Doing it all

• Photo courtesy of Delta Roofing, North Billerica, Mass.
• Photo courtesy of Delta Roofing, North Billerica, Mass.
• Photo courtesy of Delta Roofing, North Billerica, Mass.

The Weisberg Estate is nestled in the New England town of Bedford, N.H. The extensive property holds a 12,000-square-foot (1115-m²) main house, 8,000-square-foot (743-m²) pool house and two buildings with additional living space, including garage space for 12 cars.

When the owners, Doug and Debbie Weisberg, wanted to replace the existing worn wood cedar roof system on all the buildings, they called Delta Roofing, North Billerica, Mass., who had installed a roof system on the Weisbergs' place of business. The owners were looking for a more durable roof system that would complement the estate and property.

"We were asked to design a new roof system that would fit the environment where the property was located, which is a wooded lot, and add character to the property," says Peter Owens, president of Delta Roofing and project manager for the job. "The property had just been purchased, and the current roof system had numerous leaks. The existing siding was red cedar, which added character to the property but also created a lot of maintenance. During the design process, we decided to remove the existing cedar on the vertical knee walls and install new slate with copper accents. This would add a center architectural feature, as well as help with future maintenance."

Delta Roofing's duties included designing the new roof system, completing all the copper fabrication and installing the entire roof application.

A tedious job

The existing roof systems equalled 18,000 square feet (1672 m²), encompassed all four buildings and presented some unique problems for Delta Roofing.

"The existing wood shake roof systems were installed directly over a plywood substrate," Owens says. "This led to premature deterioration of the wood shakes because the wood shakes were not allowed to breathe."

Owens explains that wood shakes are best laid over a batten system. If wood shakes are placed over solid sheathing, a cedar breather underlayment should be used.

The roof system tear-off was not an easy task.

"The removal process was extremely tedious because the property had extensive landscaping and numerous glass entries," Owens says. "Access was difficult because of the glass protruding from the buildings and the need to be protected from debris. We removed the wood shakes from one building at a time and completely covered the existing plywood substrate with a high-temperature 0.060-inch (2-mm) self-adhered bituthene underlayment. Rosin paper was installed over the bituthene where copper details were installed."

Important details

The Weisbergs selected Poultney, Vt.-based Greenstone Slate Co. Inc.'s Non-Fading Purple slate measuring 12 inches by 18 inches (305 mm by 457 mm) with a 1/4-inch thickness. All hips, ridges, valleys, drip edges, step flashings, standing-seam ice belts, chimney caps, vertical flat-seam siding, penetration flashings, half-round double-bead gutter systems and downspouts were fabricated by Delta Roofing in either 16-ounce or 20-ounce red copper. Four 5- by 5-foot (2- by 2-m) existing skylights on the main house were removed, and new copper-clad Low-E skylights were installed. Two more copper-clad skylights were installed on the front five-car garage because the Weisbergs wanted to add light to the upstairs living space above the garages. Delta Roofing framed these openings and designed and fabricated the flashing kits.

In addition, the house did not have proper eave-to-ridge ventilation.

"We designed a complete ridge ventilation system, which required extensive copper fabrication, wood blocking and cutting of the existing plywood substrate," Owens says. "All existing chimneys were clad in flat-seam copper siding with new chimney caps and copper bird screening. All fabrication for this project was completed in Delta Roofing's fabrication shop in North Billerica, which encompassed about three weeks for two to three fabricators.

"The main house had an observatory patio on the third floor overlooking the gardens and woods that was removed completely to the plywood roof deck," he continues. "A new Carlisle fully adhered 0.060-inch (2-mm) EPDM membrane roof system was installed over one layer of 1/2-inch- (13-mm-) thick DensDeck. Carlisle's Sure-Seal Interlocking rubber paver system was installed in black. Once completed, the patio railing system was reinstalled."

The landscaping and glass entries were an issue during installation, as well.

"The site was tight because of the landscaping, which made moving the slate to areas such as the two glass foyers slow and tedious," Owens says. "We had to use our crane various times to lift slate and copper into place. Both glass foyers were completely staged for protection, as well as the back side of the pool house, which was about 12 feet (4 m) from the pool."

Delta Roofing paid close attention to safety during the project, which began in April 2004 and was completed in October 2004.

"For safety purposes and the removal process, the four buildings were staged," Owens says. "We also used our 80-foot (24-m) aerial lift, ladders, picks and roof bracket systems. In some locations, full-body harnesses and lanyards were used."

Challenges

Owens says the time frame and large extent of detail work posed the biggest challenges during the project.

"We could not afford a delay in any aspect of the application," he says. "It was critical the project was completed before the first snowfall, which typically is early November in central New Hampshire. This required a tremendous amount of logistical planning for the removal process, fabrication, slate delivery and, most important, labor management. This project required skilled craftsmen, and because it was the busiest time of the year, we had to do some creative crew scheduling to complete it."

One of the project's greatest challenges also was what made the project so distinctive.

"The most unique aspect of this project was to design and fabricate all the metal and copper details to fit into the current architecture of the building without making one detail in particular appear out of place," Owens says.

It also is what made the project so rewarding for Delta Roofing.

"Designing a system to fit into the architectural environment of the existing buildings and accomplishing the owners' desire to create a unique architectural design that would blend in well with the cedar siding was a great challenge and reward," Owens says. "The owners wanted a focal point as visitors drive up to the estate, and that was accomplished with great success."

Krista Reisdorf is associate editor of Professional Roofing magazine.

Project name: Weisberg Estate
Project location: Bedford, N.H.
Project duration: April 2004-October 2004
Roof system type: Slate roof system
Roofing contractor: Delta Roofing, North Billerica, Mass.
Roofing manufacturer: Greenstone Slate Co. Inc., Poultney, Vt.