Old metal roofs have a distinctive appearance
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Old metal roofs have a distinctive appearance |
Look at the two photos below; which one do you want live under. The one on the left dates back to the late 1800s; the one on the right, the late 1900s. There is no right or wrong answer, just personal preference for your home metal roofing.
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There are three characteristics that vintage metal panels possess that modern roofing generally does not.
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One of the most obvious differences is the older metal roofs crimped the roof ridges and other peaked seams.
Both methods are quite effective to prevent leaks. yet the modern style screams,"fast food joint". To illustrate how visually strong this difference can be, just read what happen in Fayetteville, NC, while installing metal roofs during the train station renovation.
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The panels on the older home metal roofing structures just curl over the roof edge with the vertical seams running continuously. Modern roof edges are usually different, with the roof edge taking a razor straight look.
Plus, older structures lacked rain gutters.
The older panels possessed overlapped horizontal seams from the roof's top ridge to the lower drip edge. The overlaps allowed small size panels to be delivered by horse-drawn carts, or other methods where size affected the modes of transports. Some of the earliest standing roofs were pieced together every two or three feet. If you would check roofing tin project in New Jersey that predates the Civil War,the older standing seam panel sections were quite small.
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As our train system expanded, longer panels could be successfully moved. Today, an installer rarely has to deal with the horizontal seaming so common in earlier days. A modern installer merely pulls up a cutting machine and long 25 foot panel lengths, then cuts to desired lengths.
As a contractor, I have been surprised to discover this old method of making long panels by soldering shorter pieces together has worked quite well. Rarely are we having to repair damaged horizontal seams on older structures.
On occasion, one can discover a beautifully done new "old standing seam roof". In Burkeville, VA, the train station associated with the Civil War fell victim to a hurricane. The Virginia Department of Transportation and the local government agencies did an excellent job of rebuilding this structure. Note the crimping and the roof lip, plus, no gutters. The only omission is the missing horizontal seams; a minor, forgiveable missing detail for this lovely project.
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If you are seeking an experienced company to offer an estimate to preserve your existing roof, one of us would be delighted to visit your residence, discuss the alternatives available and, if requested, submit a quote for restoring your tin roofs. Click here for a contractor for a map of our geographical work area.
Beyond information about our contracting services, this site is designed for individuals interested in tin roofs--photos, technical tidbits and history. These web pages are prepared by the same contractor that specializes in the restoration of these tin roofs. She enjoys dabbling in website construction, therefore photos and articles are simply presented. All pictures are from Roof Menders projects, the same contractor. If you have questions, just call 610-941-1051 for a chat.