Yeah, I’ve spent a fair bit of time on old roofs. Reclaimed cedar shingles are a solid choice—strong, weather‑resistant, and they give the right character. The trick is to make sure the old material is still sound, to properly insulate and ventilate, and to use modern fasteners that won’t corrode the old wood. I’ve restored a few 1920s houses, so I know the balance between keeping the historic look and meeting today’s building codes. If you’re looking at a vintage roof, the first step is a thorough inspection and a plan to replace only what’s necessary. It’s a lot of work, but the payoff is worth it.

I remember one house where the original roof was built with a double layer of cedar and a thin sheet of asbestos cement beneath it—an old trick to keep moisture out before the insulation was a thing. The real gem was the old hand‑tied lath; the nails were just simple flat nails, not the modern self‑drilling kind, so you could see the whole pattern under the shingles. It was a reminder that sometimes the simplest, oldest methods are still the best if you treat them right.

I usually seal the asbestos layer with a high‑quality vapor barrier and then install a solid underlayment over it. If the sheet’s in bad shape, I’ll carefully cut it out and replace it with a modern composite panel that gives the same protection without the hazard. That way the roof stays safe and the historic look is preserved.

Yeah, once I hit a roof that had a layer of old “fire‑stop” panels with a cartoon fox on them. The panels were really just asbestos, but the art made it feel like a collector’s item. I ended up sealing them off with a new breathable membrane and left a small plaque with the logo—kept the history, got rid of the danger. It’s funny how those early builders mixed function and flair.