preservation & people (pm newsletter), summer 2002

8/14/2019 Preservation & People (PM Newsletter), Summer 2002

1/12

Hancock Shaker Village,PO Box 927, Pittsfield, MA

Fr id a y, Ju ly 19 Augus t 3Summer Farm CampFor program and registration info, contact theNew England Heritage Breeds Conservancyat 413-443-8356

Sat . and Sun. , July 27 & 28,9:30 AM 5:00 PMAge of Iron demonstration

Sat . a nd Sun. , August 24 & 25,9:30 AM 5:00 PMHancock Shaker Village Antiques ShowFor more info call 413-443-0188 or v isit their

website: www.ha ncockshakervillage.org

Har dwick Com munity FairRte. 32 A, H ardwick, MA

Fri., August 16, 7:00 PM 10:00 PM andSat., August 17, 9:00 AM 3:30 PMThe 240th Hardwick Fair,The Oldest Fair in the United Stat es.For more info call Lar ry Duquette at 413-477-8238 or email [email protected].

New England C hapter, Society of Architectural Historians141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA

S a t u rday morning, September 7Fenway Walking Tour, BostonS a t u r d a y, October 5Tour of Kenneb unk , MaineThursday evening, November 7Nationalism in Turkish ArchitectureLectur e by scholar Sybel Bozdogan . To beheld in the Boston area . For more info aboutthese events ca ll NE/ SAH Pres. Mar thaMcNama ra at 61 7-367-1725 or email [email protected].

Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities141 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA

We d n es d a y, August 14, 12:15 1:00 PMThe Union Oyster House: A BostonLandmark Rediscovered, Lecture by ArthurKrimOld West Church, Boston. For more infoabout this event call 617-277-3957 ext. 270.

S u n d a y, September 15, 1:00 4:00 PMCommunity Open House, Winslow CrockerHouse, Yar mou thpor t, MA

Th u r s d a y, September 19, 6:00 8:30 PMTwilight Tour with Bostonian s at Home

Harrison Gray Otis House, Bost on, MA.For more info about above two events call

617-227-3956.Sa tu r d a y, September 21 , 10:00 11:30 AMModern Neighbors: Walking Tour of theWoods En d ColonyGropius House, Lincoln, MA.Sa tur d a y, September 28,10:00 AM 3:30 PMExploring First Period ArchitectureBrowne House, Watertown, MA. For moreinfo about above two events call 781-259-8098.

200 2 Massachusetts HistoricPreservation C onference

The Economics of PreservationFr id a y, September 27, New Bedford, MAComplete schedule and registration materialswill be ava ilable in Augus t. For mor e info callthe Massachusetts Historical Commission at617-727-8470

Leadership Training ConferenceSa t u r d a y, Sept ember 2 8, New Bedford, MAProgram for Leadership Training Conferenceto be made ava ilable at a later date. Formore info call Historic Massachusetts at 617-723-3383

NON-PROFITORG.

U.S.POSTAGE PAID

BOSTON, MA

PERMITNO.52216

Ma r k You r Ca lend a r !

HISTORIC MASSACH USETTSOld City Hall, 45 School Street

Boston, MA 02108617-723-3383 Fax 617-523-3782www.historicmass.org


2/12

In this issue

From t he Executive Director ............................2

Annual Preservation Awards Dinner............ ......3

Fundamentals..........................Technical Inser t

Endangered Update ..........................................9

Mark Your Calendar!

Upcoming Events ............... ...............Back Cover

The Judah Baker Windmill,Yarmouth, a successfulMassachusetts Preservat ionProjects Fund (MPPF) project.See page 2 for informationregarding the current statusof the MPPF.

