By Jesse Sanchez. 

A leading contractor shares secrets of their 31-year journey to excellence. 

Recently awarded the prestigious title of Roofer of the Month by RoofersCoffeeShop®, Greg Serevetas, vice president of USA General Contractors, shares insights into the company's remarkable journey and the principles that have set them apart in the industry in our latest podcast episode. 

Founded in 1993 and celebrating their 31st year in business, USA General Contractors has built a solid reputation for specializing in roofing, waterproofing and a range of complementary services, including masonry repair and roll-off dumpster rentals in New Jersey. Greg highlights their unwavering commitment to quality and customer satisfaction: "Our main service is roofing and waterproofing... We're very good at communicating with the customers and we're true to our word." 

Central to USA General Contractors' ethos are their six core values: accountability, humility, hunger for excellence, client-focus, teamwork and adaptability. Greg elaborates, "Every employee at USA abides by our six core values... It's working out great. Everybody really loves it and feels the culture is much improved with the core value system." These values are not merely words on paper but are actively practiced and reinforced throughout the company, fostering a strong and cohesive organizational culture. 

Greg also discusses their involvement with RoofersCoffeeShop’s R-Club, a platform he praises for its industry insights and networking opportunities. "It is the best way to be in the know for all things roofing... It's also a great way to meet new people in the industry and learn from each other," Greg states. The R-Club has provided USA General Contractors with valuable connections and knowledge that have contributed to their ongoing success and innovation. 

Listen to the podcast to learn more about our July R – Club roofer of the month! 

When their friend’s roof began leaking around the chimney, this Massachusetts resident reached out to our roofing experts for answers. 

Chris from Martino, Massachusetts, sent in this question about his friend’s leaking chimney: 

I have a friend who had his roof shingled within the last couple of years. It is leaking around the chimney and he is asking my help. I can't see anything obvious. The only thing that seems unusual to me is the lead flashing on the chimney sits on top of the shingles not under them. Is the way it is done? Please help educate me. Thank you. 

Here is what roofing expert Greg Serevetas from USA General Contractors Corp. had to say in response to Chris’ question: 

It’s not as unusual as you think, but you are correct. The lead should be underneath the shingles in a step flashed install, from the bottom up, with each piece overlapping the lower piece. 

I can’t really tell from the one picture, if you had a couple more it might help. The problem can be multiple things.  

1. If there are nails holding the lead down, they could be leaking.  
2. If the caulking at top is not sealed to brick and lead properly, that could be leaking.  
3. The back of the chimney lead is also on top of the shingles, which will allow water underneath and will cause a leak.  

The recommended action is to remove the flashing and shingles around the chimney and do a rework with aluminum step and cap/cover metal (see above picture for an example). Notice how the metal at the low point of the chimney is the only exposed metal on the roof and there are no nails exposed. 

Hope this helps! 

Continue the conversation in our Forum!

When water began leaking into a neighbor’s home, this Philadelphia homeowner discovered an odd-looking coating and asked our experts to help solve it. 

David from Philadelphia found an interesting mystery in their roofing system, asking: 

Trying to understand what this material is ..... multiple fine cracks everywhere and previous owner said EDPM but doesn't look like it. Perhaps it's a coating they put on top? Either way, there was some water leaking in my upstairs neighbors' closet. 

Our roofing experts, Greg Serevetas and Olief Lecky from USA General Contractors Corp, had this to say in response:  

That is not EPDM membrane on the roof, from the picture zoomed in you can see the size of the material from the lap seams but more importantly see the slag that I circled in the photo. So not sure by the picture exactly where the leak is but a good repair option for you would be to buy SBS cap sheet, asphalt primer and cold application. Apply the primer direct to the aluminum coating then install the cap sheet as an overlay with cold app as your adhesive. Cut out for your pipes and reflash them with roof cement (Karnak) and fabric then flash the perimeter of your overlay with fabric and roof cement. 

Continue the conversation in our Forum!