Start with the Roof
A Gu id e for K eep in g W eather T ig ht
Start with the Roof
Am erican Fou rsq u are hou se u n d erg oin g rehab ilitation
P ittsb u rg h, P en n sy lvan ia
A Gu id e for K eep in g W eather T ig ht
T he roof of you r old er an d historic b u ild in g is g rou n d zero for provid in g a
w eather-tig ht d efen se ag ain st the elem en ts, an d cen tral in any strateg y for
w eatherization an d in creasin g en erg y efficien cy. T he roof type an d m aterials
affect you r b u ild in g ’s heatin g an d coolin g ab ilities. An d w ith an estim ated 3 0
percen t of heat loss occu rrin g throu g h the w alls, ceilin g an d floors, it m akes
g ood sen se for b u ild in g ow n ers to focu s on their roofin g an d en su re it is d oin g the b est possib le job . O n ce roofin g is let g o, even for a season or tw o,
d am ag e an d d eterioration can set in . T he lon g er it is n eg lected , the m ore expen sive it w ill likely b e to repair. O ld er an d historic b u ild in g s are in heren tly d esig n ed to ad d ress heat loss an d coolin g . Bu t they can alw ays b e m ad e m ore
en erg y efficien t an d perform u sin g n ew techn olog y, su ch as throu g h solar access. W hole hou se w eatherization m ay start w ith the roof b u t shou ld n ot en d
there. Assess all parts, from w in d ow s an d m echan ical system s to in su lation
an d air leaks. T his resou rce, d ivid ed in to the follow in g section s, is in ten d ed to
help you look at you r b u ild in g ’s roof an d its parts, an d thin k ab ou t all option s.
Is M y Roof En erg y Efficien t?
How Do I K n ow if M y Roof is Failin g ?
W hat Typ e of Roof Form is O n M y Bu ild in g ?
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
• Asphalt, Flat, M etal, S late, T ile, an d W ood
Case Stu d ies:
• Alterin g the R oof L in e
• An atom y of a R oof
• Early In terven tion is Key
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•
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Keep the Porch
L ettin g the L ig ht In
Tappin g S olar Pow er
Go to www.P reservation N ation .org /W eatherization to fin d
ad d ition al resou rces on roofin g an d m u ch m ore for you r
old er an d historic b u ild in g .
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
For m ore in form ation ...
Start with T he Roof
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Is M y Roof En erg y Efficien t?
Y ou r roof is on ly on e part of the en erg y efficien cy eq u ation , thou g h
often a m ajor sou rce for heat loss throu g h the attic an d other location s. Diag n osin g w hether or n ot you r roof is perform in g w ell, in
term s of en erg y efficien cy, can b e d on e throu g h a w hole hou se en erg y au d it as w ell as sim ple, easy-to-d o tests.
For ow n ers of old er an d historic b u ild in g s in cold er clim ates, try the
m elt test. Is sn ow m eltin g m ore q u ickly on you r roof in com parison
to n earb y b u ild in g s? Differen t pattern s of sn ow m elt an d the form ation of icicles an d ice d am s m ay b e in d ication s of larg e air leaks,
lack of attic ven tin g , an d in ad eq u ate in su lation . HV AC d u ctw ork, often located in the attic of an old er hom e, is an other sou rce allow in g
for heat loss. W hen d u cts leak, w hich is often , this allow larg e
am ou n ts of valu ab le heat in to the attic.
C
Diag n osin g the prob lem w ith you r roof an d keepin g a tig ht ‘lid ’ on
you r b u ild in g is on ly the first step. W hat follow s shou ld b e a strateg y to ad d ress w ater an d m oistu re in filtration , sealin g air leaks an d
d u ctw ork, an d the appropriate in stallation of in su lation w here
n eed ed .
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A b u n g alow w ith u n iform b u ild u p of sn ow m ay in d icate g ood
in su lation an d an overall w eather tig ht roof.
A S econ d Em pire b u ild in g w ith com b in ation of m an sard an d
flat roofs, as w ell as d orm ers, creates lots of areas for poten tial
air leaks.
As sn ow m elts m ore q u ickly on a roof in com parison to others,
it m ay in d icate a sou rce for larg e am ou n ts of heat loss.
W eatherization can help tig hten u p a b u ild in g for g reater en erg y efficien cy an d com fort so occu pan ts d o n ot have to resort to m ake-shift w ays for sealin g u p air leaks.
