In Vancouver heritage roofing is a tricky art. What is sure is that when the house was built it was probably done a little differently than a home is built today. Even twenty years ago when roofers had a strange habit of going over the original roof that it is common to find Vancouver heritage homes with three layers of roofs. When hiring a roofing contractor they should definitely know how many layers you have before you sign on the line. Finding a extra layer during production is costly.
It can weigh quite a bit if there is suddenly an extra layer. What you will find out is the first layer is cedar. Good old, and I mean old Vancouver cedar. You cant get Cedar like that anymore, but it is definitely expired. In Vancouver heritage homes have steep pitches and weak decking. An increase of ventilation cause you probably getting laminate fibreglass shingles which means you getting a plywood deck.
The average roof on a Vancouver heritage house is quite steep. The house probably wasn't built with soffit vents, even though the house doesn't mean it's not needed. soffit vent installation is more important, there weatherpro vents that can be installed on the roof instead of hiring a expensive carpenter. Vancouver heritage homes are clustered together and when I mean together. they seem to be on average about two feet from each other. I have even seen some roofs overlapping each other which makes protecting your neighbours home important. Damaged siding can be expensive to repair on a heritage home and ruining a good relationship with your neighbour is priceless.
the roof deck on a really old home is probably strapping so plywood is a given always. I haven't seen any heritage homes getting a cedar shake roof but I am sure there are some. The most common negative issue I see roofers having with these homes is the chimney is falling apart. depending whether you use this chimney or not is a big facture on the choices your have. Another issue is siding. Most siding is still original! If this is the case is very hard to pull and slide new step or wall flashing. Flashing means the metal that stops water from sliding between things like a wall and roof. Old siding on heritage homes in Vancouver can mean that the roofer only has the choice of a short term barrier like caulking. If the owner insists that flashing be installed the roofer will often hand over the liability of the siding over to you. Dry rot is a major issue with these old houses so be prepared for carpentry work.
Each and every heritage home has it's own issues and one must play it by ear. Most problems you should see before the situation arises but always be ready for the unexpected when dealing with a Vancouver Heritage home
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