# From Emergency Tarp to Full Replacement: A Hartford County Colonial > How we responded to storm damage on a Wethersfield colonial, handled the insurance process, and delivered a complete GAF roof replacement in two days. URL: https://newingtonroofingpros.com/blog/colonial-roof-replacement-after-nor-easter/ Last-Modified: 2026-06-30 Author: Mike Sullivan case studies # From Emergency Tarp to Full Replacement: A Hartford County Colonial's Story How we responded to storm damage on a Wethersfield colonial, handled the insurance process, and delivered a complete GAF roof replacement in two days. Mike Sullivan Owner & Lead Contractor · June 30, 2026 ![Completed roof replacement on a Wethersfield colonial after winter storm damage](/images/misc/newly-replaced-architectural-shingle-roof-on-wethe.webp) ## The situation: water through the ceiling at 5:47 a.m. Late February this year, Sarah and Michael T. in Wethersfield woke to water dripping through their master bedroom light fixture. A heavy wet snow the night before had combined with 55 mph wind gusts to finish off a roof that had been quietly deteriorating for over two decades. They called us before 6 a.m., and our emergency crew was in their driveway by 7:30. This is the kind of call our Hartford County roofing team [/ →](/) responds to regularly through the winter months. Here is how the project unfolded from emergency tarp to completed replacement. ## Assessing the damage The roof was a 22-year-old three-tab asphalt shingle system installed by a previous owner’s contractor. Two sections on the north face were completely gone, leaving the deck exposed to the elements. An ice dam along the eaves had been pushing water under the shingle field for weeks before this storm tore the weakened sections away. The chimney flashing was rusted through at two points, and the gutters were packed with debris from months of ice-dam runoff. We identified three separate failure modes happening simultaneously: wind damage to the shingle field, long-term ice dam erosion underneath, and corroded flashing at the chimney. When multiple systems fail at once on a roof this age, repair is rarely the right answer. ![Storm-damaged roof before tarping](/images/misc/storm-damaged-asphalt-shingle-roof-in-wethersfield.webp) ![Emergency response and tarping on the Wethersfield storm damage](/images/misc/emergency-response-truck-at-wethersfield-ct-home-w.webp) ## The emergency response Our first priority was stopping the water intrusion. We battened heavy-duty tarps over the exposed decking and secured them to sound roof around each opening. Water entry stopped within 40 minutes of arriving on site. While the tarp was going down, we documented every failure with GPS-tagged photos. Missing shingle sections, lifted tabs across the rest of the north face, ice dam damage visible from inside the attic, failed chimney flashing, wet insulation through the ceiling opening. Measurements of each damaged area went into the report. This documentation would prove critical in the insurance process. We sat down with Sarah and Michael that morning and had a straightforward conversation. This roof was done. Twenty-two years of Connecticut weather, compounding wind and ice damage, and corroded flashing meant a full replacement was the practical path forward. We believed their insurance policy would cover it. ## How documentation shaped the insurance outcome Their carrier’s adjuster arrived four days later. We met him on the roof and walked through every failure zone with the photos and measurements we had gathered on day one. The wind damage sections were straightforward. The chimney flashing failures had a legitimate case as a contributing factor to the interior water damage. The ice dam damage was the harder conversation. Carriers sometimes classify ice dam issues as deferred maintenance rather than weather events. But the dated photos we had from late January, showing the ice dam mid-formation alongside the first interior ceiling stains, helped frame the damage as event-driven. The claim came back approved for a full replacement with code upgrades. Total elapsed time from first call to approval: 11 days. ## The replacement: two days on site We scheduled the job for early April once temperatures stabilized. **Day one.** Full tear-off revealed three layers of shingles stacked on the original deck. Two older layers had been covered rather than removed by previous contractors, which explained the poor ventilation and accelerated shingle degradation. We replaced three sheets of water-damaged plywood decking, then installed synthetic underlayment and ice-and-water shield along all eaves, valleys, and around the chimney. **Day two.** Starter course, GAF Timberline HDZ architectural shingles in Charcoal, new continuous ridge vent, soffit vents at three low-intake points we identified, new step and counter flashing at the chimney, new pipe boots, and drip edge along all rakes and eaves. We finished with a magnetic sweep of the property, gutter check, and a walkthrough with the homeowners. ![Full tear-off in progress](/images/misc/full-tear-off-in-progress-on-wethersfield-colonial.webp) ## What the homeowners said _“After the big storm last winter, we had water coming through our master bedroom ceiling. West Hartford Roofing was out the same day to tarp the roof and walked us through the entire insurance process. The new roof looks incredible and we finally feel safe again.”_ - Sarah & Michael T., Wethersfield ## Lessons for Hartford County homeowners **Document your roof annually.** A few photos from the ground and one from the attic before winter creates evidence that damage came from a specific weather event rather than neglect. This is the single most impactful thing you can do for a future insurance claim. **Choose a roofer who handles insurance documentation.** The quality of the evidence your contractor brings to the adjuster meeting directly affects the outcome. Detailed, dated, GPS-tagged photos with measurements change the conversation. **Know when repair stops making sense.** A 20-plus year old roof with wind damage, ice dam erosion, and failed flashing is a replacement, not a patch job. Trying to extend its life through spot repairs typically costs more over three years than a single replacement. If your roof took damage this past winter, request a free estimate [/contact/ →](/contact/) or review our storm damage repair service [/storm-damage-roof-repair/ →](/storm-damage-roof-repair/) to understand what the process looks like. ## Talk to West Hartford Roofing Free estimates. Honest options. Same-day response for active leaks. Get a Free Estimate [/contact/ →](/contact/)