Roofing a Victorian Home in Willimantic, CT

Challenge

Willimantic, CT is home to a myriad of elegant Victorian houses that were built in the era of the prosperous Thread Mill Factories. Several of these properties are being refurbished and we recently had the privilege of working on the 'John A. McDonald' house. This home was built in 1892 by the founder, editor and president of the Willimantic Chronicle, and has been a prominent feature in town for over a century. However, the roof was beyond the point of simple maintenance and a total replacement was required. 

Solution

As on many antique homes, this project entailed removing several layers of old material. This house had a total of three layers to remove. After tearing off the old roof, we installed a completely new CDX plywood deck over the existing structural framing. We also added two 6' rows of Ice & Water shield to all of the eaves and a single row in the valleys. All of the exposed roof decking was covered with Owens Corning DeckDefense Synthetic underlayment. In addition to updated bathroom vents, the chimney was revamped with new lead flashing and an aluminum drip edge was added to the entire outside perimeter of the roof.

This was one among several towers that we have worked on, so we were prepared for the amount of proficiency involved in roofing its unique, conical structure. The process combines everything there is to know about roofing and is a true test of our collective experience. There is nothing to anchor on to, so the octagonal peak must first be lassoed before traversing it. From there, naturally pliable shingles are molded and nailed around the curve of the tower. We used Designer Color Summer Harvest Shingles, from Owens Corning to achieve a classical yet sleek look.