Older & Historic Homes

Question 1

My Broken Arrow house was built in 1925. Is roofing it different from a newer home?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Old houses hide surprises under the shingles, so we open the roof and look before we quote. Expect odd decking widths, patched framing and no underlayment. We plan for extra decking repair and a longer crew day. The work is the same job, just slower and more careful around old wood. Most homes built before 1960 in the Tulsa metro have one by six or one by eight board decking instead of plywood. Nails hold differently and soft spots are common near chimneys and valleys. We walk the deck after tear off, replace bad boards, then install synthetic underlayment before any shingle goes down. Ask any contractor whether decking repair is in their written price.

Question 2

What is skip sheathing and why does my 1920s Tulsa house have it?

Accepted Answer

Skip sheathing is narrow boards nailed with gaps between them, usually for wood shingles. It was normal in the 1920s. Shingles cannot be nailed to it safely today, so it gets covered with solid decking first. We check the rafter spacing before deciding how thick that decking needs to be. You will see it as parallel boards with open slots, often with attic insulation showing through. We fasten new plywood or oriented strand board over the boards, then underlayment, then shingles. On some Tulsa homes the rafters are spaced wider than today's standard, so the decking gets thicker. That adds material and a day to the schedule.

Question 3

Can you put new shingles on a house that only has original board decking?

Accepted Answer

Not directly. Board decking has gaps, so shingles flex and crack and the fasteners get nothing solid to bite into. We install a solid deck over it first. That step is real labor and material, and it is why an old house quote often runs higher than the same size new build. The usual fix is a layer of half inch or five eighths plywood screwed through the boards into the rafters. We then use synthetic underlayment and a starter course. Skipping the deck means the shingle warranty is void, and an Oklahoma hailstorm will find every soft spot. Ask for the deck material named in writing.

Question 4

My 1940s Tulsa house has a low slope porch roof. What goes on that?

Accepted Answer

A low slope porch cannot take ordinary shingles. Common choices are a modified bitumen roll product, TPO, or a built up flat system. We measure the actual pitch rather than guess, because a slope right at the limit needs the right membrane and the right laps. Many older Tulsa homes have a porch or rear addition that was added later with a shallow pitch. Those areas leak first. We check the flashing where the low roof meets the wall, the drip edge and the transition to the main roof. Fixing that junction usually matters more than the membrane choice.

Question 5

Are the clay tile roofs on older Tulsa homes worth repairing?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes yes. Clay tile lasts a long time, and if the tiles are sound the failure is usually the underlayment beneath them. Replacing that underlayment and laying the original tiles back down keeps the look. If tiles are cracked and no match can be found, replacement becomes the sensible answer. Tile roofs need a walkable surface and careful removal so tiles come off whole. We stack and count them, then order replacements for breakage. Old Tulsa tile roofs often have no underlayment left at all, just tar paper dust. That is the real leak source, not the tiles. Expect a slower, more careful job.

Question 6

My older home has a slate style roof. Can it be repaired here?

Accepted Answer

Real slate can be repaired if matching pieces exist, but it is specialty work and few crews in the Tulsa metro do it. The more common situation is a modern slate look shingle or a synthetic tile, which any roofing crew can repair or replace. Send a photo and we will tell you which you have. Slate is heavy, so the framing has to carry it, and walking it wrongly breaks pieces. Repairs use a slate hook and copper nails. If the roof is genuine slate with failing flashings, the flashing is the usual culprit. On a slate look asphalt product, we match the profile and color as closely as stock allows.

Question 7

Does an old house need a full tear off instead of a second layer of shingles?

Accepted Answer

On an old house, yes, almost always. A second layer hides rotten decking, adds weight to framing that was never designed for it, and traps heat. It also makes the next replacement harder. We tear off to the deck so we can see and fix what is underneath. Older Tulsa homes often already carry two layers from past decades. Adding a third is not something we will do. Tear off lets us inspect the deck, the flashing and the chimney cricket. It also lets us check the fascia and the drip edge, which on an eighty year old house are usually due.

Question 8

Why does my old house roof have so many layers of shingles on it?