Vol. 17, N O. 2 HISTORIC MASSACHUSETTS SUMMER 2002

Photo: Courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Commission


3/12


4/12

Summer 2002 , Preservation and People 11

C ongratula tions toH istoric M assachusetts I nc.

and its new E xecutive D irector, J ames I goeCAROL BRATLEY

BRATLEYASSOCIATES, INC.107 WARREN STREET

CHARLESTOWN, MA02129617-241-9400

[email protected]

New a nd Renewed MembershipsMarch 1 to M ay 31, 2002

Margaret O. AlexanderElizabeth M. AmesMary AmesPeter J. Au cellaBerkshire Opera Co mpanyJean Allen BirdBricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Union

Local No. 3Carol Bratley/Bratley Associates, Inc.Brookline Preservation CommissionConcord Square D evelopment Company,

Inc.Ron CoutureA. M. Creighton, Jr.Tanya M. CushmanSherri S. Cutler, AIA/Ecodesign, Inc.Daniel DubeEdward Bellamy Memorial Assoc.Thomas J. ElmoreMinxie & Jim Fa nninMarilyn Fe nollosaDavid Fi xlerRosanne A. Fo leyFramingham Planning and Economic

DevelopmentFriends of Buttonwood Pa rk Deborah GrayNancy M. HahnMarlene & John HarringtonHarwich Historical CommissionHistoric Salem, Inc.Pamela P. H owland

Ipswich Historical CommissionGail IsaksenJean P. Ke f f erstanElena KingslandLara KritzerVirginia M. LawrenceHenry LeeEllen J. LipseyMr. & Mrs. George M. Lovejoy, Jr.Judith LundJohn & Lorna Mack

Veronica McClureJudith B. McDonoughPaul J. McGinley/McGinley Hart &

AssociatesMaureen MeisterWilliam B. OsgoodCristina N. Pr ochiloFreda RebelskyCarlton F. Re zendesDaniel L. Romanow &

B. Andrew ZelermyerMargaret D. Ro saEdward StanleyMarcia D. StarkeyDidier O. ThomasDelores Vi arengoJoseph Ve raEd WhiteDebra Wo lf M r. & Mrs. John M. Wo olsey, Jr.Yarmou th H istorical Commission

Interested in placing an ad inPreservation and People ?

Please contact H istoric Massachusetts at617-723-3383 for advertising rates and conditions.

HISTORICMASSACHUSETTS!Our strength lies inthe working part-nership we haveforged with peoplethroughout theCommonwealth.We welcome allpeople and organi-zations who careabout the preserva-tion of our historicand culturalresources. Our goalis to encourage theweaving of theseresources into t hesocial and economicfabric of Mass-

achusetts life in thisnew century.

Join Please indicate your choice of Membership Category.K Preservation Leader: $2500 or moreK Sponsor: $250 or moreK Donor: $100 or moreK Family/Organization: $50 or mo reK Individual: $ 35

K Seniors and Students: $15K I would like to give a gift membership to the individual(s)

listed below.

Please make check(s) payable to HistoricMassachusetts and mail to:Historic Massachusetts, Old City Hall45 School Street, Boston, MA 02108

Name________________________________________

From ________________________________________

Address ______________________________________

City ______________State ____ Zip __________

Phone ______________________________________

Email ________________________________________

Historic Massachusetts is a 501 (c) (3) organization.Membership contributions are fully tax deductible.

PRESERVATION a nd PEOPLE is a membership benefit of Historic Massachusetts. Fo radditional membership information please call 617-723-3383. Historic Massachusettscan also be reached over the Internet . Check out our website for email addresses,inf ormation a nd upcoming events: www. historicm ass.org.


5/12

10 Preservation and People, Summer 2002

Comm ercial strips, low-density resi-dential subdivisions, traffic congestion,wall-to-wall parking and the relentlessconsumption of open land are all symp-toms of a national problem sprawl.

Although not unique to New England,sprawl is particularly evident here, whereit stands in stark contrast with traditionalsettlement patterns. Much of rural NewEngland still retains the flavor of the colo-nial period compact town centers sur-round ed by a working landscape of fields and forest. But, as the linesbetween town and country start to

b l u r, o ur regional identity and sense of place have suffered. Anywhere U.S.A. isnot that far away.

Smart Growth planning is viewed asthe antidote to sprawl. Many states haveembraced these principals; unfortunately,our Common wealth has not. Ironically,Massachusetts, where the term was firstcoined in 198 7, was recently identified bythe American Planning Association as oneof the 28 states with the most outdated

land use laws, many traceable back to themodels of the 1920s.