M ost old er b u ild in g s, even m od ern ist hou ses like this on e from
Phoen ix, AZ , w ere d esig n ed w ith en erg y efficien cy in m in d .
W id e overhan g s provid e shad e an d protect the in terior from
heat g ain .
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Start with the Roof
B
A
How Do I K n ow if M y Roof is Failin g ?
All roofin g m aterials d eteriorate an d even tu ally w ill fail over tim e,
d epen d in g on the q u ality of the m aterial, appropriate in stallation ,
rou tin e in spection , an d on g oin g m ain ten an ce. R oofs are su b ject to
n atu ral forces like rain , sn ow , su n d eg rad ation , w in d an d pollu tan ts.
R oofs are also com m on ly d am ag ed b y fallin g tree lim b s, sm all an im als, foot-traffic an d in sect in festation . In g en eral, w hen roofin g has
failed , replace u sin g in -kin d m aterials w here possib le an d on ly con sid er su b stitu te m aterials w hen techn ically or econ om ically n ot feasib le.
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B
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D
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E
Detail n ear d orm er show in g asphalt fib erg lass roof shin g les
that are com pletely failin g — d elam in ated , cu rled , w orn , frayed
— an d likely allow in g w ater to en ter the b u ild in g . Typically, asphalt shin g les last b etw een 15 to 25 years b efore n eed in g replacem en t.
Asphalt shin g les that are pu ckered like this m ay in d icate prob lem s w ith the u n d erlyin g sheathin g d eck or felt m ovem en t often cau sed b y varyin g m oistu re levels in the m aterial u n d er
the shin g les. Possib le strateg ies in clu d e im provin g attic ven tilation to elim in ate excess hu m id ity an d refasten in g the d istorted shin g les.
By the tim e you r roof failu re has reached this poin t — collectin g w ater in b u ckets an d , in this case, a child ren ’s sw im m in g
pool — d am ag e is read ily apparen t w ith satu rated ceilin g s,
loose plaster an d lath, an d holes. Fixin g the roof an d d ryin g
ou t the hou se is still an option , as w ell as repairin g d am ag ed
ceilin g s. If let g o lon g -term , seriou s stru ctu ral issu es w ill form .
S late roof shin g les are a stron g an d d u rab le m aterial that typically last b etw een 6 0 to 125 years. Du rin g the w in ter, slate
m ay b e d am ag ed b y ice or ice d am s an d d aily freeze-thaw
cycles. Before slates them selves fail, roof fasten ers an d n ails
m ig ht corrod e or loosen w hich req u ires reg u lar in spection .
A properly ven tilated an d in su lated roof shou ld have n o sig n s
of ice d am m in g or icicles. Heat loss m elts sn ow w hich then
travels to g u tters, cools off an d form s ice. L ocate sou rces of
air leaks, in su late an d seal to preven t roof d am ag e.
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Start with the Roof
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W hat Ty p e of Roof Form is on M y Bu ild in g ?
O ld er an d historic b u ild in g s have a variety of roof types, startin g
w ith the overall shape. As you m ain tain you r b u ild in g , an d con sid er
w ays to w eatherize, thin k ab ou t the architectu ral character too.
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D
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GABL E. T he m ost com m on roof shape is fou n d on all types of
b u ild in g s, in this case, a 19 10 s Craftsm an Bu n g alow in Phoen ix,
AZ , w ith fron t-facin g paired g ab les. R oof is form ed b y tw o
slopin g plan es risin g from sid e w alls an d m eetin g at cen tral
rid g e lin e. Typical featu res in clu d e overhan g in g eaves, som etim es w ith exposed rafter tails or w ood b arg eb oard s.
GAM BR EL . In stead of havin g a sin g le rid g e at the peak, g am b rel roofs have three rid g es, on e at the peak an d tw o alon g
slopin g sid es. T his roof type is often fou n d on Du tch Colon ial
R evival or som etim es Q u een An n e hou ses, su ch as this exam ple in M an chester, N ew Ham pshire.
T HATCH. Cu rved ed g es, artificial sag s an d u n d u latin g shin g les
are often d evices to sim u late S toryb ook architectu re d esig n .
HIPPED. Form ed b y fou r slopin g roof plan es exten d in g from
the w alls to a rid g e, u su ally w ith overhan g in g eaves.
CR O S S GABL E. U su ally fou n d on T, L or cross-shaped b u ild in g s, form ed b y the in tersection of tw o g ab les, typically at the
cen ter of the roof.
