Old House Roof Material

Many roofs of asbestos aluminum stainless steel galvanized steel and lead coated copper may soon have historic values as well.

Old house roof material.

Wood shingles are the oldest type of natural roofing material in the u s. Still in broad general use they ve been widely used since the 17th century both as roofing and wall sheathing. Originally hand split from local woods oak and pine in the northeast to cypress in the south wood shingles were typically shaved smooth for high style and garden variety houses. Probably the most long lasting roof material for an old house is slate.

By the mid 1800s metal roofing became more common as mass produced steel began covering ordinary homes and barns. Interlocking ceramic tiles create a stunningly beautiful roof that can last for 100 years or more. Asphalt shingles and roll roofing were used in the 1890s. It s also by far the most expensive as a thousand square feet of slate roofing costs over 40 000.

For builders in timber rich north america wood shingles were the obvious choice for the earliest roofs and ultimately the most common roofing material for houses well into the 20th century. However these roofs have been reported to last over two centuries. Lightweight tiles can weigh six pounds per square foot while heftier types weigh in at up to 18 pounds per square foot. Most often they are cut and dressed or sawn smooth.

Awareness of these and other traditions of roofing materials and their detailing will contribute to more sensitive preservation treatments.