Historic rowhouse and metal roof work in Alexandria (22314)

Walk down Prince, Duke or Queen Street and you will see steep gable roofs with dormers on the front and long, shallow shed roofs on the rear ells. The front slopes are often standing seam metal or slate, while the back is frequently covered with a membrane that someone installed decades ago over the original tin.

On these houses we start in the attic, because the framing tells us what the roof has been through. Hand-hewn rafters, old sheathing boards and repairs from earlier owners all shape how we fasten the new cleats or slate hooks. We hand-fold metal at the eaves and around dormers instead of forcing factory trim onto walls that are not square.

Old Town Alexandria is a historic district, and roof changes visible from a public street go through the city's historic review process before work begins. Matching existing material, such as metal for metal or slate for slate, is the most direct path. Switching a visible slope to asphalt shingle is a much harder request.

We put together photos, product details and a written scope so your application shows exactly what will be installed. For the hidden rear roofs, a modern membrane is usually acceptable, and that is where many owners choose a white TPO roof to keep the top floor cooler in July.

Many Old Town rowhouses have built-in box gutters set behind the cornice. When their old tin or copper lining pinholes, water drips straight into the wall cavity and shows up as a stain near the top-floor window, sometimes a full room away from where it entered.

We cut out the failed lining, check the wood trough for rot, rebuild the slope toward the leader head and reline it in lead-coated copper or a fully adhered membrane. Parapet walls between neighbors get new coping and through-wall flashing when the brick is wicking water downward. Our box gutter repair page covers more of the detail.

• Pinholes and split seams in old box gutter linings
• Loose or missing coping stones on brick parapets
• Rust bleeding through paint on standing seam pans
• Cracked slates above dormer cheeks

There is rarely room for a dumpster on a block near Market Square, so we load debris into a small trailer and haul it away at the end of each day. Ladders and hoists go up from the sidewalk with cones and a spotter, and we keep alley access clear for neighbors.

Outside Old Town, Alexandria also includes Del Ray's 1920s bungalows and four-squares, Rosemont's early twentieth century homes, and garden apartment complexes on the West End. Those roofs are simpler, and we handle their shingle and flat roof work from the same crews.