FL AT. R arely en tirely flat an d u su ally g rad u ally sloped to d rain
w ater aw ay, som etim es featu rin g a low w all or parapet alon g
the ed g es.
JER KIN HEAD. A rid g ed roof w ith g ab le en d s w ith the en d s
‘sliced off’ to g ive the appearan ce of a fold , tu rn d ow n an d
tru n cated g ab le.
M AN S AR D. S teeply slopin g plan es exten d in g from a flat roof,
often fou n d on S econ d Em pire architectu re.
GO O GIE, M O DER N IS T. Exag g erated , experim en tal roof form s
an d soarin g shapes fou n d on M id -Cen tu ry b u ild in g s, b reakin g
all the ru les, su ch as this b u ild in g in Asb u ry Park, N J.
S AW TO O T H. Com posed of series of parallel roofs in su ccession , resem b lin g a saw . O ften fou n d on in d u strial b u ild in g s
provid in g optim al d aylig htin g .
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
A
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B
Asp halt Roofin g
D
Tu d or Rev ival hom e with d im en sion al asp halt shin g le roof
Cin cin n ati, O hio
N ow the m ost popu lar roofin g m aterial, asphalt cam e in to prom in en ce
in the late 19 th cen tu ry. Tod ay asphalt is m ad e w ith fib erg lass. Gen erally
asphalt is cost effective an d easily in stalled w ith a lifespan of approxim ately 20 years. Hom eow n ers can choose from a variety of colors, pattern s (rectan g u lar, d iam on d an d hexag on al), as w ell as b etw een 3 -tab
plain , flat an d d im en sion al ‘architectu ral’ shin g les that create a ‘shad ow ’
an d im itate the look of w ood an d slate shin g les.
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• M oss or m old form in g on su rface
• S hin g les are d elam in atin g
• M in eral g ran u les an d coatin g appears com pletely w orn
• Ed g es are frayed , cu rled
• N ails are poppin g ou t
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D
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S econ d Em pire hou se w ith m an sard roof an d stain ed an d d eterioratin g asphalt shin g le roofin g . W ater ru n off, likely alon g w ith
som e chem ical com posite, is respon sib le for stain s.
Delam in ated an d w orn asphalt roof n eed in g replacem en t.
Early sig n s of asphalt sin g le b reak d ow n . Gen erally if 20 percen t
or m ore is d eteriorated , replacem en t m ig ht b e w arran ted .
L oose shin g les w ith n ails poppin g ou t in d icate failu re, in this
case, w ith u n d erlyin g stru ctu re an d sheathin g .
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
A
C
B
Flat Roofin g
Art M od ern e 1940 s ap artm en t hou se with flat roof an d p orch
San ta M on ica, Californ ia
Flat an d slig htly slopin g roofs are com m on on m any old er an d historic
b u ild in g s, from row hou ses to m od ern ist hom es d atin g to the m id 19 5 0 s an d 6 0 s. R arely are flat roofs en tirely flat, in stead u su ally g rad u ally slopin g in on e d irection of the b u ild in g to d rain w ater. Flat roofs are
often n ot visib le , som etim es featu rin g a low parapet or pen t roof at the
ed g es of the flat roof. U su ally a b u ilt-u p or ru b b er m em b ran e system is
u sed to cover flat roofs an d shou ld b e reg u larly in spected an d m ain tain ed . Flat roofs presen t a risk that sloped roofs d o n ot. Any slig ht im perfection in the slope can create a low spot w here w ater collects. In tern al d rain s an d scu ppers are often u sed an d m u st b e clean ed reg u larly.
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19 5 0 s ran ch hou se in a n eig hb orhood of sim ilar d esig n s.
R ow hou ses in W ashin g ton , DC, w ith u n iform roof appearan ce
w here rooftop ad d ition s (d ecks, ad d ition s, HV AC) are d ifficu lt to
achieve w ithou t alterin g the character.
Grad u al-slopin g roof on m od ern ist hou se in Tu lsa, O K.
Italian ate hou se w ith com b in ation of flat an d m an sard roofs.
