Replacing a Roof
There’s always something going on at my Bedford, New York farm.
Owning a farm is a huge responsibility. Not only must I look after all my animals and gardens, but I also have to maintain the safety and upkeep of every house and structure on the property. This year, it was time to change the roofs on two buildings — my gym building and my Tenant House, where my daughter and grandchildren stay when they come to visit. For this task, I enlisted the help of Darek Franek Construction, LLC in nearby Stamford, Connecticut - a contracting company that specializes in residential building, remodeling, roofing, and siding, etc. The process took a few weeks to complete, but everything was done neatly and efficiently.
Enjoy these photos.
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- My Tenant House overlooks my Stewartia garden and the winding pergola from these large beautiful windows. The house has three dormers on this side, which are roofed structures, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. Darek’s team works carefully to remove all the old wooden shingles from the roof.
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- Darek Franek Construction, LLC is based out of Stamford, Connecticut and covers the areas in and around southwestern Connecticut and Westchester, New York.
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- Boards are placed strategically over the stone stairs and all the nearby garden beds for protection.
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- Tarps are used to cover the windows and sides of the house, so any falling debris would not mar the surfaces. Darek and his team are very tidy.
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- Here are some of the old shingles. The roof could have probably lasted a bit longer, but it is always a good idea to stay on top of home maintenance projects before any problems arise.
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- After the old shingles are removed, and the area is cleaned, the crew covers the roof with roofing felt underlayment – a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the roofing shingles. It provides shingle ventilation as well as a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.
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- The roofing felt is secured with one-and-a-quarter-inch cap nails. Unlike galvanized nails, cap nails have steel shanks and these large polyethylene caps to prevent leaks.
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- Then one by one, each shingle is nailed into the roof.
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- These are Alaskan yellow cedar shingles. Alaska yellow cedar is actually more closely related to the cypress family than the cedar family. It is known for its natural beauty and durability.
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- Here is the flat side of one of the shingles. Each piece measures about 16 to 18 inches long and about four to 14 inches wide. Wood shingles can last between 15 and 40 years depending on the climate, exposure to the elements, and the slope of the roof. As a rule, the steeper the roof, the longer the material will last because rain won’t pool on it and ice and snow won’t accumulate.
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- These are two-inch long collated siding nails. Made of stainless steel, these nails help protect the roof from corrosion.
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- The team works quickly. Each piece is hand-selected, so it fits perfectly.
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- When the shingles are hung, a tiny amount of space is left between them to allow the shingle to expand and contract as needed.
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- All the metal flashing pieces are also replaced.
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- After several days, the entire side is complete and looking great.
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- The team does the same for the other side, paying special attention to the three dormers.
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- All the old shingles are removed and then the new roofing felt is nailed in across the roof. And just like the other side, new shingles are hung one at a time.
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- Here is the new roof. These Alaska yellow cedar shingles age from a uniform pale yellow color to an attractive soft silver-gray patina.
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- And here is the other side with all the large windows looking out onto the landscape. It was finished just before the first snow of the season. If you follow this blog regularly, you may recall, I had several giant trees removed from this area earlier this year – I like how it looks now that the views from the house are completely unobstructed.
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- Darek and his crew also replaced the roof on my gym building – a more simple design with only one dormer on each side. One tip – if the roof shingles are showing any signs of splitting, curling, cracking or fraying, it is time to replace it.
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- Here, all the old shingles are removed and the roofing felt is installed.
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- Once a new roof is installed, it is important to keep it clean. Regularly clean debris out of gutters and off the roof, both the surface areas and the keyways between shakes or shingles, so the roof lasts longer.
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- And here is the finished job. This is the back of the gym. I love using cedar because it complements the natural landscape around my farm.
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- And here is the front. I am glad to know this structure will be well protected by a good, sturdy roof for the next 25 to 30 years, or even more.
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