Website concept for Dave North RoofingFired clay tile can last 200 years and slate 150 or more, as long as the work under and around it holds up. Our own crews do all of it, with copper flashings soldered at every seam.
5.0 From 30 Google ReviewsBBB A+ AccreditedEst. 1979
The Long View
Slate and clay tile last for generations. The metal that carries water at the joints gives out much sooner, usually after about 60 years.
On a new roof, our own craftsmen install the slate or tile and the flashings, in copper with soldered seams. On older roofs, most of the repairs we make are to that metal.
See How We Build FlashingsExpected Life in Years
Figures from Dave North Roofing
| Part of the roof | Expected life |
|---|---|
| Fired clay tile | 200 years or more |
| Quarried slate | 150 years or more |
| Original metal flashings | About 60 years |
| Flat roof membrane | About 20 years |
Video
Drone footage of a full tile roof replacement on Lake Drive, plus slate and tile projects around Milwaukee.
What We Do
Our own crews handle every part of the job, including the copper and the flat roof sections in between. Nothing gets handed off to another company.
Copper Work
Painted aluminum and steel have to be riveted and caulked. They only hold up as long as the caulk stays fresh. We solder copper instead.
Soldering is the only way to fit the three-way corners at the top and bottom of a chimney or dormer correctly. It also lets us shape flashing to the high profile of a clay tile.
Our Work
The same spot before and after, on three of our jobs.
See the Project GalleryProject Stories
Each story walks through one real project in the order the work happened. Pick a card to play it.
Our People
We don't subcontract our work. Everyone on your roof is a Dave North employee.
We offer career-type compensation, which is how we attract and keep the best craftsmen in the field. It keeps the quality and the continuity of the work in our hands.
Experienced Tile and Slate Roofer and Sheet Metal Worker with copper experience. Full-time careers.
See Open JobsIn 60 years no one other than Dave North had been on our roof except for Santa!
We had wind storm damage to our clay tile roof. I emailed Dave on a Sunday and his inspector was out on Monday and his crew came on Tuesday to make the repairs. I have used Dave North Roofing for over 30 years.
Mary C. · Milwaukee, WI · Tile Roofing Client
I find Dave North Roofing to always provide excellent, very competent service. My neighbors who know of different companies all feel that Dave North is the very best. I give him and his company my highest recommendation.
For Home Buyers
Most slate and tile roofs around Milwaukee are more than 90 years old, and their condition varies a lot. Find out what the roof needs before you make your offer.
Pre-Purchase Roof Inspection
Capped at$500
Billed at our hourly rate and never more than $500.
What We Inspect
What You Get
Closing dates don't wait. We're ready to go as soon as your request comes in.
Request an InspectionOlder homes across Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, including these communities. See Where We Work
Before You Call
Most of the roofs we work on are slate or clay tile, many of them more than 90 years old, with copper and flat roof sections tied in.
Not the lowest priced roofer in town - but well worth the cost to do the job expertly!
The Work We Do Best
Not sure what kind of roof you have? Add a photo to your request and we'll take a look.
How a Project Works
Call, or send the form with a few photos.
We meet at the house to look at the roof and talk through the project.
The slate or tile, the copper and the flat sections, start to finish.
Get in Touch
Send the form or give us a call. We're happy to set up a first meeting to look at your roof and talk through your project.
Our Services
Most older homes with slate or tile roofs also have copper gutters, metal flashings and flat roof sections. Our own crews handle all of it.
What We Do
We don't subcontract, so the people who set your slate and the people who bend your copper all work for us.
How the Parts Work Together
On a slate or tile roof, the metal is what moves the water off. Scroll to follow a raindrop from the chimney to the downspout.
01 · The Chimney
Three planes meet at the corners of a chimney. Soldering is the only way to fit the flashing there correctly, and there's no caulk in the joint to dry out.
Copper Flashings02 · The Walls
Where the roof meets a wall or chimney side, copper is stepped to follow each course of slate or tile and tucked behind a counter flashing.
03 · The Valleys
Where two slopes meet, copper lines the valley. On clay tile we shape it to the high profile of the tile.