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• W ater pon d in g , clog g ed d rain s an d scu ppers
• Cracked , b rittle m em b ran e
• Bu b b les, separation an d crackin g of the asphalt or roofin g felt
D
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
A
C
B
M etal Roofin g
Gothic sty le hou se with m etal stan d in g seam roof
Carlisle, P en n sy lvan ia
S heet m etal roofin g , u su ally copper, lead , tin plate, tern plate, zin c or
g alvan ized iron , req u ires on g oin g m ain ten an ce an d in spection to en su re its hold s u p, som etim es as lon g as 6 0 years or m ore. T he type of
m etal u sed often d ictates the appearan ce, su ch as how it is fin ished
an d the m ethod for join in g section s. S om e m etal roofin g is left exposed
an d u n coated (copper). Tw o types of com m on ly-u sed join ts for m etal
roofin g are flat-seam an d raised or stan d in g -seam . Deterioration can
occu r from corrosion , g alvan ic action an d ru st.
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• R u st, pittin g , streakin g an d corrosion
• Previou s tar patches
• Pu n ctu res in the m etal
• Broken seam s, join ts
C
R ed -pain ted m etal roof w ith cu pola on row hou se in Y ork, PA.
L u stron hom es from the late 19 4 0 s have a roofin g system of in terlockin g , stam ped , m etal roofin g tiles, g u tters, an d d ow n spou ts. T he tiles are stam ped m etal sheets fin ished w ith a protective porcelain en am el coatin g .
Early 20 th cen tu ry Am erican Fou rsq u are hou se in Lou isville,
KY, w ith m etal roofin g that is w ell-m ain tain ed an d properly
coated to en su re a lon g life span .
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
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B
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
A
B
C
Slate Roofin g
D
Tu d or Rev ival hou se with swep t valley slate roofin g
L os An g eles, Californ ia
W id ely u sed throu g hou t the early 20 th cen tu ry, slate is a d u rab le roofin g m aterial that typically lasts 6 0 -125 years. It w as often u sed to create
d ecorative pattern s, in m any shapes, in clu d in g rectan g u lar, hexag on al
an d d iam on d . A variety of slate colors are often com m on , som etim es to
create a u n iform appearan ce, other tim es a m ore varieg ated look. S om e
slate m aterial is b etter than others, d epen d in g on the sou rce.
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• M issin g , loose or b roken slates
• Delam in ated slates
• Brittle to tou ch, flakin g apart
• Exposed sheathin g
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C
D
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B
Philad elphia, PA, d u plex w ith m issin g slates an d holes in roof. If
approxim ately 3 0 percen t or m ore of slates are m issin g or failin g ,
com plete roof replacem en t m ig ht b e w arran ted .
Irreg u lar-pattern ed slates on 19 20 s row hou se im itate the q u ain t
an d ag ed appearan ce of Cotsw old , En g lan d . To keep w ater ou t, it
is im portan t to m ain tain m etal rid g e caps.
Q u een An n e style hom es often u sed slates to con tin u e in tricate
pattern s from w alls to roofin g .
Fish scale slate shin g les an d d orm er in d icate som e m aterial d eterioration , in clu d in g flashin g .
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
A
C
B
T ile Roofin g
D
M ed iterran ean sty le cottag e with varieg ated terra cotta tile roof
P hoen ix, Arizon a
Terra cotta clay an d con crete (AKA cem en t) tile roofin g com es in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors an d fin ishes. T hey typify m any architectu ral styles, from R om an esq u e R evival an d M ission to Prairie S chool.
T ile is heavy an d often req u ires stru ctu ral rein forcem en t, u su ally fou n d
on slopin g roofs. Typically tile roofin g lasts for w ell m ore than 5 0 years,
u p to arou n d 8 0 years.
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• M issin g , loose or b roken tiles
• Crazed or spallin g tiles
• Brittle to tou ch, b reakin g apart
• Exposed sheathin g
A
B
D
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
C
In stallation of n ew b arrel-shaped red clay tile roof on 19 3 0 s
hou se.
In spect for m issin g tiles at rid g e caps an d other prim ary sou rces
of w ater en try, su ch as the exposed fascia on this hou se.
Con crete tile can b e tin ted for variou s colors an d appearan ces,
som etim es u sed for in -kin d replacem en t as a closely-m atchin g
su b stitu te m aterial.
T he b rig ht b lu e color of the roof tile is a character-d efin in g
featu re of this Tu d or style hou se in N ew O rlean s, L A.
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Start with the Roof
W hen Rep lacin g M y Roof, Do M aterials M atter?
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B
C
D
W ood Shake an d Shin g le Roofin g
E
V ern acu lar 1840 s farm hou se with n ew wood shin g le roof
Georg etown , Delaware
W ood is an early roofin g prod u ct, often u sin g w hite pin e, cypress an d
oak, red ced ar an d red w ood , an d has lifespan b etw een 3 0 to 6 0 years.