In many ways Massachusetts is amodel for its environmental laws andland acquisition programs; however, thesame cannot be said for the state lawsgoverning planning, zoning, and subdivi-sion the building blocks of land-use con-trol. In Massachusetts, the responsibilityfor land planning and the authority toregulate development rest with its citiesand towns. Ho wever, the state lawswhich set the framework for this localcontrol contain unclear or restrictive pro-

visions that effectively deprive municipali-ties of the authority consistent with theirresponsibilities. These imped iments makemunicipal planning and land use controlall but toothless.

Massachusetts is the only state thatpermits unlimited creation of building lotsalong existing roadways without review asa subdivision. These appro val notrequired (ANR) lots are the predominantform of land development in rural towns,effectively determining their future moreso than any land use plan. The resultingroadside sprawl has become a dominantand depressing feature of the landscape,causing aesthetic damage, drainage night-mares and safety hazard s. Again, this isunprecedented in other states.

Despite our leadership role in the1980s, Massachusetts has lagged behindin achieving anything meaningful in smartgrowth. Our state is still zoned to sprawl.Those concerned must send a clear mes-sage to the legislature that planning,zoning and subdivision reform be put onthe front burner now!

Jeffrey R. Lacy is a professional land useplanner who lives in Shutesbury.

Zoning Reform Needed To Fight SprawlBy Jeffrey R. Lacy, AICP

A drive in thecou n try the sedays may p rovokedisturbingob se rva tion sabou t the formland d evelopmen t

is taking in theCom m on we a lth .

One h und red acre ANR developm ent in arural Massachusetts town.

Courtesy of MDC Division of WatershedManagement.


6/12

Summer 2002 , Preservation and People 3

Historic Massachusetts AnnualPreservation Awards Dinner

O n Wednesday, May 8th, Historic Massachusetts held itsannual Preservation Awards Dinner at the CopleyPlaza Hotel in Boston. Approximately four hundred

people attended the Dinner, making it Historic Massachusettsmost successful event ever! The evening was not only success-ful in building organizational support, it was also a magnificentopportunity to honor several of the Commonwealths preserva-tion leaders. Thank you to everyone who helped to make thisevent so extraordinary through their generous gifts and enthusi-astic participation!

Photos courtesy of Joey Libby Photography

Above: Left to Right: Clarissa Rowe, HMI Chair, BetsyShure Gross, recipient of the Paul E. Tsongas Award, ThaliaTsongas Schlesinger.

Right: Robert and Carol Russe ll, recipie nts of theFred erick Law Olm sted Award , and family.

Left to Right: Chip Gillesp ie, WHALE Presid en t, an d TonySouza, WHALE Executive Direct or, re cipien ts of th e Cha rlesW. Eliot II Award, and Jim Igoe, HMI Executive Director.

Elsa N. Fitzgerald, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and family.

Left to Right: Tony Souza of WHALE, Keith Chenot, PreservationWorcester President, an d David Leach, Preservation WorcesterExecutive Directo r, recip ients of the Charles W. Eliot II Award .


7/12

The African American Heritage Tr ailof Marthas Vineyard (AAHTMV) con-sists of sixteen sites dedicated t o th emem or y of ind ividua ls of Af r i c a ndescent whose lives are significant to thehistory of the island, including a womanfrom Africa enslaved on the island dur-ing the revolutionary period and hergreat-gran dson, M arth as Vi n e y a r d s only African American whaling captain.

The African American Heritage Tr ailHistory Project (AAHTHP) is a non-profit corporation whose mission is toresearch, disseminate and e ducate thecommunity of Marthas Vineyard aboutthe African American h istor y of th eisland. In addition to providing escort-ed tours of the Heritage Trail, the livesof several African American pe ople,whose stories had disappeared intoobscurity prior to the late twentieth cen-t u r y, have been researched and pub-lished as a brief history, TheAfrican-American Heritage of MarthasVineyard (Wein tra ub & Ta n k a r d ) ,which is available through the

AAH TH P. More recently, the AAHTH Pdedicated two sites, one in Menemsha

and o ne in Aquinnah, wh ich tell thestory of the rescue of a fugitive slaveduring the years of the second Fu gitiveSlave Act. The AAHTH P also recentlycelebrated the achievements of Af ricanAmerican women who o perated smalllodging houses in Oak Bluffs, thusenabling people of color to stay on theisland.