Clay Tile Roofs04 · The Snow
In winter, snow freezes around copper and bronze snow guards and stays in place while it melts, instead of sliding off all at once.
Snow and Ice Protection05 · The Gutter
Custom 20 oz. copper gutters are pitched toward the downspouts. Copper bar hangers sit under the first course, so they hold up to ice sliding off the roof.
Copper Gutters06 · The Downspout
16 oz. copper downspouts matched to the original profile carry the water to the ground. Every seam is soldered, back seams included.
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitSlate Roofing
Slate is stone, split into thin pieces and used for roofing for centuries. We've been installing and repairing it across Milwaukee since 1979.
Why Slate
Because slate forms in compressed layers, it can be hand-split into smooth, thin pieces. The right mix of colors and sizes gives a roof its character.
Thickness and size vary with how the stone is prepared. Some colors weather to earth tones over the years. Others have ribbons of darker shades running through each piece.
Take a Closer Look
Start the tour to zoom from one detail to the next, or pick a numbered point to jump straight to it.
On This Roof
What We Do
Most slate roofs around Milwaukee are more than 90 years old. For a new roof we order the right slate mix for the house, and for repairs we match the old slate from our reclaimed stock.
New Roofs
A new roof's look depends on ordering the right mix. The best slate is quarried in Vermont and New York.
Copper
We make and install the gutters, downspouts and flashings too, with every seam soldered.
Matching
Our inventory of reclaimed slate lets us match most existing roofs for repairs and additions.
Repairs
Broken pieces can be replaced, along with damaged copper flashings and gutters.
Before and After
The slate around this gable vent stayed. The rusted metal came out and soldered copper went in.
More Before and AfterGallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsWe have a large inventory of reclaimed tile and slate that we've collected since 1979. The slate used on older homes is still quarried and available new. Older tiles can still be made as a special order, but there's a good chance we can match them from our inventory. We're also connected with other old tile inventories across the country if we don't have the match on hand.
A quality quarried slate roof should last 150 years or more. A quality fired clay tile should last 200 years or more. You want the materials that support them to last as many of those years as possible.
Copper, and above all soldered joints, finishes the details with the best materials and methods available. Painted aluminum or steel has to be riveted and caulked, and those joints only last as long as the caulking stays fresh.
The critical three-way corners, where three planes come together at the top and bottom of a chimney or dormer, can only be fitted correctly by soldering. Galvanized steel can be soldered and costs less as a material, but it takes longer to work with and has to be painted. At today's labor costs, copper is the less expensive choice.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitTile Roofing
Fired clay holds up to Wisconsin freeze and thaw. Many of the great houses in Wisconsin still have their tile roofs from the 1920s, and we've looked after some of them for more than 40 years.
Shapes and Finishes
Clay tile comes in many shapes and colors, and a tile roof becomes the main feature of a building. Hover or tap to compare.
Take a Closer Look
See how the copper meets the tile around a chimney. Start the tour to move from one detail to the next.
On This Roof
Installation
Clay tile is the finest, longest lasting roofing product available. But it's only as good as the installation and the materials that support it.
A tile roof takes an understanding of each part of the tile system you choose and how to adapt it to the building. We plan each roof around the building, and our own sheet metal workers fabricate the copper gutters, downspouts and flashings with soldered seams.
Before and After
Broken tiles were replaced with matching ones, and new flashing now runs along the stone.
More Before and AfterWatch
Drone footage of tile projects, including a full tile roof replacement on Lake Drive.
Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsWe have a large inventory of reclaimed tile and slate that we've collected since 1979. The slate used on older homes is still quarried and available new. Older tiles can still be made as a special order, but there's a good chance we can match them from our inventory. We're also connected with other old tile inventories across the country if we don't have the match on hand.
We can set planks and ladders on the roof so a masonry crew can work safely and efficiently. When they finish, we replace any slate or tile that broke as we take our rigging down. We work with many mason contractors and painters to help them reach their work.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitCopper and Chimney Flashings
The most important part of any roof is the metal that carries water at the joints. On a slate or tile roof it has to keep up with a roof that can last well over a century.