S hin g les are g en erally tapered w ith sm ooth su rface, w hile shakes are
less u n iform in thickn ess w ith m ore of a ru stic appearan ce. It is im portan t to choose w ood carefu lly to en su re d u rab ility an d resistan ce to d ecay (rot). O ther cau ses for failu re an d d eterioration are d etachm en t
an d in sect in festation . S hin g les are often left to w eather n atu rally, tu rn in g the w ood silver, d ark g ray or d ark b row n . Too m u ch w eatherin g
from su n erosion , w in d , d eb ris an d precipitation can b e a prob lem .
Keep a look ou t for these prob lem s:
• T hin from erosion
• S plit an d w arpin g of w ood
• M oss or m old form in g on su rface
D
E
19 4 0 s hou se w ith w ood shin g le roof an d clay tile rid g e caps.
N ew , replacem en t w ood shin g le roof on 18 4 0 s hou se.
R an ch hou se w ith ru stic w ood shake roof that has b een left to
w eather n atu rally.
Deteriorated an d failin g w ood shin g le roof.
Treated (stain ed ) roof shin g les on this form er lifesavin g station
in L ew es, DE, can som etim es last lon g er than those left u n treated .
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
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B
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9
Start with the Roof
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B
CASE ST U DY : Alterin g the Roof L in e
O ld er an d historic b u ild in g s are, in part, d efin ed b y their roofs, in
term s of form , elem en ts an d m aterials. Chan g in g the roof to accom m od ate n ew ad d ition s or other featu res su ch as roof d ecks, pen thou ses or the in stallation of HV AC eq u ipm en t can b e challen g in g .
W hen chan g in g the roof form an d overall shape of a roof, con sid er
w ays to m in im ize the visu al im pact, especially from prom in en t fron tfacin g facad es that are hig hly-visib le. T hin k ab ou t w ays to screen
chan g es an d also con sid er how alteration s can affect a roof’s d rain ag e pattern s an d w ater ru n off.
A
B
C
C
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
An ad d ition at the rear of this sm all Tu d or R evival hou se in the
F.Q . S tory Historic District in Phoen ix, AZ , attem pts to m atch
the pitch an d scale of the g ab le roof form s on the orig in al portion of the hou se. It also carries over a sim ilar w all m aterial an d
attic ven t. In this case, the ad d ition allow s the ow n er to expan d
a sm all hom e w ith ad d ition al sq u are footag e w hile keepin g the
expan sion larg ely con fin ed to the less-visib le rear portion s of
this property.
O n a street lin ed w ith larg e, early 20 th cen tu ry tw o-story
hom es, this hou se n ow stan d s ou t from the others. T he oversized third -floor ad d ition d ram atically alters the character of
the hou se an d street w ith its n ew heig ht. T he rooflin e an d form
of the hou se have b een com pletely chan g ed throu g h this ad d ition . Before it likely had a hipped roof w ith d orm ers. N ow it has
a shallow -pitched fron t-facin g g ab le roof. R oof ad d ition s of
this scale are d ifficu lt to achieve w ithou t cau sin g d am ag e.
A larg e third floor ad d ition on this Tu d or R evival hou se attem pts to m ain tain the orig in al roof form an d overall character
of the hou se. T he ad d ition w as achieved b y exten d in g the roof
u pw ard s. Tw o d orm ers m atch the roof pitch an d m im ic the
fron t-facin g g ab le en tran ce. W here this roof ad d ition is less
su ccessfu l is the overall scale an d proportion s. T he fron t facin g
en tran ce g ab le w as orig in al in scale to the orig in al roof lin e.
N ow w ith the ad d ition it appears too sm all. T he hou se also
stan d s ou t d ram atically from n eig hb orin g hom es w hich all have
a con sisten t roof heig ht that is m u ch low er in scale.
10
Start with the Roof
B
A
CASE ST U DY : An atom y of a Roof
O ld er an d historic b u ild in g s have lots of parts an d elem en ts. T hey
help d efin e them architectu rally an d also serve fu n ction al n eed s in
shed d in g w ater, provid in g ven tilation an d shad e, an d keepin g the in terior d ry, com fortab le an d en erg y efficien t. Ju st as the roof n eed s
m ain ten an ce an d atten tion so d o these in teg ral parts.
