Historic Roofing Materials: Metal

Early metal roofing included copper and lead in early america. These were typically used where the pitch of the roof prohibited other types of shingles for use. Beautiful New York copper roofs cover many of New York's fine historic buildings, especially those with cupolas, domes or other interesting architectural features. Sheet iron was first used in the 18th century.

It wasn't until the 19th century that New York Roofing installation included the use of corrugated iron. The method for corrugating iron was originally patented in England in 1829. Corrugating stiffened the sheets, and allowed greater span over a lighter framework, as well as reduced installation time and labor. In the late 19th century, galvanizing with zinc helped to protect the base metal of New York metal roofing.

Tin shingles were another metal roofing material Queens. Tin shingles were embossed to look like tile or wood or embossed with a decorative design. This was an inexpensive, lightweight roofing choice. The low cost, light weight, and low maintenance of tin metal roofing Bronx made it the most common roofing material in the late 19th century.

Historic Roofing Materials: Slate

Slate roofing was brought to America from the old world Europe by settlers. Slate roofing was found in America as far back as Jamestown in the mid-17th Century. Although there were slate quarries all along the east cost, most of the slate was imported from Wales. For that reason, there are few slate roofed homes until the 19th century when slate roofing became more common due to the construction of railroads and Canals. At that time, homes throughout New York were constructed with slate roofs. Many of them survive today.

New York Slate Roofing is popular for the same reasons it was popular 200 years ago. It maintains popularility due to its durability, fireproof qualities, and aesthetic beauty. New York Slate Roofing is available in different colors (red, green, purple, and blue-gray). Many old New York buildings, especially Gothic and Mansard style New York Roofs, continue to use the original slate roofing with regular maintenance. For owners of historic buildings it is important to find a contractor who is familiar with Slate roofing Bronx and Queens restoration and maintenance. Replacement of historic roofing details on Brooklyn homes, for example, requires an undestanding of historic preservation and how to incorporate new materials, such as flashing, to improve the historic properties of the roof and keep the original roof character.