Completed: September 2026
Location: Harriman, TN
Primary Materials: Owens Corning shingles (Estate Gray)
Historic Victorian Roof Replacement in Harriman, TN
An 1892 Victorian home carries a lot of history, and this one in Harriman had a roof that was ready to retire. There were no major leaks yet, but the homeowner didn’t want to wait for one. On a house this old, water damage can turn into a much bigger and more expensive problem than a roof replacement ever is.
The roof itself was a challenge before anyone climbed a ladder. Three stories, steep pitches, and more roof planes than most crews see in a month. Two sections, over a sunroom and a storage area, were flat roofs that needed a different approach entirely, since asphalt shingles don’t work on a low slope.
Because the home sits in Harriman’s historic district, Smith Roofing & Exteriors filed for and received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Harriman Historic Zoning Commission before any work began. That approval mattered for what came next. Most of the home’s metal roofing stayed exactly as it was, including the section above the bay window and the section above the back patio. The home’s existing metal roof sections were fairly new and didn’t need attention either. Only the metal panels above the front side door, which was showing more wear, was approved for replacement with new shingles. This was a targeted roof replacement of the sections that had actually reached the end of their life, not a full replacement of everything on the roof.
The crew pulled the old shingles down to the original board decking, which had gaps wide enough to call for an OSB overlay before anything new went on. From there it was RhinoRoof synthetic underlayment across the roof, Owens Corning WeatherLock G ice and water shield in the valleys and around the three chimneys, and Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration shingles in Estate Gray on top, finished with Lomanco OmniRidge Pro ridge vents for attic airflow.
The two flat sections got their own membrane system, GenFlex EPDM and a Mule-Hide SBS base and cap sheet, built to actually shed water on a low slope instead of fighting it. All three chimneys got new counterflashing ground into the brick and a thorough cleaning. The home’s copper ridge cap was carefully removed and set aside for the homeowner rather than thrown out.
The result is a roof that looks like it belongs on a Victorian home built in 1892, backed by an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor 50 year TruProtection Warranty and a 25 year workmanship warranty.
Project Specifications & Additional Upgrades
- Shingles: Owens Corning TruDefinition Duration AR, Estate Gray
- Underlayment: RhinoRoof UDL synthetic underlayment
- Ice and Water Shield: Owens Corning WeatherLock G, installed at all valleys, chimneys, and penetrations
- Ridge Ventilation: Lomanco OmniRidge Pro ridge vents
- Roof Deck: New OSB overlay over original board decking for a solid nailing surface
- Flat Roof System: GenFlex EPDM membrane over two low-slope sections
- Low-Slope Detail Work: Mule-Hide SBS base and cap sheet at the back porch roof
- Chimney Work: New counterflashing ground into all three brick chimneys, plus cleaning
- Historic Preservation: Original slate roofing retained above the bay window and back patio
- Warranty: Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor 50 year TruProtection Warranty with 25 year workmanship coverage
Dedicated Project Manager: Jabrielle Pruitt
“We’d like to congratulate and thank Jabrielle Pruitt and his crew for their excellent job in re-roofing our house. It was a complex job with multiple facets and steep slopes that was handled professionally over the course of three long, hot days.”
— B. H.
Client feedback for this project, shared September 8, 2026.
Project FAQs
Q: Do homes in Harriman’s historic district need approval before a roof replacement?
A: Yes. Homes in Harriman’s designated historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Harriman Historic Zoning Commission before exterior work like a roof replacement begins. For this project, Smith Roofing & Exteriors filed and received approval before any work started, which set the terms for what could change, including which sections of slate roofing had to stay in place.
Q: How do you know when a roof needs full replacement instead of just repair?
A: It usually comes down to how much of the roof’s remaining life is left versus how much a repair would actually buy you. Curling or degranulating shingles, moss growth, and age relative to the roof’s original warranty are the main signals, even without an active leak yet. A full roof replacement makes sense once those signs show up across most of the roof rather than in one isolated spot.
Is Your Roof Overdue for a Replacement?
If your home in Harriman or anywhere across East Tennessee has a roof showing its age, even without an active leak yet, Smith Roofing & Exteriors can take a look before it becomes a bigger problem. Call us at (865) 507-0033.