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1. In teg ral, b u ilt-in g u tter. U su ally these are hid d en from view
an d con cealed b ehin d architectu ral featu res, su ch as corn ices. Bu ilt-in g u tters m ay b e lin ed w ith m etal or ru b b er
m em b ran e system .
2. Chim n eys are often hig hly d ecorative as w ell as fu n ction al.
3 . M etal rid g e caps are im portan t in sealin g g aps an d keepin g
w ater from en terin g the b u ild in g .
1. Half-rou n d g u tters han g in g from an chors attached to the
b u ild in g ju st u n d er shin g les an d fascia. Copper an d steel
have a lon g er lifespan , follow ed b y alu m in u m g u tters. M on itor for any rips or tears, b lockag es an d g alvan ic action .
2. Dow n spou t m ou n ted to the exterior w all to collect the rainw ater an d d eliver it to the g rou n d , w here it can d rain aw ay
from the b u ild in g .
3 . Fron t g ab le d orm ers shou ld have appropriate flashin g alon g
the sid es, at roof in tersection s an d valleys to preven t w ater
from pen etratin g .
4 . W id e eaves provid e shad e an d help cool the hou se.
1. En g ag ed rou n d ed d orm er w ith m etal roofin g shou ld have
flashin g in place at the in tersection b etw een the tw o roofin g
m aterials.
2. M etal roofs on the b ay an d en tran ce porch shou ld b e
pain ted to preven t fu rther d eg rad ation .
3 . Corn ices are architectu ral an d serve as a rid g e in tersection
b etw een the slopin g m an sard roof an d the flat roof at top.
4 . Flashin g shou ld in stalled here as w ell, typically placed
u n d ern eath the slate roofin g .
5 . Call in a roofin g specialist at the first sig n s of loose or m issin g slate shin g les.
3
11
Start with the Roof
A
B
CASE ST U DY : Early In terven tion is K ey
A
B
C
City of W ilm in g ton , DE
C
A view from ab ove clearly show s the d am ag e an d severe d eterioration of the roof on this row hou se. L et g o, the likelihood of
savin g the in terior is m u ch m ore challen g in g . Im m ed iate stab ilization is called for in this case b y secu rin g the roof.
Tarpin g can b e a really effective, short-term strateg y for secu rin g a storm -d am ag ed an d /or failin g roof system . T his w ill b u y
you tim e to d ecid e on repair option s, to red u ce costs b y arrestin g d am ag e, an d to allow the in terior of a b u ild in g to d ry ou t.
Gen erally the stan d ard plastic tarp last ab ou t 9 0 d ays, perhaps
lon g er, d epen d in g on the season an d clim ate. In stallation
shou ld b e d on e b y a profession al so it is firm ly secu red an d
d oes n ot cau se d am ag e to rem ain in g roof m aterials an d elem en ts.
W hen the roof collapsed on this im portan t historic chu rch
b u ild in g , w ater had b een en terin g the stru ctu re for som e tim e.
Follow in g the com plete failu re of a roof, althou g h n ot im possib le, it is m u ch m ore d ifficu lt an d costly to stab ilize an d salvag e
a b u ild in g . Early in terven tion w ith a m ethod for stab ilizin g the
roof an d keepin g the w ater ou t m ig ht have helped preven t this
roof failu re.
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
Assessin g the con d ition of you r b u ild in g ’s roof is critical, req u irin g
rou tin e in spection an d on g oin g m ain ten an ce. W hen this d oes n ot
occu r, little prob lem s can q u ickly tu rn in to b ig issu es, su ch as com plete roof failu re. W ith m any old er an d historic b u ild in g s it is d ifficu lt to d eterm in e the con d ition of the roof b ecau se it is n ot read ily
visib le. T his is often the case w ith row hou ses an d others that have
flat, shallow pitched roofs. O n ce a roof has b een com prom ised an d
n o lon g er d oin g its job at keepin g the elem en ts ou t an d the b u ild in g
d ry, the stru ctu re itself (an d possib ly of n earb y b u ild in g s, if attached ) w ill b eg in to fail. Early an d im m ed iate in terven tion is im portan t to try an d step in an d rem ed y the prob lem , even if throu g h
tem porary m easu res, su ch as tarpin g a roof. T his can allow en ou g h
tim e to d evelop a lon g -term strateg y an d solu tion , su ch as raisin g
fu n d in g for repairs or fin d in g a n ew ow n er for an en d an g ered b u ild in g .