The Captain William Martin House

On the island of Chappaquiddick,which is part of Edgartown, is the housewhere Marthas Vineyards only Af ricanAmerican whaling captain, William A.Martin (b. 1830/d. 1907), resided dur-ing his adult life.

The great-grandson and grandson of

enslaved African women, Mart in rose toeminence in the seafaring community of Edgartown and captained several whal-ing boats, directing crews that were pre-dominantly Caucasian, during the latteryears of the whaling industry. Mart inshouse is located on what was once theIndian plantation, and it was also theresidence of his wife, Sarah Brown , andher family, who were of Native Ameri-can descent.

The AAHTMV now has the oppor-tunity to buy the former home of Cap-tain William M artin and restore i t .Once restored, the History Project plansto use the house as a research and cul-tural center where it can cond uct aca-demic symposia and display culturalartifacts. The Capt ain Martin house,believed to be built in the early 1800s, is

an architectural andhistorical treasure,although it is currentlyin disrepair. It is notonly a unique exampleof a relatively unal-tered New England

maritime-related structure, but it is alsothe last surviving physical link to the lifeof Captain Martin. If this building cannot be preserved, an irreplaceable partof the Vineyards history will be lost for-ever.

Elaine Cawley Weintraub is a histori-an and a histor y teacher at Mart h a sVi n e y a rd Region al H igh School, and afounder of the African American Her-ita ge Trail of Mart ha s Vi n e y a rd. Fo rm o re information about the HeritageTrail or the Capt ain William Mart i nHouse, please contact the African Ameri-can Heritage Trail of Marthas Vi neyard,PO Box 1513, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557,(508) 693-4361.

4 Preservation and People, Summer 200 2

S P O T L I G H T O N :

The African American Heritage Trail of Marthas Vineyardand The Captain William Martin House

by Elaine Cawley Weintraub

Captain William MartinHouse, Chappaqu iddick

Photo courtesy of theAfrican American HeritageTrail of Marthas Vineyard


8/12

Summer 200 2 , Preservation an d People 9

Pinebank, featured on HMIs Te nMost Endangered list in 1996, is aHigh Victorian Gothic mansion sitedon a promontory overlookingJamaica Pond that is in even greater

peril than it was six years ago.Built in 1870 as the summer home of

the Perkins family, Pinebank is noted forits lavish use of terra cotta and decora-tive molded brick. Acquired by the Cityof Boston in 1892 for the creation of Jamaica Park, landscape architect Fr ed-erick Law Olmsted saw the estate asplaying a role in his design plans. Noother building survived the citys amass-ing and development o f land u nderOlmsteds careful designs for the Emer-ald Necklace park system.

In the early 20th century, Pinebank

served as the first home of the BostonChildrens Museum and later was formany years the offices of the BostonParks Department. Left vacant in 1975,the mansion was soon vand alized andheavily damaged by a series of fires. Atpresent, Pinebank is a nearly emptymasonry shell, its roof greatly deterio-rated and handsome brick envelopebeginning to crumble. The alarmingneglect by the city runs counter toBostons updated Emerald Necklace

Master Plan which recommendsPinebanks stabilization and preserva-tion. The mansion is in both NationalRegister and Boston Landmark Districts.

In 1996, following PinebanksEndangered designation, a charette wasor ganized by Bosto n Pr e s e r v a t i o n

Alliance (BPA) in which a variety of reuses for th e mansion were considered.A number of viable options were pro-posed, including non-profit offices andspecial events and public space, allemphasizing a 24-hour presence.U n f o r t u n a t e l y, due to a lack o f neigh-b o rhood support and consensus, theCity of Boston backed down from mov-ing forward with any plans for the dete-riorating structur e. Leaders of theJamaica Plain community have continu-ally voiced concerns with parking andvehicular traffic assumed to be associat-ed with any reuse of Pinebank. At pres-ent, the Boston Parks and Re c r e a t i o nDepartment has no plans for the man-sion aside from minimal public safetymeasures including boarding up severalwindows and fixing a perimeter fence.

