In a message dated Tue, 27 Aug 2002 1:34:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes:

> The roof here at the Temple House is one of the building's best features--
> we've still got the 18th century framing system, complete with collar ties,
> pegged and scored with roman numerals. It's the best part
> of the whole
> building (in my opinion) and I want to do the roof justice.

Heidi,

No justice, no peace.

As I remember when I was trying to figure out how to treat the shingles at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum, I asked Bill Brookover (who is or was the NPS Archt for Independence Hall) what to do and his answer was that they had NOT treated their shingles. They may have gotten fancy-shmancy  swamp-preserved white cedar shingles or something, as opposed to regular commercially produced red cedar that we got in Summit.

There were reports of deterioration problems between the oils or tannins or some damn thing in the cedar and the runoff from copper flashing, which as I remember was never fully resolved; I don't remember which ate the other, but I have a feeling the combination was bad for the cedar.  The Western Red Cedar Shingle & Shake Bureau people in Seattle (or somewhere up there) should have current info on the compatibility issue. We also used some sort of drainage mat (Cedarbreather, by Benj Opdyke, I think) beneath the roof shingles, so the shingles got to "breathe" and their undersides didn't stay wet against tar paper.

Keep us posted.

Ralph

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