Take a Closer Look
This is the kind of detail that decides whether an old roof keeps going. Start the tour to follow the copper around the chimney.
On This Chimney
Why Solder
A quality slate roof should last 150 years or more and fired clay tile 200 or more. The flashing should last as many of those years as it can.
What We Use
Soldering lets us make the three-way transitions at the top and bottom corners of dormers, valleys and chimneys in one piece. It also lets us shape flashing to the high profile of a clay tile.
At today's labor costs, copper is a less expensive choice than galvanized steel, which can be soldered but takes longer to work and has to be painted.
What We Avoid
Painted aluminum or steel has to be riveted and caulked, so its joints only last as long as the caulking stays fresh.
The alternative is fitting several small pieces together and caulking the three-way point where they meet.
Project Stories
Each story plays on its own. Tap the sides of the photo to move through it at your own pace.
Repairs
Tile and slate can last 150 years or more. The metal flashings at the joints start to fail after about 60.
For over 40 years we've serviced tile and slate roofs in Milwaukee, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, Wauwatosa and Lake Geneva. Most of those repairs replace original metal flashings, which lets our customers keep their roofs and the original character of their buildings.
Buying an Older Home?Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsA quality quarried slate roof should last 150 years or more. A quality fired clay tile should last 200 years or more. You want the materials that support them to last as many of those years as possible.
Copper, and above all soldered joints, finishes the details with the best materials and methods available. Painted aluminum or steel has to be riveted and caulked, and those joints only last as long as the caulking stays fresh.
The critical three-way corners, where three planes come together at the top and bottom of a chimney or dormer, can only be fitted correctly by soldering. Galvanized steel can be soldered and costs less as a material, but it takes longer to work with and has to be painted. At today's labor costs, copper is the less expensive choice.
We can set planks and ladders on the roof so a masonry crew can work safely and efficiently. When they finish, we replace any slate or tile that broke as we take our rigging down. We work with many mason contractors and painters to help them reach their work.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitCopper Gutters and Downspouts
Ice sliding off slate and tile bends standard gutters out of shape. Ours are custom-built for each building and reinforced where ice hits, with every seam soldered.
Anatomy of a Copper Gutter
Start the tour to zoom in on each part of this gutter, downspout and wall flashing.
On This Eave
How We Build Them
Gutter design on new buildings is almost an afterthought. After more than 40 years on some of Wisconsin's most historic buildings, it isn't one for us.
Built-In Gutters
Years Without Maintenance
Built-in gutters relined in 20 oz. copper with soldered seams, the way the originals were made.
Lap Under the Roofing
We lift the bottom two courses of slate or tile so the new back flashing laps underneath, then set them back.
Rubber and aluminum liners are poor substitutes. Aluminum needs riveted and caulked seams, and rubber tends to come loose at the edges and bridge at the bends. A leak here damages the wood trim or stucco in the eaves below.
More About Built-In GuttersGallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsCutting down the back of the old gutter and fitting aluminum underneath is a common repair, and it has real drawbacks on slate and tile. The single fold on the outside bead of an aluminum gutter, and the hanger that fits into it, won't hold up to ice sliding off the roof. The top outside edge ends up bent and pulled away from the hangers. Standard off-the-shelf seamless copper gutters end up the same way.
The best replacements use a custom 20 oz. copper gutter with a reinforced top edge. Copper bar hangers are bolted to that edge and extend under the first course of tile or slate. The gutter has a continuous high back that fits under the first course and is pitched toward the downspouts. We remove the first two courses to lap the gutter and hangers correctly, then fit them back in place. Soldered joints make these gutters maintenance free, apart from cleaning out the leaves once or twice a year.
Rubber and aluminum are both poor replacements for built-in gutter liners. The originals were copper or tin with soldered seams, and the replacements should be 20 oz. copper with soldered seams. We remove the bottom two courses of slate or tile so the continuous back flashing can lap underneath by 4 inches, then fit them back once the new gutter is in.
