The Restoration Plan; Roofing, Water Systems, Climate Considerations, Choosing Colours and Staying on Budget

With our plans approved and permits granted, our restoration project was underway. There were a dizzying number of decisions to make at this point, and some would have considerable downstream effects.

The timeline

Getting the roof watertight was the priority. Although the house was still in a terrible state of disrepair, we found ourselves needing to pick paint colours. The stone mason was booked to come back and complete the work in the basement, and Steve needed to build and paint windows for him to work around.

Our wood trim would need to be compatible with the colours of our roofing material, soffit, fascia, eavestroughs and downspouts, and we needed to order these as soon as possible. Replacing the leaking roof and directing rainwater away from the structure were critical to preventing further deterioration.

Budget

Our choice of roofing material would be dictated to some degree by budget. To get an overall view of costs, Steve organized site visits with local companies and trades to gather quotes for the other major aspects of the project. We needed a new septic system, all new electrical, a heating and cooling system and water brought to the house, not to mention the costs associated with restoring the building.

Colour palette considerations

Steve and I laughed as we held paint and aluminum swatches up against the rotten window frames and crumbling stone work. But ridiculous as this seemed, things had to be done in a particular order.

We both gravitate to the rich yet quiet, historical colours in the Farrow & Ball range and often use them for our handcrafted kitchens and interior projects. However, Steve has other exterior paint formulas that he relies on for durability in our extreme Ontario climate. We will continue to try new, tougher formulas by Farrow & Ball as they become available, but for the exterior wood elements of this project, we worked from the Farrow & Ball swatch book and colour-matched our choices with an exterior Sherwin-Williams formula.

As with every one of our projects, we think long term and avoid trends. We strive instead to understand what it is that makes certain buildings, colours and proportions aesthetically pleasing for centuries. It's also important to us to make this house as maintenance-free as possible for as long into the future as possible. We looked for timeless, historically sympathetic neutrals that we knew we wouldn't grow tired of. Our original thought was a two-tone window frame using Stony Ground and Down Pipe, but we decided on a brighter scheme of Stony Ground and Lime White. We planned to introduce colour with our screen doors, which we can easily repaint.

Roofing options and rainwater harvesting

We kept budget, historical materials, aesthetics, climate, and our water system in mind as we researched roofing options.

After Steve had gathered quotes on well drilling and had a fortuitous conversation with an old family friend, he decided to go the route of a rainwater harvesting system to supply the house with water. We quickly ruled out using asphalt shingles due to their relatively short lifespan and recommendations not to use them with a rainwater catchment system.

Two options that we loved but found prohibitively costly were cedar shake and a slate tile made from recycled tires. The recycled rubber roofing was tough to turn down; the slate look is so authentic, and the low environmental footprint is very appealing.

We also considered metal barn roofing, but it needs periodic maintenance of the fasteners to prevent leaks. Standing seam metal roofing conceals the fasteners, eliminating the need to tighten them over time, but it's also costly. We found the linear look of sheet metal roofing a little too stark in contrast to the soft irregularities in the stone walls, but discovered a metal tile that we liked. The metal tile fit our budget and is safe to use with rainwater catchment. In regards to climate, the tile is strong enough to withstand hail, and we intentionally avoided a dark colour to prevent excessive heat absorption, making it a more energy efficient option in our increasingly hot summers.

Considering roofing samples and paint colours against the stone work

Climate considerations

It's evident from the one tiny window in the south wall of this house that the people who built it more than 180 years ago would have considered the natural elements. With no central heat or air conditioning, they would have had to weigh the benefits of passive solar heat in the winter against a cool interior in the summer. As a general store stocking goods that needed to keep, the cool interior must have won out. Although we can control our interior climate today, we are more susceptible to extreme weather. This is something Steve and I are mindful of as we make decisions on this project.

Securing the future of the stone house

Steve arranged to have the roof measured and all the materials ordered. We looked forward to the peace of mind that would come with having a watertight roof with working eavestroughs and downspouts. Securing this part of the project was the most important step in preserving the stone structure for future generations. Not to mention the face lift the house would get with the new metal roof.

Meanwhile, as we juggled the duties of work, family, our caretaker responsibilities at the farmhouse and the endless to-do list of the restoration, we were blessed with friendly waves from passing neighbours, and beautiful scenes such as this one on walks down the sideroad in Ennotville.