Roofing in Lincoln, RI

What is under the top layer of a mill-village roof?

Often another layer, and sometimes a very old one. Mill-village houses are often older and close together, which is a general pattern for this kind of housing, so slate or older shingle layers turn up when a roofer opens a roof. A house that has been reroofed several times may carry more than one layer, and each one adds weight and hides what lies beneath.

A roofer will want to see how many layers are there before quoting a replacement, because stripping them is a different job from covering them. Ask what the plan is for the old material and what the roofer will do if the decking under it turns out to be damaged.

If your roof is slate or cedar, the repair question is different again. Slate and cedar shake historic roofing explains why matching the original material matters on older houses, and why a patch with a different material may not be the right answer.

Why do chimneys and valleys come up so often here?

Because older houses were built with them and the roofs have had decades of weather around them. Masonry chimneys pass through the roof, and the flashing that seals them is a thin metal joint between two materials that expand and shrink at different rates. Valleys, where two roof planes meet, carry more water than any other part of the roof.

When either fails, the sign inside is often a stain on a wall or ceiling near the chimney or along a line where two roof sections meet. Chimney flashing and repair and flashing repair explain what the roofer examines and how a repair is made.

How can you tell what your roof is made of, and does it matter?

From the ground, slate looks flat, gray or dark and slightly uneven, cedar looks like weathered wooden shingles, and asphalt looks like a granular mat with tabs. A photo of each slope is the quickest way to tell the roofer what you have. If you are unsure, say so, because the roofer will identify it on arrival.

It matters because each material has its own repair method and its own way of failing. Asphalt wears at the surface and curls, slate tends to lose individual pieces or fail at its fasteners, and wood weathers and splits. The right repair on one is the wrong repair on another, and a quote that does not name your material is a quote worth questioning.

Village by village: does it matter where in Lincoln you live?

For the process, no. The same steps apply in Manville and in Lonsdale: an inspection, a quote, a decision. For the house, it can, because a mill-village street and a newer lot do not share an age or a style.

Tell the line which village you are in, and what the house is like: age if you know it, number of stories, shape of the roof and whether it has a chimney. That helps the roofer prepare. Call (833) 751-2102 to be put through.

What about permits and registration?

Ask the roofer what permit applies to your address and confirm it with the town before work starts. Ask also what the roofer holds with the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board. A Contractor Registration covers residential roofing, and a Commercial Roofing License applies to buildings with four or more dwelling units. The contractor registration guide explains how to check.