Photo courtesy of Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Photo courtesy of Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Photo courtesy of Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Photo courtesy of Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Photo courtesy of Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif.
Kelly Thompson Ranch in Watsonville, Calif., was built in 1851 as a private residence and served as a venue for special events. Although the ranch's grounds continue to be used for private events, the historical mansion has been vacant for 50 years because of leaks in the roof.
The mansion features a complex steep-slope roof with multiple levels and various slopes. So when the owners of Kelly Thompson Ranch decided to replace the roof on the historical structure, it was important to find a contractor who could rise to the challenge.
A complex design
The owners of Kelly Thompson Ranch approached Knox Roofing, Scotts Valley, Calif., and asked it to install a fiberglass-reinforced architectural shingle roof system on the mansion.
The original 3,700-square-foot roof system consisted of 1x6 and 1x8 redwood spaced sheathing and cedar shingles. There was no underlayment to protect against moisture intrusion, and numerous leaks had resulted.
"There was extensive termite damage and rotted wood," says Warren Knox, owner of Knox Roofing. "Certain parts of the roof were literally collapsing."
Joshua Nichols, quality-control manager for Knox Roofing, adds: "In addition to the roof having a 10-in-12 (40-degree) slope, it has difficult corners and countless details." Nichols worked as an installer on the Kelly Thompson Ranch project.
"There were multiple areas of tricky tie-ins and additional work necessary on the old cedar shingle siding," Nichols says. "The old tin flashings were thin and rusted and had to be replaced along with the shingle siding."
Attention to detail
Knox Roofing installed 1/2-inch-thick plywood on all roof areas to increase deck stiffness.
The multiple-level roof has low-slope and steep-slope areas. Knox Roofing installed a layer of No. 30 underlayment on the steep-slope portions of the roof, and a polystyrene insulation board and Duro-Last® Roofing Inc. PVC roof system were installed on the low-slope portions. Owens Corning's Oakridge® composition asphalt shingles in Estate Gray were then installed.
"Our crews faced a number of issues trying to get the materials onto the roof," Nichols says. "There was a fence that encompassed the perimeter of the mansion. We had to use a ladder hoist to lift the material to the gutter's edge.
"From the edge, it was carried to the upper sections of the roof," Nichols continues. "We formed a line up the roof and passed the bundles up to each other, slowly getting the materials topside."
And because of the roof's multiple levels and a five-story-high steeple, safety was an especially big concern.
Nichols says: "We used roof jacks at 45-degree and 90-degree angles for work on the 21-in-12 (60-degree) slope steeple and used plenty of roof anchors."
Roof jacks with 2x6 boards were installed on all roof areas for ease of accessibility. In addition, Knox Roofing used safety harnesses and lanyards, and safety ropes were installed at all access areas.
A special challenge
One of the most challenging aspects of the project was performing work on the large cone-shaped steeple at the top of the roof.
"It was a challenge to map out the steeple, which was more of an irregular oblong shape as opposed to a circle," says Nichols. "The steeple was five stories up and frightening to be on at times. This portion alone took two weeks to complete because of the many intricacies of roofing a cylindrical shape."
With a string line, Knox Roofing workers snapped horizontal and vertical lines on every course that was to be installed, all the way to the top of the steeple.
"The lines made it easier to cut the necessary angles as we worked around the steeple base's 70-foot perimeter," says Nichols.
Before shingle installation began, Knox Roofing constructed wedge-shaped plywood sections to wrap around the steeple. Screws were used to install the plywood.
Complications arose during installation of shingles on the steeple.
"Because of the steeple's oblong shape, the shingles had to be cut at least twice—often more—before being installed," says Nichols. "The beginning length of the shingles was 24 inches, and by the time we reached the top of the steeple, the shingles were cut to as small as 4 inches."
However, good teamwork and communication among the installers made the challenges easier, according to Nichols.
"The hardships of this project were over-come by having a great group of installers who worked extremely well together," he says. "Our Duro-Last Roofing crew of four, for example, tackled some of the most complex and tight areas of their careers and made it seem like a breeze. Everyone's close relationship and ability to communicate well with one another led to ease of problem solving during the job."
Unique accomplishment
The challenges and complexity of the project made it worthwhile.
"The most rewarding part of this project was our final trip down the ladder to a place on the ground where we could turn around and see how beautiful the roof turned out," says Nichols. "To feel so good about what we all had just accomplished—it was awesome!"
Ashley St. John is Professional Roofing's associate editor.
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