Old House Roof Material

Probably the most long lasting roof material for an old house is slate.

Old house roof material.

Still in broad general use they ve been widely used since the 17th century both as roofing and wall sheathing. But this type of roofing requires a beefy support structure. 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. Asphalt shingles and roll roofing were used in the 1890s.

By the 1920s lightweight no rust aluminum entered the market as did paint coatings that added color and longevity to both aluminum and steel roofs. Many roofs of asbestos aluminum stainless steel galvanized steel and lead coated copper may soon have historic values as well. Wood shingles are the oldest type of natural roofing material in the u s. As this material is out of most homeowners budgets there are fake slate options with the look.

By the mid 1800s metal roofing became more common as mass produced steel began covering ordinary homes and barns. Most often they are cut and dressed or sawn smooth. 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. Lightweight tiles can weigh six pounds per square foot while heftier types weigh in at up to 18 pounds per square foot.

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