Accepted Answer

Because layering was cheap and legal for decades, and each owner took the easy path. Layers stack up and the oldest one is often brittle and hidden. We count the layers at the edge and at a vent cut. That tells us the tear off weight and whether the deck has been holding water. Two layers is common in Tulsa homes built before 1970. Three happens. Each layer adds weight and traps heat, and the bottom layer can no longer shed water. Once the top layer fails, water sits against the old one. We measure the edge profile and check the attic for staining before quoting.

Question 9

My 1950s ranch has no ridge vent and the attic is hot. What are my options?

Accepted Answer

A 1950s ranch usually has gable vents or small soffit openings only, which is not enough airflow. When we replace the roof we can cut in a ridge vent and open the soffits properly. That is the moment to do it, because the roof is already open. Poor ventilation cooks shingles from underneath, which shortens their life in an Oklahoma summer. We check that the soffit is not blocked by insulation and that the intake area matches the exhaust. A ridge vent, proper soffit vents, or a powered vent on a difficult roof all work. It is a small add on a replacement.

Question 10

Can a historic district stop me from changing my roof in Tulsa?

Accepted Answer

A locally designated historic district can require review before exterior changes, and that review can cover roof material and profile. It is a local process, not a state one, so the answer depends on your address. We check with the city before ordering material so nothing gets installed that later has to come off. Tulsa has designated historic districts, and some carry design guidelines for changes that are visible from the street. That review is usually handled by the city planning office with a short application. Ordinary repairs usually move faster than a full material change. Ask for the requirement in writing before you sign, and keep the approval with your job file.

Question 11

Will re roofing an older home in Tulsa cost more than a new build?

Accepted Answer

Often yes, and the reasons are honest ones. Decking repair, extra layers to tear off, tight lot access, old flashings that need rebuilding and careful protection of mature landscaping all add labor. We price the roof we can see, then tell you what we found once the deck is open. Wide overhangs, steep pitches and dormers slow a crew down. So does a driveway too narrow for the dumpster. On pre 1960 homes we usually budget decking replacement for a portion of the roof and adjust after tear off. Any change should come to you as a written revision, not a verbal surprise.

Question 12

My old roof has no drip edge. Should that be added during replacement?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Drip edge is required by modern code and it is what keeps water off the fascia and out of the sheathing edge. Older Tulsa homes often have none, or have a thin galvanised piece that has rusted away. It is a small cost during a replacement and a real repair later. Without drip edge, water wicks back under the shingle edge and rots the fascia board and the deck edge. On an old house that rot is often already there. We check the fascia line before the tear off and tell you if boards need replacing. Adding drip edge is standard on every roof we install.

Question 13

Can you match the look of an old roof style on a Tulsa home?

Accepted Answer

Often closely, yes. Shingle lines come in profiles that imitate wood shake, slate and tile, and the color range can get near the original. What cannot be matched is eighty years of weathering. We bring sample boards to the house so you compare them in your own light against the brick and trim. Designer profile shingles cost more than standard architectural, so the match has a price. On a visible front slope it is usually worth it. On a roof nobody sees from the street, standard architectural is the sensible buy. Look at samples standing on the ground, not in a brochure, because Oklahoma sun changes everything.

Question 14

Is an old galvanised metal roof on a 1930s house worth saving?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. If the panels are sound and the leaks are at fasteners and seams, a repair with proper sealant and new screws can buy years. If the metal is thin from rust or the seams have opened along their length, replacement is the better spend. We probe the metal before advising. Old galvanised panels often have rust at the pans where water sat. Paint over rust does not last. Standing seam metal at ten to eighteen dollars a square foot installed is the long replacement, and a 1930s house usually has the framing to carry it. Repair first, replace when the metal itself is failing.

Question 15

My old house has a porch roof that sags. Is it the roof or the framing?

Accepted Answer

It is usually the framing under the roof, not the shingles on it. Old porch roofs were built with small members that have taken water for a long time. A new shingle job will follow the sag unless the structure is corrected first. We open porch ceilings on older Tulsa homes and find sistered rafters, patched posts and posts rotted at the base. The fix is carpentry before roofing. Tell your roofer about the sag before the shingles are ordered, because it changes the scope and the price.

