We are a Stoughton roofing company with 41 completed jobs in the 53589 ZIP, and this is the oldest housing stock we work in. On a hundred-year-old Stoughton roof you do not know exactly what you have until the shingles come off — which is why we price the likely surprises up front instead of calling you from the roof on day one.
Four things we find on the older stock here that almost never come up in a newer subdivision.
Gaps between the boards
Older Stoughton roofs are decked with 1×6 boards spaced apart rather than continuous sheathing — it was standard when wood shingles needed to breathe. Modern asphalt shingles need something solid to nail into, and a nail landing in a gap holds nothing. Depending on the spacing, that means either re-decking or an overlay of new sheathing before a single shingle goes on.
How these houses were built
A large share of Stoughton’s older homes are steeper than 8:12, which was normal when roofs had to shed snow without modern underlayment. It means staging, roof jacks and a slower install. It is a genuine cost driver rather than an upsell, and a quote that prices a steep century home like a ranch has not looked at it.
A century of previous work
Some of these roofs have been done four or five times. Wisconsin allows two layers and we tear off to the deck regardless — on a house this old the point of a tear-off is seeing the structure, not just removing weight.
Attics that were never designed for it
These attics were built before anyone insulated to modern levels, and adding insulation without adding intake ventilation is what produces ice damming at the eaves every February. A replacement here usually includes correcting airflow, not just swapping shingles.
Residential and commercial, across Madison, Dane County, & Southern Wisconsin.
Full tear-off to the deck. On a century home that is the only way to know what you are actually working with.
Where board spacing will not hold a modern fastener. Priced as a known line item at the estimate.
Properly staged. We price access honestly rather than discovering it on install day.
Intake and exhaust corrected. On these attics that is most of the actual fix.
Leaks at chimneys, valleys and sidewall transitions, which is where century homes almost always leak.
Documented free inspection for your insurer, including the decking condition that affects scope.
Decking and sheathing are quoted as separate line items with a not-to-exceed figure, so you know the worst case before work starts. A Stoughton quote with no decking allowance at all is a change order waiting to happen.
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Older Stoughton roofs are decked with individual 1×6 boards spaced apart rather than continuous plywood or OSB. It was standard when roofs were wood shingle and needed airflow underneath. The problem is that modern asphalt shingles need a solid surface — a nail that lands in a gap between boards holds nothing. Depending on how wide the gaps are, the fix is either replacing boards or sheathing over the top before shingles go on.
You will not know for certain until the shingles are off, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. What we do is inspect what is visible from the attic, tell you what is likely based on the house’s age and construction, and quote decking as a separate line item with a not-to-exceed figure. That way the worst case is a number you saw before you signed rather than a phone call on day one.
Pitch and what is underneath. Stoughton’s older homes are frequently steeper than 8:12, which means staging and a slower install, and a century-old roof carries real risk of decking work that a 2005 house does not. A quote that prices them identically has not accounted for either.
Wisconsin allows two layers and on a house this old we will not. The point of a tear-off on a century home is seeing the structure — the decking condition, the framing, where water has been getting in for decades. A layover gives up all of that to save a small amount now.
Yes. The City of Stoughton requires a permit for roof replacement and its process is separate from Madison’s. We pull it as part of the job. If your home is in a designated historic district, there may be additional review for visible material changes — we check your address at the estimate.
It is a ventilation problem that shows up at the roof. These attics were built before modern insulation levels, and adding insulation without adding intake airflow is exactly what causes it. Replacing shingles without correcting the airflow gives you a new roof with the same ice dams.
Get your free, no-obligation inspection today.
