Two Historic Homes of Huntington, Long Island
COUNTY ROOFING SYSTEMS EXAMINES HUNTINGTON'S HISTORICAL HOUSES
As a lifelong Long Island resident, I’m always thrilled to see old houses restored to their glory. The town of Huntington is one of Long Island’s architectural gems. You’ll find some of Suffolk County’s most beautiful homes in and around Huntington. Here are two of my favorites.
The Walt Whitman Birthplace National Historical Site
246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station, New York
Walt Whitman’s father built this home not long before his son’s 1819 birth. Like many old Long Island homes, developers wanted to tear it down. But Whitman fans across America pooled their pennies to buy the property in 1949. Today the old farmhouse is a museum with an adjoining educational center.
When you needed to do a roofing project in 1819, you hewed logs and used them to make a wood shake roof. The Walt Whitman Birthplace uses period-appropriate wood shingles for the roof and the home. Today most houses have asphalt shingle roofs.
Asphalt shingles have many advantages over wood shake. They resist the elements better, are easier to install, have a longer life, and offer better insulation. But the dimensional look of wood shake shingles has an eye appeal that flat asphalt shingles can’t match.
Architectural shingles offer the best of both worlds. They provide all the strengths of asphalt shingles. But you also get the interplay of light and and shadow that you see on a textured wood shingle roof. And because architectural shingles are heavier than conventional shingles, they offer better insulation and wind resistance.
If you’re thinking about a Huntington Station roof replacement, you don’t have to choose between beauty and building codes. CertainTeed Presidential Shake shingles imitate the look of a wood shingle roof. But they also offer Class A Fire Resistance and a 110 MPH wind warranty. You get the beauty of a historic home with all the benefits of modern technology.
Coindre Hall
101 Browns Road, Huntington, New York
In 1912 Clarence Sumner Luce designed this 40-room, 80,000 sf French chateau for a pharmaceutical magnate. Suffolk County Parks has owned and operated Coindre Hall since 1973. Today it’s a popular event site, thanks to its breathtaking interior and equally stunning views of the Sound.
Speaking as a Long Island roofer, these turrets are impressive. Roof repairs and maintenance are notoriously difficult when working on historical buildings. This is a top quality restoration of a classic Gold Coast era mansion.
Steep slope roofs like this require highly trained roofers. You need to use extra roofing nails and sealant to install the shingles. And while you’re doing all this work with heavy shingle squares, you’re hanging in a harness.
These Suffolk County roofers did a great job on flashing the roof edges. They also thoroughly covered the valley between the wall and the turret. This design tests a roofer’s skills to the utmost. These roofers passed with flying colors.
Bad flashing is behind many roof leaks. The flashing creates a watertight seal that keeps rain from seeping under your shingles. If you’re seeing leaks around your dormers or down your chimney, you may have a problem with the roof flashing.
Left ignored, badly done flashing can cause serious problems. The best way to avoid problems is by getting the roof installation done right the first time. If you’re dealing with roof leaks, give us a call. We can determine the problem and give you a free estimate.
Financing a home improvement project can be intimidating. But County Roofing Systems can help you through every step of the process. Every day our customer service agents guide people who are repairing or replacing their roofs. We have experience installing and fixing every type of roof, and we give our all on every job.
We’ve worked with many local lenders during our 35+ years in the industry. If you don’t have a lending agent, we can introduce you to many residential financing agents who can help. We can also work with your current lender to make sure all paperwork is in order.
Keith Schmied has spent over 35 years as a roofing contractor in Suffolk County. As the CEO of County Roofing Systems, a large Long Island roofing company, Keith has seen all sorts of projects. He has experience in everything from large commercial and multi-family projects to residential roof, siding and exterior repairs.
Whatever your project, County Roofing Systems can help. We don’t rely on subcontractors for our roofing services. Our proven roofing team handles every part of your project. We get your work done on time and to budget.
Give us a call and let us give your Huntington home the roof it deserves.
