The Importance Of Preserving Your Historic Roofing

Owning a historic home is rewarding and challenging. You are preserving an old structure which has a lot of history and likely a lot of charm. That’s the rewarding part. The challenging part is keeping the home historically accurate while living in it today. This challenge includes the roofing which protects the building from the elements.

The Historic Past of Your Home’s Roof

Roofing materials and methods have evolved and changed over the past couple of centuries. The first asphalt shingles came on the market in 1901 and became the most popular roofing option by the 1920s and 1930s. Before then, a multitude of roofing options were used, including clay tile, slate, wood shingles, and metal sheets made from lead, copper, or galvanized steel.

When preserving your home’s architectural history, it’s just as important to preserve the roof as it is to choose the right paint scheme or trim details. It’s part of the home’s historic charm. A modern roof material or design detracts from the home’s character.

What constitutes a historic roof? Your home may be on a historic registry of homes. Or it just may be old and you want to preserve its look and integrity. In either case, you want a roofer who knows how to deal with a historic roof and its preservation.

What Happens When You Need to Replace a Historic Roof

Having a historic roof doesn’t mean you have to preserve the very first shingles ever applied to the home. Shingling materials degrade with time, even slate and tile. When your roof needs repairs or replacement, the key is honoring the roof’s history while ensuring it is doing its job.

Historical roof replacement involves using the same materials. It means keeping intact the shape and contours of the roof. It may require reinforcing the roof to strengthen and preserve its look while bringing it up to modern standards structurally.

When your historic home is ready for a new roof, or it just needs repairing, you want a roofer who knows how to deal with this type of work. The roofer can advise on what materials would fit the home’s history and your budget. He can ensure the new roof fits the home’s historic past. He can bring it up to modern codes without compromising its past.

If you need to repair or replace your historic home’s roof, call Stevens Roofing Corporation today.