A recent alarming development wasthe unanimous decision in May by theJamaica Pond Advisory Committee tosupport th e practical demolit ion of Pinebank and the retention of a part of the structur e as an historic ruin.

Members of the Council, composed of representatives from several JamaicaPlain neighborhood organizations, took the stance that Pinebank is a blight o nJamaica Park and that a decision had tobe made in a timely manner to alleviatethis presumed situat ion.

A number of advocates for Pinebank do ex ist , however, and any seriousthought on its disposition will involvethem. City Councilwoman Maura Hen-nigan, representing the Sixth District inJamaica Plain, is solidly for the man-sions reuse and has earmarked$700,000 of city funds toward stabiliz-ing and mo thballing th e building.Albert Rex, Executive Director of theB PA, h as stated that his grou p, withassistance from the Boston LandmarksCommission, will focus energy on thisissue in the coming months in an effortto reach a conclusion within a goo dtimeframe. A local group, Friends of Pinebank, chaired by H ugh M attison(tel . 617-232-6083, email: [email protected]), is championing the

effort to rehabilitate the once grandestate and is currently investigating thereuse of comparable structures in parksacross the nation. Active discussions arenow being conducted with the Pr ospectPark Alliance, which has successfullyreused a number o f histor ic buildings ina landscape also designed by Olmsted inthe late 1800s.

Edward Stanley is a recent graduate of the Boston University PreservationStudies Masters Degree Program andlives in Jamaica Plain.

Ten Most Endangered Historic Resources Update:

Pinebank Still in PerilBy Edward Stanley

Pineb ank, Jamaica Park, Jamaica Plain Photo: Edward Stanley

Did you hear?!Histori c Massachusetts will be holding a

2002 Ten Most EndangeredAnnouncement Fall Fundra iser Event in

November! Exact da te, time and locati onto be announced. For more information,

please call HMI at 617-723-3383.


9/12

also a tendency during shingle applica-tion to over-nail. More than two nailsper shingle can create the potential forshingles to crack. For these reasons, airnailing (and stapling with large crownstaples) is not recommended.

The Raised Roof Method forRetrofitting Historic Wood

Shingled Roofs

The following is a wood shingling system thathas been used successfully on a number ofhistoric buildings in New England. Theresults are not complete as of this writing,however initial findings are promising. Theroofs constructed using this system, some ofwhich are almost 20 years old, are all inexcellent condition.

These specifications are applicable tomost historic and modern roof systemswith an adequate pitch to support shin-gled surfaces (minimum 6 ).

O The vented roof system uses a grid-work of 1 x 3 nailers applied to thesolid roof sheathing. The first layer isapplied vertically, spaced 16 to 24on center and attached with galva-nized screws.

O 1 x 3 horizont al nailers are thenscrewed to the lower battens andspaced at the shingle exposure (usu-ally 5 on- center.) This creates araised deck that allows the backs ofthe shingles to be exposed to an air

space between the original roofsheathing and shingles thus allowingwet shingles to dry evenly.

O The circulation of air beneath theshingle is forced by stack effect over

an elevated ridge vent and drawnthrough a long horizontal crack spaceabove the crown molding at thelower roof edge.

O Additional details are required at thecornice, rakes and ridges. See sampledetails in drawing for more informa-tion.

With this system, the roof ventilationworks continuously and passively, pro-ducing a number of benefits for the roofand building as a whole:

O Shingles dry continuously and uni-formly from above and below.

O Roof temperature is more consistentin that it is cooler in the summer, thusreducing the heat in attic spaces dur-ing summer months.

O Moisture is controlled and removedduring the winter heating season,thus adding to the thermal perform-ance of insulation.

O Conditions that can cause ice damsare controlled by removing exc e s sheat, thus keeping the roof surface ator near the exterior temperature.

O New shingles are nailed to the 1 x 3battens, rather than the historic roofsheathing, with greater holdingpower.