Soldered seams give you 60 to 80 years without maintenance. Aluminum liners need riveted and caulked seams that last only as long as the caulking. Rubber liners are usually glued to the old gutter and have trouble staying stuck. They come loose at the edges and bridge at the bends. Doing this right matters, because a leak will damage the wood trim or stucco in the eaves below.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitFlat Roofing
Most older homes with slate and tile roofs have flat sections too. How long they last comes down to the details at the walls, drains and edges.
Two Ways to Go
Most original flat roofs on these homes were soldered tin or copper. Because flat roofs usually aren't seen, a membrane is a lower-cost alternative.
Membrane
20Years in Most Cases
Roll roofing or rubber membrane for most flat roof replacements, at a much lower cost than metal.
Metal
60–100Years Installed Correctly
Fabricated from 20 oz. copper panels with every seam soldered, like the originals.
Project Stories
One in copper and one in rubber. Tap the sides of the photo to move through each step.
The Details
No matter which material you pick, our crews take the time to get these details right.
01
We remove the lower courses of tile or slate, lap the new roof underneath and set each piece back where it was.
02
We pitch the whole substrate at the start of the job so no water ponds.
03
Wall flashings are done with counter flashings.
04
Perimeter edge flashings go in without direct penetrations through the tile or slate.
Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitSnow and Ice Protection
Slate and tile are hard and smooth, so snow slides off them more easily than off shingles. Snow guards and heating cables protect your walks, driveway and plantings.
The best time to add snow guards or heating cables is before the first heavy snow.
Ice Dams
Snow melts over the heated part of the house and freezes again at the cold overhang. After a few cycles, a block of ice stops the melt from reaching the gutter.
Water ponds behind the ice and works into the nail holes that hold the roofing. It happens most when there's a snowpack and the temperature is above 25 degrees.
Heating cables loop across the cold edge of the roof, run along the gutter and go down the downspout. They keep a path open for the melt.
You only need them on when there's snow on the roof and it's above 20 degrees. Otherwise, save the electricity.
Snow Guards
Either style does the same job. Snow guards usually go over driveways and walks.
Individual
Generally Less Expensive
Small clips set in with the slate or tile across the area where snow collects. The snow freezes around them and stays put.
Rail
Works Like a Fence
Three brass pipes stack in bronze brackets along the lower edge of the roof and hold back the snow above.
Take a Closer Look
Rails, brackets and heating cables working together on one roof edge.
On This Roof
Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsIce forms along the lower edge of a roof and in valleys and saddles when snow melts over the heated part of the house and freezes again at the cold overhangs. It happens most when there is a snowpack and the temperature is above 25 degrees.
Several cycles of this build large blocks of ice that stop the melt from reaching the gutters and downspouts. Water ponds behind the ice and drips through the roofing into the house. An ice and water shield membrane under the slate or tile helps by sealing the nails driven through it.
To keep ice from forming in the first place, heating cables can go along the lower edge of the roof, along the gutters and down the downspouts. They keep a path open for the melt to leave the roof.
You only need them on when there is snow on the roof and the temperature is above 20 degrees. Otherwise, save the electricity.
As the snowpack freezes and thaws, it gets heavy and bonds together. On a warm day, water from the melting underside releases that bond, and the whole mass comes down at once. It can damage the gutter on the way and land on the driveway or front walk. The smooth, hard surface of slate and tile makes this more likely.
Snow guards are small copper or bronze clips installed in with the slate or tile across the area where snow and ice collect. The snow freezes around them and stays put. Rail snow guards, made from bronze brackets and brass rails, work like a fence at the bottom of the roof. Either style does the same job. Individual snow guards generally cost less.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitFor Home Buyers
Most slate and tile roofs around Milwaukee are more than 90 years old, and their condition varies a lot. Buyers need to know what the roof needs to make an accurate offer.
What We Inspect
Every inspection covers the roof from the top down. We also check the underlayment beneath the tile or slate, which a photo can't show.
On This Roof
The Inspection
Unless a roof was restored recently, there are likely some repairs the next owners will have to deal with. Our report tells you what they are and what they cost.
Call or email. We know closing dates don't wait, so we're ready to go as soon as your request comes in.
We inspect the tile or slate, flashings, gutters, flat roof areas and underlayment from the rooftop.
