The work older Boston homes were built to need.
A 1898 brownstone wasn't designed for asphalt shingles. The framing was specified for slate weight, the chimneys for copper-clad flashing, the gutters for half-round copper conductor heads. When that roof finally needs work, putting modern asphalt on it is the wrong answer twice — historically wrong and structurally wrong.
We do the work the way the architects originally specified. Natural slate or properly-weighted synthetic, with copper flashing and copper gutters, on framing we've assessed for capacity. Where the original lead-coated copper has failed, we replace with bare copper that will age into the same patina over a decade. Where mortar joints have failed in chimneys, we re-point with lime-cement mortar matched to the era.
If your home is on the National Register or in a local historic district, we know what you can do and what triggers review. We've worked with the Massachusetts Historical Commission and most Boston-area historic district commissions. The paperwork is part of the job.