O Fragile historic roof sheathing is gen-

erally strengthened and conserved bythe installation of 1 x 3 grid attachedwith screws.

Roofs venti lated in t his manner should havea life expectancy of 25 to 50 years, andpotentially even longer, depending on thespecies and quality of shingles, careful appli -cation techniques, weather conditions andperiodic maintenance.

Robert Adam is head of the PreservationCarpentry program at the North BennetStreet School (NBSS) in Boston.

A portion of this information has been financedwith federal funds from the National Park Service,U.S. Department of the Interior, through theMassachusetts Historical Commission, WilliamFrancis Galvin, Chair. However, the contents andopinions do not necessarily reflect the views orpolicies of the Department of the Interior or theMHC. The U.S. Department of the Interior pro -hibits the discrimination on the basis of race, color,national origin, age, gender or handicap in its fed -erally-assisted programs. To report discriminationor for information, write to Office of EqualOpportunity, Department of the Interior, 1849 CStreet NW, Room 1324 Washington, D .C. 2024 0.

Useful terminology and formulas:Bundle : A convenient packaging unit,easily handled by one worker. It containsa quantity that is a multiple of onesquare. Most wood shingles are pack-aged as 4 bundles per square. Longerand/ or thicker shingles may be packagedas 5 bundles per square.Butt : The thick end of a shingle.Course : An application of individual shin-gles in horizontal rows that are spaced auniform vertical distance apart.Coverage : The net area covered at agiven exposure. Coverage can also meanthe number of overlapping layers orthickness of shingles when applied to asurface. For example, most wood shin-gles have three layers or triple coverage.Exposure : The amount of surface leftvisible in overlapping courses when meas-ured vertically from butt to butt.

Grades : Each species of shingle is gradedfor quality based on specific criteria suchas nominal length, butt thickness, type ofgrain (cut), percentage of heartwood, andallowable defects. Manufacturers belongto trade associations that set standardgrading rules and apply labels on theirproducts that identify the grade. Someexamples of grade names include: Clears,extras, # 1, # 2, Blue label, and Red label.Headlap : The length of shingle not

exposed.Rated Expo sure : The exposureexpressed in inches that will yield 100square feet of coverage. For example,16-inch shingles applied in courses with a5-inch exposure will cover 100 squarefeet.Shingle sizes : Random widths, usuallynot less than 4 inches, 12 to 36 incheslong, butt 7/ 16 inch or thicker. Mostcommon sizes: 16 inches at 5 exposure

Formulas:

Find the area of the roof surface in squarefeet.

One square of shingles will cover 100 squarefeet of roof when applied with a rated expo-sure of 5 inches. The same square will coveronly 80 square feet when applied in courseswith a 4 inch exposure.

Exposure x 100 sq. ft = coverageRated exposure

Or

4 x 100 = 80 sq. ft. per square5

Divide this into t he total roof area to deter-mine the amount of shingles needed.

4 FUNDAMENTALS: Preservation Tools You Can Use


10/12

The wood shingles long historyin North America

Prior to the late 19th century creationof the asphalt shingle, wood shingleswere the predominant roof coveringused for most 18th and 19th centurybuildings in the United States, particular-

ly in rural areas. Historically, the onlypart of the lumber used for roofing, sid-ing and other exterior applications wasthe heartwood. The heartwood of mostspecies is usually more dense and lesssusceptible to disease and decay fromfungus and insects. Most wood shinglesproduced before the mid-19th centurywere hand split (riven) from indigenousspecies. The lumber used to manufac-ture shingles was generally riven (splitalong the grain) from large diametertrees capable of yielding sections wideenough for shingles. Short sections oflogs, crosscut to the length of the shin-gle, were split first in half through thecenter and in half again, creating quar-ter sections. From these quarter sec-tions, individual shingles were split: firstfrom one radial edge, then the other.The usual range of widths is from 3-8inches.

Quartered grain is an important qual-ity of shingles and lumber. The annualrings of quartered stock are perpendicu-lar to the face and produce a more sta-ble surface. They are much more stablethan plane or flat sawn shinglessawed by machines that slice throughth e annual rings t angentially. Thegreater stability of riven quartered grainsyields shingles that are thin yet strong,expand and contract less, and lay flat.These factors are important to guaran-tee a weather-proof roof.