Question 16

What happens if you find old cedar shakes under my shingles?

Accepted Answer

We stop and show you. Old shakes sit under later layers on many Tulsa homes, and they can be left in place in some cases or have to come off in others. Either way the deck has to be sound before new shingles go down. Cedar shakes hide soft spots and old repairs, so we walk the deck after the tear off and photograph what we find. Sometimes the old board layer has to come out so new shingles can be nailed solid. That is a change to the scope, and you hear about it before we go on.

Question 17

Could my old Tulsa roof have asbestos in it?

Accepted Answer

It is possible on very old roofing, siding and some underlayment. Asbestos is not something a roof crew can tear off and haul away. If it is suspected, a licensed abatement company tests it and handles it before roof work starts. Homes built before the middle of the last century are the ones where this comes up, and it turns up more in siding and old sheet goods than in shingles. We stop and tell the homeowner the same day. The testing and removal is a separate trade and a separate cost.

Question 18

My old roof looks wavy under the new shingles. Was that avoidable?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes. A wavy look comes from uneven boards, a soft spot that was not replaced, or shingles laid over an old layer. New shingles are thin and they show everything underneath. The time to fix it is during the tear off. We see this on older Tulsa homes where the deck is original one by boards and a few have swelled or dropped. Replacing those boards and adding a smooth underlayment flattens the look. A roofer who quotes without opening the roof cannot promise a flat finish.

Question 19

What is a sleeping porch roof and how is it built on older Tulsa homes?

Accepted Answer

A sleeping porch was a screened room added off a bedroom in the days before air conditioning. Its roof is usually a low slope section built onto the main roof, often with its own small framing. That low slope is where the leaks start. On midtown Tulsa houses we find these porches with a shallow roof, a tiny attic and no real venting. Water sits, the deck stays wet and the ceiling below stains. The fix is usually a membrane or a metal panel on that section rather than shingles.

Question 20

Why does my older house have a flat roof section at the back?

Accepted Answer

Additions are the usual answer. A back porch, a bathroom or a kitchen was added later and roofed flat to save framing. Flat sections on an older home fail first because they hold water instead of shedding it, and a shallow pitch leaves that water nowhere to go. On Broken Arrow and Tulsa homes from the thirties and forties we find these sections with old tar and gravel or a roll product that has seen too many summers. They need a proper membrane and a drain or a scupper. Shingles do not belong on a flat section.

Question 21

Does an old house need a structural check before a new roof goes on?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes yes. If the roof line sags, if the ridge is bowed, or if you can see cracks in the framing from the attic, a carpenter or an engineer should look before shingles go on. New shingles add weight and they do not fix a weak frame. We look for sagging between the bearing walls and for rafters that have pulled away at the ridge. On older Tulsa homes with wide spans that is not unusual. A short report from a structural professional is cheaper than doing the roof twice.

Question 22

What underlayment goes on an older Tulsa roof?

Accepted Answer

A synthetic underlayment is the usual choice, with ice and water shield at the eaves and in the valleys. On old board decking the underlayment also has to bridge small gaps, so the grade matters. Felt is still allowed and it tears more easily. On a house with original boards and gaps, a heavier synthetic keeps the shingle from dipping into the gap. We use ice and water shield at the eave and around the chimney on every Tulsa roof. On a low slope porch section the underlayment is not enough and a membrane is needed.

Question 23

Does my roofer need to worry about the wiring in my attic?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you should hear about it before work starts. Old knob and tube wiring, loose junction boxes and wires lying on the ceiling joists are common in older Tulsa homes. The crew has to walk and nail around them, and damaged wiring is a fire risk. We photograph what we find in the attic and tell the homeowner the same day. An electrician handles the repair, not the roof crew. If a vent or a fan has to move, that is planned before the shingles are delivered.

Roof Work on Older and Historic Homes Around Tulsa

Is re roofing an old house harder than re roofing a new one?

Answers