Our Team Completed a Historic Roof Restoration and Replacement in Gainesville
Over the years, our team here at Skyline Contracting has gotten the chance to work on many interesting homes and other buildings throughout Gainesville, GA. In today’s Project Spotlight, we’re taking a look at a project that was particularly interesting for its history, as our team completed a full restoration and replacement on a historic roof in our area.
At Skyline Contracting, we welcome unique and interesting roofing challenges. For this particular roof, our team had to contend with multiple layers of old roofing, including metal shingles dating from decades ago that our team had never encountered before. Here’s how our team completely replaced and restored the roof of this building.
Background and Client: A Historic Building on Green Street
For this project, our client was the owner of a historic building along iconic Green Street in central Gainesville, GA. Now used as an office, this building had a long history and was likely built around a century ago.
Unfortunately, a large tree in the yard had fallen during a storm and hit the side of the building, including a significant portion of the roof. While luckily no one was harmed, the roof was severely damaged and would need major work to be fully restored.
Our client asked around for recommendations, and like so many of our customers here at Skyline, they were referred to us by a past client.
The Project: A Historic Roof Restoration
The roof of this building comprised multiple layers of materials, and the tree had severely damaged the roofing system. This meant our team would need to fully remove the old layers of material in order to restore the underlying framework and install a new roofing system.
As we went along, we faced a number of challenges, but our team was up to the task!
The Challenges: Insurance, Layers of Roofing, and More
When working on a historic roof restoration, it’s fairly common to face more challenges than on a newer building. Historic buildings and homes may be built according to different codes and requirements using materials that may be difficult to match with today’s products.
This project was no exception! To begin with, our team needed to remove multiple layers of roofing, which would bring along logistical challenges with waste removal. As we reached the underlying structure of the roof, it became clear that the roofing system had deteriorated with time, and additional work would be needed to improve the framework before a new roof could be installed.
Our team also needed to coordinate with the insurance company and help the building owner demonstrate that a roof repair would not be sufficient or possible for this roof. In addition to the underlying damage, many of the products needed to complete a repair simply weren’t available due to supply chain issues during COVID.
The Result: A New Roof to Last for Decades
This roof and building has lasted a long time, and our team was determined to provide a roof that would last for decades more. As we set about completing this historic roof restoration, our team solved each challenge in turn.
We fully removed each layer of roofing material, coordinating carefully to ensure that waste removal wouldn’t disrupt the activities of this active office. We also built additional framing and bracing in the attic to better support the roof, which had begun to sag due to age.
With the old roofing removed and the proper supports in place, our team installed a new layer of sheathing to meet current building codes, as well as materials designated by the historic society here in Gainesville. The new roof used Timberline HDZ Weathered Wood, and the restored look was truly spectacular!
Book Your Inspection with Skyline Contracting Today
At Skyline Contracting, we love a unique roofing challenge, and working on historical buildings often provides the opportunity to solve problems for our customers. If you’re faced with a complicated roof replacement or repair, the Skyline team is here to help!
The quality of our work is second to none, and there’s a good reason why so much of our work comes from direct referrals from happy clients. Get in touch with us today to book an initial inspection and get a free quote.