Local woods were chosen for avail-a b i l i t y, durability, uniformity of grain,and ease of split ting. Species of woodused varied from region to region andincluded both soft woods and hard-

woods. In the eastern regions of NorthAmerica, some of the most commonlyused species were Eastern white pine,White cedar, White oak and Cypress.

During the production of shingles,most 18th and 19th century manufac-turers shaved or planed shingles aftersplitting them in order to make themuniform and smooth. Uniformity inthickness is important for laying the indi-vidual shingles flat and in consistentcourses, and a smooth surface aids inmore rapid draining by decreasing thenumber of crevices that can collect dustand moisture and allow fungi to takeroot. This combination of thin, strong,stable and smooth shingles made a lightweight roof covering that generally last-ed a generation or more.

Because wood shingle productionand installation are labor intensive, theywere sometimes given coatings of pine

tar or linseed oil based paint to enhancetheir durability and increase their life.From about the mid-18th centurythrough the 19th century, painting roofshingles was a common practice. Re droofs were popular because iron ox idepigment was one of the cheapest avail-able. The pigment was ground in linseedoil and mixed with turpentine. The roofpaint was applied by brush to the newlycompleted roof and reapplied periodical-ly as part of routine maintenance.

The Modern Wood ShingleUnfortunately, many of the materials

and methods used historically to pro-duce wood shingles are no longer avail-able or practical to produce today.H o w e v e r, there are reasonable substi-tutes available and they are generallyrecommended as appropriate replace-ments for historic buildings.

1

FUNDAMENTALS: Preservation Tools You Can Use Practical information and strategies from Historic Massachusetts for Preservationists

Replacing Wood Shingles on aHistoric Building

BY ROBERT ADAM


11/12

Several species of soft woods aregenerally considered for modernreplacement wood shingles:

Eastern white cedar is indigenous tothe Northeast and has been a popular

choice for both roofs and side walls formany years. Many coastal communitiesinstall white cedar shingle siding since itweathers to a uniform silver gray colorand requires lit tle maintenance. Easternwhite cedar shingles are usually flatsa w n and t end t o be less stable than

edge grain or quartered cuts, often cup-ping and shrinking exc e s s i v e l y. Theyalso can contain sapwood that is difficultto detect since its color is very close tothe cream color of the heartwood.Although this shingle is weather resist-ant, by and large it is not considered thebest roofing choice available today.

Western red cedar is another widelyavailable wood used for shingles.Although it is not indigenous to theNortheast, this West Coast species repli-cates historic riven shingles in many

ways. Its heartwood is highly resistantto disease and is available in grades thatare all clear, 100 % heartwood andedge grain cut.

Most Western red cedar shingles aresawn, rather than hand split and shaved.For this reason they have more textureand have visible circular saw marks.However, the texture and saw marks areapparent only when viewed up closeand become invisible from a distance.

Therefore, this premium grade of shin-gle does well to replicate the physicalcharacteristics of historic hand rivenshingles and are considered appropriatereplacements.

Alaskan yellow cedar , a firstc o usin to Eastern White Cedar, is andold growth western species and is nowbeing marketed in the Northeast. High-ly disease resistant, it is available in highquality edge grains similar to the We st-ern red cedar, but weathers to a silvergray color.

Methods for installing woodshingles on a historic building:

Modern vs. HistoricBeyond selecting t he appropriate

replacement shingle, there is the larger

issue of appropriate methods of shingleinstallation. A number of shingle instal-lation practices developed during the20th century have been accepted bybuilders and code officials alike as stan-dard procedure. Each practice becomespopular when first int roduced and itoften takes ten years or more to recog-nize it s shortcomings. Some of thesemodern building practices may severelycompromise the performance andreduce the life of a shingle.