12
Start with the Roof
A
B
CASE ST U DY : K eep the P orch
T he fron t porch is perhaps on e of the m ost im portan t featu res of
old er an d historic hom es. In m any cases, the fron t porch helps d efin e a hou se. It creates a stron g con n ection b etw een the resid en t
an d the street activity d irectly ou tsid e. As a focal poin t an d in teg ral
elem en t, it provid es scale an d helps tran sition b etw een the ou tsid e
an d the in terior. An d n ot on ly d oes a porch provid e protection from
the elem en ts, it also serves an im portan t fu n ction as an en erg y savin g s d evice. Porches provid e shad e to help cool in terior spaces an d
b lock heat g ain as w ell as offer n atu ral ven tilation to escape the
heat an d cool off. W ith w id e roof overhan g s, d eep porches an d tw ostory veran d as are in heren tly en erg y savin g elem en ts an d shou ld b e
retain ed as part of any w eatherization strateg y. All too often , the
porch is the first to b e let g o w ith failin g roofs an d in ad eq u ate system s for d rain ag e of w ater that can q u ickly lead to stru ctu ral in stab ility. R ather than ‘rip off’ you r porch, repair it or, if n ecessary d u e to
d eterioration , replace it w ith a porch that m atches the orig in al as
closely as possib le.
A
B
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
C
T his Q u een An n e hou se in Pittsb u rg h, PA, su ffered years of n eg lect, d eterioration an d in appropriate alteration s, in clu d in g the
rem oval of the orig in al fram e porch. An oversized m ason ry ad d ition replaced the porch an d ob scu red the character of this
hou se an d en tire n eig hb orhood b lock for d ecad es. T he hou se
w as acq u ired b y a local com m u n ity d evelopm en t corporation ,
the ad d ition w as rem oved , an d rehab ilitation in itiated , show n
here in prog ress.
Follow in g the rehab ilitation , the hou se is restored to its orig in al
character. T he n ew ly-con stru cted porch w as d esig n ed to
m atch the orig in al as closely as possib le, in scale an d m aterials.
Porches are easily su sceptib le to failu re w hen roofin g an d
fou n d ation su pport have severely d eteriorated . In terven tion is
key, even if b y tem porary m easu res provid in g ad d ition al su pport, like this exam ple. O n ce a porch com pletely fails or collapses, the costs to repair an d replace can b e far g reater. Y ou
also lose a very im portan t character d efin in g featu re.
C
13
Start with the Roof
A
B
CASE ST U DY : L ettin g the L ig ht In
A
C`
C
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
B
M etal fram ed , flat skylig ht on slopin g roof w ith tw elve separate
pan els of g lass em ittin g lig ht in to the in terior. It is im portan t to
m ain tain a secu re an d w eather tig ht con n ection u sin g appropriate flashin g b etw een the raised w alls of the skylig ht an d the
m etal roofin g .
T he in terior of a d om ed skylig ht is a d ram atic focal poin t for
this room . En su re g lass is clear of any d eb ris, there is n o m oistu re in filtration b etw een pan els, an d repair b roken g lass.
Gran d hou ses of the late 19 th an d early 20 th cen tu ries som etim es featu red lead ed an d stain ed g lass skylig hts as a d ecorative elem en t, often in a en tryw ay or g ran d stair hall. U su ally
pan els are protected b y a secon d ary skylig ht located ab ove
that can w ithstan d the elem en ts.
Girard Colleg e
S kylig hts are m ore com m on than you m ig ht thin k in old er an d historic b u ild in g s. In attached row hou ses an d d u plexes, they are often
u sed to help b rin g in n atu ral lig ht in location s that w ou ld otherw ise
b e w ithou t. Places like d ark b athroom s an d en closed stairw ells are
exam ples. In historic com m ercial b u ild in g s, larg e skylig hts have
b een a u sefu l d evice for lettin g in n atu ral lig ht. Depen d in g on their
size an d location , they can help save en erg y b y d aylig htin g an in terior that otherw ise w ou ld n eed to rely on electrical sou rces. Trad ition ally they have b een u sed for this fu n ction as w ell as ven tilation
(if operab le) an d , in som e cases, for access to the roof. O ld er skylig hts are u su ally m etal fram ed in variou s form s (hipped , g ab led an d
d om ed ) on flat roofs or flat on sloped roofs. S kylig hts, then an d
n ow , can pose prob lem s if n ot properly in stalled an d m ain tain ed ,
lead in g to leaks. A lot of old er skylig hts have b een rem oved , con cealed or pain ted over. In g en eral, w hen repairin g or ad d in g a n ew
skylig ht to an old er an d historic b u ild in g , keep the follow in g in m in d :
• L ocate skylig hts on roofs that are n ot hig hly visib le, at the rear for
in stan ce, so they d o n ot d etract from the b u ild in g ’s character.
