Questions about old roofs

Slate is commonly cited at 60 to 150 years and cedar at 25 to 50, depending on the material, the site and the care. The nails, flashings and valleys usually fail first.

It depends on the squares, the pitch, the material, the layers and the deck. Your written estimate gives your own figures and the drivers behind them.

Not over slate, and not over cedar. We strip to the boards and check them.

Longer than a shingle roof, usually weeks rather than days. The estimate gives the schedule in writing.

Often, for a full replacement. Katya handles the paperwork where your town requires it, and rules vary by town and by historic district.

Yes. Federal rules on lead-safe work apply to homes built before 1978, and many old slate and cedar roofs have lead paint on the trim. We tell you what applies to your house and write it into the estimate.

Slates sliding or in the gutter, a sagging ridge or deck, stains or daylight in the attic, and metal that has failed more than once. A few of these is a repair.

For sudden damage, your policy may; not for age or wear. You decide whether to file, you deal with your insurer, and you are responsible for your deductible. We inspect, photograph and write an itemized estimate you can share, and if you ask, we can meet your adjuster.

No. We can't cover, waive or absorb a deductible, and it is against the law to offer to. You owe it.

Photograph the damage from the ground, cover open areas with a tarp if you can do it safely, and call your insurer if you choose to file. Then ask us for an inspection. Stay off the roof.

Two parts: the material's terms, if the supplier gives any, and our workmanship terms. Both are in your contract before you sign.

Whose lifetime, and what it covers. We do not use the word without the terms next to it.

Deposits, payment stages and any financing are written into your estimate before you sign.