When it comes to maintaining the roofing system on a historic home or building, different repair processes can make a huge impact on overall sustainability. Choosing to repair or restore a historic roof rather than replace it using modern building materials can decrease waste and increase sustainability over the long term.
By restoring historic roofs, using historic building materials, and committing to sustainable practices, every historic property owner can reduce their impact on the environment.
While modern roofs constructed with modern techniques and materials such as asphalt need to be replaced every 15 to 30 years, historic roofs last much longer. Clay tiles and slate roofs can last for over 100 years. This longevity means fewer replacements — and fewer resources used for every replacement that is avoided.
| Material | Typical Service Life | What Usually Fails First |
|---|---|---|
| Slate | 75–200 years | Fasteners and flashings — not the slate itself |
| Clay tile | 100+ years | Underlayment, fasteners, broken pieces from foot traffic |
| Copper/sheet metal | 70–100+ years | Joints, solder seams, expansion-related fatigue |
| Wood shingle/shake | 30–60 years | Moss, moisture retention, lack of ventilation |
| Modern asphalt | 15–30 years | The material itself ages out |
For every three to four replacements a modern roof needs, a historic roof only needs one. In the long run, the choice to maintain a historic roof reduces the time, labor, materials, and energy spent on restoration. While choosing lower-priced modern tiles may seem like a cheaper alternative, you are actually saving with a historic restoration.
By restoring your existing historic roof, you’re saving on the cost of every additional tile purchased over your lifetime, you’re saving the raw materials and energy needed for manufacturing, you’re saving on labor costs during replacement, and you’re saving the fossil fuels required to carry out these frequent replacements.
If you choose to restore, you’re saving your historic tiles and avoiding all the additional financial and environmental long-term costs a modern replacement brings.
In addition to requiring less frequent replacement, historic roofing is also the eco-conscious option because materials can be sourced in a more sustainable manner.
A division of Renaissance, Renaissance Tile and Slate is able to reuse intact tile and roofing systems by purchasing new or reclaimed leftover materials from homeowners, contractors, and other sources.
To procure these materials, Renaissance Tile and Slate’s salvage crew typically travels to locations to remove materials from each roof and package them for future use. Reusing these quality materials not only eliminates waste but avoids the use of additional resources and the production costs necessary to manufacture new tiles.
Salvaged tiles are durable and have distinctive character that modern titles cannot replicate. They can have unique color variations, natural patinas, and more organic shapes, bolstering your home’s historic authenticity and eye-catching individuality.
Keeping sustainability in mind when deciding whether to replace or restore your roof is crucial because the built environment is responsible for creating 42% of the world’s carbon emissions. Of that percentage, building operations are responsible for 27% annually while building and infrastructure materials and construction are responsible for 15% annually.
By committing to preservation and choosing historic roofing homeowners can make the sustainable choice for their own properties.
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties offers preservation guidance to owners, managers, consultants, architects, and contractors, promoting repair over replacement.
The Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties focuses on four sections: preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction. The standards act as general guidance for all work on historic properties and have been adopted at the federal, state, and local levels.
By adhering to these guidelines and properly restoring a historic property, you could also receive preservation grants and federal, state, and local tax credits. At Renaissance, our team works with property owners, architects, and subcontractors to ensure all work meets the necessary standards.
Global initiatives like the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) 2030 Commitment, which aims to reduce carbon emissions from new buildings, developments, and renovations, and the LEED for Existing Buildings certification, which makes it easier for existing buildings to track and manage the sustainability of their operations, further showcase the call for existing building owners to avoid unsustainable options — such as a modern roof replacement — and opt for sustainable restoration.
Supporting the sustainability of existing buildings can make a big impact, as the environmental consequences of demolishing an existing building and constructing a new one can take up to 80 years to offset.
While restoration and historic roofing practices promote industry sustainability in general, the right team is needed to elevate your impact. If installed with the proper expertise, knowledge, and techniques, durable tiles can last a lifetime.
When booking a roof repair or restoration, you need someone with expertise to maximize your roof’s longevity. With Renaissance’s decades of experience, our historic building specialists have the necessary knowledge to properly install historical roofing products and get the job done right.
The reduction of carbon emissions and promotion of sustainability in the building industry is a global effort. While larger initiatives can help guide change on a wider scale, the maintenance practices of every individual building contribute to overall impact.
By committing to sustainable practices and restoring historic roofs, Renaissance and you can continue to make a positive environmental impact. Contact Renaissance for your historic roof’s repair or restoration.