partly mined, and has to handle water the hills send downhill all year.
31 inDeck height that needs a permit
Replacing rotted boards or trim with matching pieces is ordinary repair. Permits cover to a deck standing 31 inches or higher, any deck under a roof, and retaining walls taller than 4 feet, and review can take 15 working days. The township kitchen page explains where to apply.
North Huntingdon permitsSouth halfMost heavily mined, state map
The state's subsidence layer marks confirmed mining over much of the township, heaviest to the south, and slides have closed stretches of Haywood Road and others. Standard home insurance excludes subsidence. The township hub page has the state map and more.
Coal under North Huntingdon$9MStormwater work proposed, 2023
The sewer authority handles only sanitary lines; the township is in charge of storm water, which in 2023 weighed a fee for about $9 million of projects. On your own lot, gutters and grading decide where that water lands, and that's where we look first.
NHTMA questions (opens in a new tab)Repair Questions
Township owners bring these up while we're under the deck with a flashlight. The main repair service page walks a job from the first look to the last coat of paint.
Ask a QuestionAfter we've opened the damage and found where sound wood begins. Soft fascia over one gutter run is small; a high deck with new posts, footings and ledger, or a sagging girder, is large. You get the written price before anything comes apart.
Repair price rangesOften there's no way to tell by looking. If it's 31 inches or higher and we're rebuilding its framing, the township wants a permit now regardless, so we file it. Board-for-board decking swaps are ordinary repair and don't need one.
North Huntingdon permitsUsually not. Standard policies exclude it, and Pennsylvania sells a separate mine subsidence policy that has to be in place before the damage. A sudden storm or a fallen limb is a different story and is often covered.
Coal under North HuntingdonSometimes. In most residential districts an open porch may come within 22 feet of the front line, and a roofed one needs a permit. We measure from your actual lot line before we sketch, so the size you approve is one the township will accept.
Township setbacksCode calls for a handrail once a stair has four or more risers. On three, it isn't required, but many owners add one anyway, especially at a front door used every day. We anchor it to the framing, not the treads.
Porch and stair structureOther Services
Inside the house too: North Huntingdon kitchens, bathrooms, attic and basement rooms, additions and windows each have a page below.
Kitchen RemodelingNew layouts, new cabinets, new counters: framed, built, and installed by the same crew.View Service
Bathroom RemodelingFull gut renovations with proper waterproofing, new framing, and tile set by hand.View Service
Attic FinishingUnused attics framed into bedrooms and offices: subfloor, insulation, drywall, and a proper stair.View Service
Basement FinishingUnfinished basements turned into real rooms: framed, insulated, drywalled, and finished by our crew.View Service
Additions & ADUsAdditions and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), framed from the ground up and tied in clean.View Service
Windows & Exterior DoorsWindows and exterior doors set, flashed, and trimmed so water stays out of the wall.View Service
Decks & Covered PatiosDecks, covered patios and three-season rooms, flashed to the house and built for Westmoreland winters.View ServiceVerified Google Reviews
5.0 out of 5 · 17 reviews
Written by the homeowners we've worked for across Westmoreland County. Every one verified on Google, every one pulled from the real feed.
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529 Forest Ave
Trafford, PA 15085
