Ornamental roof crestings were a common addition
on late nineteenth century buildings. Railings
ran along roof lines and crowns topped cupolas.
These decorative metal architectural details
provided a finishing touch that directed
the eye upward to the top of buildings --
they were the icing on the cake of any significant
structure.
With the current interest in accurate historic
preservation of Victorian buildings, interest
in appropriate roof crestings is growing.
They can now be ordered from specialty manufacturers
who make a wide variety of beautiful and
intricate styles. They can replace crestings
that were previously removed; or they can
be installed on new buildings constructed
in the Victorian style to add a touch of
authenticity.
If you are thinking of purchasing
metal roof
crestings for your building,
consider the
following:
- Ornamental metal crestings are made from
plate steel. The intricate designs are produced
with a computerized plasma cutter. They need
to be primed and painted when they are ordered
from the manufacturer, or after they have
been installed. When properly installed and
maintained, they will last for decades.
- Crestings can be ordered in stock sizes that
can be cut to the length of the roof on site,
or they can be custom made for an additional
price. The most commonly produced crestings
are 3/16 inch thick, but 1/4 or 3/8 inch
thicknesses will give a more defined look
and a better shadow effects.
- The crestings mount on the roof with standard
angle brackets which have been
custom fitted
to the pitch of each individual
roof.
Crestings cannot be used as lightening rods,
but since they may be struck by lightening,
they must be grounded according to local
building codes. |