• Hire a profession al to help you properly in stall or restore a skylig ht to avoid d am ag in g the roof or cu ttin g in to a roof tru ss.
• En su re you r skylig ht has appropriate flashin g so w ater is d irected
aw ay from the open in g an d to avoid leaks.
14
Start with the Roof
A
B
CASE ST U DY : Tap p in g Solar P ower
In creasin g ly solar pow ered system s an d roof in stallation s are b ein g
red iscovered , ad apted w ith n ew techn olog y an d con sid ered as en erg y costs rise. Gen erally there are tw o types: photovoltaic an d
therm al. Photovoltaic or PV system s (solar pan els) g en erate electricity from su n lig ht u sin g solar cells m ad e u p in to m od u les an d arrays w here each cell prod u ces on e or tw o w atts of electricity from
su n lig ht. T herm al system s u se the en erg y from the su n to prod u ce
heat, n ot electricity, w hich is then u su ally tied to a b u ild in g ’s w ater
system . T he m ethod an d size of in stallation s for b oth system s vary,
thou g h each n eed s optim al su n lig ht con d ition s an d placem en t. A
n ew d evelopm en t is Bu ild in g In teg rated Photovoltaic S ystem s
(BIPV ) w hich in teg rate the PV or therm al system s d irectly in to the
b u ild in g ’s m aterials, su ch as the roof shin g les. If in stalled appropriately, BIPV s m ay m in im ize the visu al im pact of trad ition al ‘solar
pan el’ application s, d ifficu lt to d etect from stan d ard shin g les.
C
O ld er an d historic b u ild in g s m ay presen t u n iq u e challen g es an d req u ire creative approaches, b u t often can b e part of the solar pow ered solu tion . S om e g en eral factors to con sid er are:
• Irreversib ility of in stallation s
• L ocation an d pu b lic visib ility
• M ou n tin g in stallation s that d o n o harm b u ild in g m aterials
• S ize of system s
• Appearan ce (color, fin ish, g lare an d overall shape)
A
B
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
C
R aised pan el system at an an g le on rear roof elevation of an
historic hom e.
T he m ou n tin g of solar pan els on hig hly visib le view s, su ch as
fron t facad es, is prob lem atic as it g reatly alters an d con trasts
w ith the character of the hou se. In ad d ition , m ou n tin g on roofin g , su ch as clay tile an d other frag ile m aterials, shou ld b e
avoid ed so as n ot to cau se d am ag e.
T he in stallation of this system is very visib le an d in com patib le
w ith the character of this larg e Du tch Colon ial R evival hou se.
W here possib le, system s like this shou ld b e placed in less visib le location s or perhaps g rou n d -m ou n ted .
15
Rep air or RepStart
lace with
O ld Wthe
in dRoof
ows
Shotg u n hou se with hip roof an d asp halt shin g les
L ou isv ille, K en tu cky
T he N ation al Tru st for Historic Preservation (w w w .Preservation N ation .
org ) is a n on -profit m em b ership org an ization b rin g in g people
tog ether to protect, en han ce an d en joy the places that m atter to
them . By savin g the places w here g reat m om en ts from history—an d
the im portan t m om en ts of everyd ay life—took place, the N ation al
Tru st for Historic Preservation helps revitalize n eig hb orhood s
an d com m u n ities, spark econ om ic d evelopm en t an d prom ote
environ m en tal su stain ab ility. W ith head q u arters in W ashin g ton ,
DC, n in e reg ion al an d field offices, 29 historic sites, an d partn er
org an ization s in all 5 0 states, the N ation al Tru st for Historic
Preservation provid es lead ership, ed u cation , ad vocacy an d resou rces
to a n ation al n etw ork of people, org an ization s an d local com m u n ities
com m itted to savin g places, con n ectin g u s to ou r history an d
collectively shapin g the fu tu re of Am erica’s stories.
178 5 M assachu setts Aven u e, N W
W ashin g ton , DC 20 0 3 6
www.P reservation N ation .org /W eatherization
Ad rian S cott Fin e/N T HP
8 /0 9
16