Ryan Restorations is unique because we have specialized in the historic restoration of slate roofing, tile roofing and copper roofing systems since 1999. We also fabricate a wide range of architectural copper ornaments, including finials, dormers, vents, crestings and other decorative roofing elements for historical restoration projects.
We recently put on a New Ludowici Spanish Style Tile Roof for a beautiful home in Evanston, IL. You can see the complete tile roof system, field tile, various trim tile, copper gutters and flashings. This is a hip style roof with one dormer on each roof plane. If the dormers were not there the roof would look like a pyramid. Notice where the four hips meet up top that there are two specialty trim tile pieces called high bump terminals. The dormers are gable style (which means a roof with two sections that meet up to form the ridge). The dormer ridge also has specific #206 style ridge tiles. The hips also have specific hip cover tiles. The first hip cover tile is ultra-specific as it has a bull nose feature, rounded, closed end looking one.
Now we rise to see two of the four dormer well, there is also a flat tile used on the vertical wall of the dormers. Where the field tile and the dormer meet we use custom fabricated copper flashings and some sheet lead around the corners. The upper box gutter is visible here.
Rising directly above provides a nice top view with all the box gutter seen here. The color of the tile is historic red. All 4 dormers are seen well with the top dormer in view on the right side valley that drains into the back of the chimney. This adds a degree of difficulty into fabricating the chimney flashings.
Now we come down towards the left side to see the four hips are visible, as well as the four dormers. The chimney is flashed using custom fabricated copper. It is hard to see but there is a custom copper air vent just to the right of the furthest away dormer. Up by the top of the roof is two plumbing pipe vents, flashed using custom fabricated sheet lead and soldered together.
The roof has trim tiles. Welded on the dormers are ridge tiles, #206 ridge. Also on dormer are small trim tiles that sit under the ridge tile and into the recessed portion of the field tile. This trim is called a top fixture tile, and it closes off the field tile to ridge tile nicely. Also notice the hip cover tiles well and the high bump terminals.
More trim tile is visible here. Notice the outer edge of the dormer gable. There is a specific trim tile that mates with the field tile, is called a gable rake tile. There are left gable rakes and right gable rakes. Here we see the right gable rakes, lefts are on opposite side. Also notice where the valley flashing drains onto the tiles we use sheet lead to make the transition. The sheet lead is soldered to the copper. Sheet lead is used a fair amount on Spanish style tile roofs.
Here we leave you with the last details of this Ludowici Spanish Tile Roof. This roof system has a hidden box gutter, visible here on the lower porch roof but it is not visible from the ground. The gutter is built with wood and gets deeper toward the downspout which facilitates drainage. The wooded getter is lined with custom fabricated sheet copper with all seams soldered together. On the lower porch roof there is a copper flashing where the tiles meet the brick wall.
All of this work was done by Ryan Restorations. You will know you are in the most experienced hands when you see our trucks in front of your residence. Contact Ryan Restorations to discuss your roof needs including slate roofing, tile roofing, and copper roofing.