A digital photo album describing every area of concern, with an itemized quote to repair.
A conversation about what we found. We work closely with local realtors and home inspectors.
Pre-Purchase Roof Inspection
Capped at$500
Billed at our hourly rate and never more than $500.
What We Inspect
What You Get
Buying in Milwaukee, Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, Wauwatosa or Lake Geneva? We know these roofs.
Request an InspectionQuestions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsWe offer roof inspections for prospective buyers. For a fee, we inspect the roof from the rooftop, take photographs and detail any areas that need repair. We prepare an overview of the roof's condition and an itemized quote for the repairs. We work closely with local realtors and home inspectors to help buyers establish the value of the home.
We have a large inventory of reclaimed tile and slate that we've collected since 1979. The slate used on older homes is still quarried and available new. Older tiles can still be made as a special order, but there's a good chance we can match them from our inventory. We're also connected with other old tile inventories across the country if we don't have the match on hand.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitRooftop Decks
Bison hardwood deck tiles sit on adjustable pedestals over rubber or roll roofing. The roof keeps its pitch toward the drains while the deck stays level.
How It Goes Down
The pedestals sit on the roof membrane without being fastened through it. Each one adjusts, so the deck ends up level even though the roof below slopes toward its drains.
The pedestals are high-density polypropylene. Water doesn't get into them, so they resist freeze and thaw and mold.
The Deck Tiles
The tiles are removable, so the roof below can be repaired, replaced or cleaned of the leaves and seeds that settle under a deck.
Hardwoods
Ipê, Cumaru or Mahogany, commercial grade and responsibly harvested.
Inch Lengths
Tiles come in lengths from 24 to 48 inches, or custom sizes.
Harder Than Pine
Ipe is a tropical hardwood about five times harder than yellow pressure-treated pine.
Months to Silver
Left untreated, ipe weathers to a silver gray patina in six months to a year.
Weathering
Fully weathered ipe holds up well to the elements. To keep the reddish brown color of new tiles, seal the deck regularly.
Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitProject Gallery
Step through real projects from start to finish, or drag the before and after photos to compare them.
Project Stories
Pick a project. Each one plays on its own, and you can tap the sides of the photo to move at your own pace.
Before and After
Each pair shows the same spot before the work and after it.
Photo Gallery
Filter by the kind of work, then select any photo to see it full screen. Use the arrow keys to move through them.
Video
Drone footage of slate and tile projects around Milwaukee.
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitBuilt-In Gutters
Many older homes carry their gutters inside the roof edge. When the liner leaks, the water ends up in the wood trim or stucco below. We reline them in 20 oz. copper with soldered seams, the way they were first built.
Box and Yankee Gutters
People call them built-in gutters, box gutters or Yankee gutters. Each one sits in or on the roof edge instead of hanging below it, and each depends on a metal liner to carry the water.
The originals were lined in copper or tin with soldered seams. When a liner gives out, the water goes into the eave instead of the downspout, and the damage shows up in the trim or stucco underneath.
How We Reline Them
The new liner has to tuck under the roofing, so we take the bottom of the roof apart and put it back.
We remove the bottom two courses of slate or tile along the gutter.
The new liner is 20 oz. copper, with every seam soldered.
A continuous back flashing laps 4 inches under the roofing.
The slate or tile goes back in place over the new copper.
Why Copper
Years Without Maintenance
That is what soldered copper seams give you, with the liner lapped under the roofing.
Caulked Seams
Aluminum liners need riveted and caulked seams that last only as long as the caulk. Rubber liners are usually glued in and tend to come loose at the edges and bridge at the bends.
Gallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsYou will hear built-in gutters, box gutters and Yankee gutters. They are framed differently, but each one sits in or on the edge of the roof instead of hanging below it, and each depends on a sound metal liner.
The fix is the same for all of them: a new 20 oz. copper liner with soldered seams, lapped under the bottom courses of slate or tile.
Rubber and aluminum are both poor replacements for built-in gutter liners. The originals were copper or tin with soldered seams, and the replacements should be 20 oz. copper with soldered seams. We remove the bottom two courses of slate or tile so the continuous back flashing can lap underneath by 4 inches, then fit them back once the new gutter is in.
