What do roofs of the 1920s to 1950s usually show?
Roofs of that period usually show several rounds of repair, a deck that was built with its own nailing practice, and flashings that have aged in place. None of that is unusual, and each needs a check before a new covering is laid.
Many original roofs were covered once and then repaired over the years rather than replaced. The patches show where the water has been, and the technician reads them as a record of the faults the roof has had.
Decks of that period may be plank or early panel sheathing. The boards can be sound while the nails that hold them have worked loose, and a new covering fixed to loose nails will lift at the first wind.
Why is a re-cover over a failed deck a false economy?
A new covering over a failed deck hides the failure and fixes the new covering to boards that cannot hold it. The fault then shows in the first storm as a lifted edge or a leak that is hard to trace.
A covering nailed into a soft board pulls out under wind load, and the nails that were meant to hold it fail one by one. The owner then has a new roof that leaks where the old one was failing, and the damage is harder to repair because the new covering must be removed first.
The tear-off is therefore the more honest option when the deck is in doubt. It costs more time, and the scope says why.
How are the rafter ends and the eave checked?
The rafter ends at the eave are the part of the structure most exposed to water that runs off the roof and into the fascia. They are probed for softness and split grain and replaced where the wood has failed.
A soft rafter end is found by probing with a screwdriver or an awl. Sound wood resists the probe, and rotted wood gives easily. The affected length is cut back to sound grain, and a new piece is fixed alongside or in place.
The fascia behind the gutter is checked in the same visit, since a soft rafter end is usually matched by a soft board in front of it.
What is re-made on the roof before the covering goes on?
The flashings at the chimney, the vents, the wall junctions and the valleys are re-made before the covering is laid, so the new covering laps over metal that will last with it.
Old flashing is often lead, galvanised steel or a bituminous strip that was fixed by an earlier worker. Where it is in good condition, it can be kept and lapped under the new covering. Where it has failed, a modern metal piece is fitted.
The vents are reopened and the soffit intake is cleared, so the attic air can move from the eave to the ridge once the covering is on.
How do the flashings and the valleys on an original roof get re-made?
The flashings and valleys on an original roof are often the parts that failed first. They are re-made in the same operation as the covering, so the new covering laps over metal that will last with it.
An original valley is often a single strip of metal or a built-up layer of felt. Where the strip has rusted or the felt has split, the valley is re-lined with a new metal and the covering is lapped over it, so water runs down the valley rather than into the deck.
Chimney and wall flashings are checked for lift and sealant failure. Where the masonry has cracked or the lead is brittle, a new flashing is cut and fitted. The scope names each one, with the material chosen for the exposure and the original detail where it can be kept.
What does the owner receive at the end of a tear-off?
The owner receives a written account of the layers removed, the boards and rafter ends replaced, the flashings re-made and the covering fitted, with photographs of the deck before the new layer went on.
The photographs are kept with the scope, so a later repair, a sale or a claim has a record of what was under the roof. The owner also receives the covering type, the underlayment used and the vents reopened.
No warranty is stated on this page. Any manufacturer or workmanship promise is written in the owner's contract and read before signing.
How are the decking and the sheathing paid for in the scope?
The decking and sheathing are named as separate lines in the scope, with the number of boards or sheets and the reason for each. A board replaced because it was soft is recorded, and so is a board that was sound and left in place.
A scope that names only the covering hides the deck work inside a single total. The owner should see the boards replaced and the rafter ends sistered, so the work is visible and can be checked against the photographs taken on the day.
The count is made on the deck itself. A soft board is marked, measured and replaced, and the count is written into the scope before the new underlayment goes down.