Modern wood shingle installationmethods that do not perform well

are generally due to one or more ofthe following:

Sheet material substratesand water barr iers

For many years the standard woodshingle installation practice has been topaper all roof surfaces with 15-30 lb.asphalt impregnated f elt paper beforeshingling. This standard was actuallydeveloped for asphalt shingles, but hasalso been accepted for w ood shingleroofs. In some regions it has even beenincorporated into the building code.U n f o r t u n a t e l y, wh il e papering adds

2 FUNDAMENTALS: Preservation Tools You Can Use

Quick t ips for select ing replacement w oodshingles for use on a historic building:

O Rough textured, hand split shingles marketed today asrustic are rarely appropriate for use on historic struc-tures.

O Some grades of modern shingles include sapwood, whichis more vulnerable to disease and decay than heartwood.

Be sure to check the specifications for all heartwoodgrades.

O High quality shingles should be cut from edge grain stockfor greater stability and should have clear, straight grainwithout defects such as knots.


12/12

extra protection to the roof, this practicedoes not allow shingles to completelydry after a soaking rain, and thereforecan contribute to early failure due tofungal decay caused by excessive mois-ture levels.

The use of plywood or chip boards asa decking substrate also produces similareffects because the water proof glueused to bond the manufactured boardforms a vapor barrier. While these sub-strates provide uniform nailing surfacesand dimensional stability, they too cancontribute to the early failure of a wood

shingle due to trapped moisture andsubsequent decay.

Modern Shingle FasteningTechniques

SHINGLE SPACINGAnother common practice that may

also contribute to early failure of shin-gles is the manufacturer- recommendedmethod of leaving space between adja-cent shingles to allow them to expand.For years the rule of thumb for spacinghas been to leave a hatchet bladeswidth or 3/16 of an inch between eachshingle. The rationale behind this is thatdry shingles will swell and expand whenwet and thus need additional space tomove without buckling. In actual prac-tice, shingle buckling rarely, if ever, hap-pens. What usually happens is thatshingles continue to shrink, regardless oftheir original moisture content, whichresults in cracks at the joints of ? of aninch or more. If the joint s of precedingcourses are not spaced far enough aparta leak can develop.

Notwithstanding manufacturers rec-ommendations, most preservation car-penters agree that little or no spaceshould be intentionally left betweenshingles. Small spaces that result fromgently bumping one shingle next to theother are more than adequate, shouldexpansion occur. Despite this caution,substantially wide cracks can still devel-op after several seasons, particularly onsouthern exposures, if the shingles areapplied with a high moisture content.

SHINGLE NAILINGTypes of nails and proper application

techniques are important to installingshingles successfully. Corrosion resistantgalvanized nails are the standard today,but stainless steel is often specified,especially for Western Red Cedar. Nailtype and size are important and usuallyhot dipped galvanized box or shinglenails that are long enough to fully pene-trate the substrate are selected. Handnailing is preferred since there is greatercontrol through thin and soft shingles.Only two nails should be applied pershingle. Each nail should be locatednear each edge and a uniform distanceabove the exposure line. More thantwo nails can crack the shingle.

A common cause of shingle failure isimproper nailing with pneumatic guns.

Air nailing is a popular nailing techniqueand is considered an industry standardthat enables contractors to competit ivelyprice work. It is important to note thatair nailing is often an effective techniquethat causes minimal damage to historicfabric in certain circumstances. Howev-e r, i t should generally be avoided fo rroof shingles. If air pressure is poorlycontrolled, nails can either be driven toofar through the thin wood or not drivendeep enough. In either case, the shinglewould be improperly secured. There is

FUNDAMENTALS: Preservation Tools You Can Use 3

Quick t ips for applying w ood shingles:

O Use well ventilated substrates to minimize moistureretention.

O Place the shingles so there is minimal spacing betweenthem.

O Secure the shingles using proper hand nailing techniqueswith corrosion resistant fasteners. Galvanized box orshingle nails from 3d to 5d lengths (1 1 / 4 - 13 / 4 inch) are

common.O Use two nails per shingle placed 3 / 4 of an inch from each

edge and no more than 1 1 / 2 inches above the exposure.O Use shingles no wider than 8 inches to limit spaces

between shingles due to shrinkage.

Drawings: Courtesy of Robert Adam

preservation & people (pm newsletter), summer 2002

Documents