Tomball Roofing Home › Services › Older and Downtown Buildings
What Is Different About Them
Tomball began in 1907 as a station on the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway. The older houses near downtown are wood-framed, often with painted wood lap siding and roofs of metal or composition over plank decking. Some sit on pier-and-beam foundations with skirting.
Some came from elsewhere. The Griffin House, now at the north end of Pine Street, was built before 1860 of heart pine and moved to Tomball in 1965; its roof has been reshingled in restoration. Old heart pine is harder and more valuable than anything at a lumberyard, and it is worth saving where the rot has not reached.
What to Tell the Contractor
- What the roof decking is: plank or plywood. Planks may need a layer of plywood before new shingles, or spaced-plank methods for metal.
- Whether there is more than one old roof layer underneath.
- Whether the siding is original wood you want repaired rather than replaced.
- Whether the building is used for business. Commercial roofing goes on a different city permit.
The Old Town District
Downtown is zoned as the city’s Old Town & Mixed Use district. Before changing materials or the look of a front elevation there, ask the city whether any added review applies. The permits page has the Building Office details.
Older Building Near Downtown?
Call and describe it. The request goes to a contractor used to older wood-frame work.
Call (346) 273-0697 Use the Form