Soldered seams give you 60 to 80 years without maintenance. Aluminum liners need riveted and caulked seams that last only as long as the caulking. Rubber liners are usually glued to the old gutter and have trouble staying stuck. They come loose at the edges and bridge at the bends. Doing this right matters, because a leak will damage the wood trim or stucco in the eaves below.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitCopper Roofs
Our sheet metal workers make the copper details people see from the street: bay window roofs, cupolas, entry hoods and canopies. On the low-slope sections, we build flat seam copper roofs.
Project Stories
Pick a project. Each one plays on its own, and you can tap the sides of the photo to move at your own pace.
Flat Seam Copper
Most original flat roofs on these homes were soldered tin or copper. We still build them that way when a home calls for it.
Copper Panels
Flat seam panels with every seam soldered, the way the originals were made.
Years Installed Correctly
Compared with about 20 years for a rubber or modified bitumen flat roof.
Before and After
The same bay window before and after, with a new copper roof and gutter.
More Before and AfterGallery
Select any photo to see it larger.
Questions
Straight answers from more than 40 years on slate and tile roofs.
See All FAQsA quality quarried slate roof should last 150 years or more. A quality fired clay tile should last 200 years or more. You want the materials that support them to last as many of those years as possible.
Copper, and above all soldered joints, finishes the details with the best materials and methods available. Painted aluminum or steel has to be riveted and caulked, and those joints only last as long as the caulking stays fresh.
The critical three-way corners, where three planes come together at the top and bottom of a chimney or dormer, can only be fitted correctly by soldering. Galvanized steel can be soldered and costs less as a material, but it takes longer to work with and has to be painted. At today's labor costs, copper is the less expensive choice.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitHistoric Homes
Most slate and tile roofs around Milwaukee are more than 90 years old. Many can keep their original slate or tile for decades more once the metal around them is replaced.
How We Work on Older Roofs
Replacing the original metal flashings lets our customers keep their roofs and the original character of their buildings.
Matching
We have collected reclaimed slate and tile since 1979, and we are connected with old tile inventories across the country.
Copper
Original flashings and gutter liners were copper or tin with soldered seams. Ours are too, so there is no caulk to dry out.
Crew
The people who set the slate and the people who bend the copper all work for us.
Repair or Replace
Most slate roofs can be repaired. Broken pieces can be replaced, along with damaged copper flashings and gutters.
The Wisconsin Historical Society's guides to slate and clay tile roofs draw the line at about 20 percent. Below that, replace the damaged pieces. At 20 percent or more, plan on a new roof and new flashings. The guides also call for a single flashing metal throughout, with copper no lighter than 16 oz. and 20 or 24 oz. in valleys.
Sources: Repairing the Slate Roof on Your Historic House and Preserving the Clay Tile Roof on Your Historic House, Wisconsin Historical Society.
Historic Districts
In Milwaukee, exterior work on a locally designated historic property needs a certificate of appropriateness, and that includes re-roofing.
The city says most smaller projects can be approved quickly by staff, without waiting for the monthly hearing. If your home is designated, tell us when you call, so the approval and the schedule line up. Outside the city, check with your village or city for its own rules.
I first met Dave North of Dave North Roofing back in 1993 when I needed a firm to assist me in relaying the Spanish clay tile main roof and replacing the built-in copper gutters on my family's historic home.
Dave and his men are pros. I am restoring a 1927 home with clay shingles and copper gutters. All custom flashings and a variety of curved and flat roofs.
Very thorough analysis of our church roof and work is very high quality.
Watch
Drone footage of a full tile roof replacement on a Lake Drive home.
Related Services
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitWhere We Work
We work on older homes across Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, most of them with slate or clay tile roofs. Below is a full tile roof replacement on Lake Drive, seen from the air.
Communities
These are the communities where we work most often, with a few words from clients who live in them.
We had wind storm damage to our clay tile roof. I emailed Dave on a Sunday and his inspector was out on Monday and his crew came on Tuesday to make the repairs.
Mary C. · Tile Roofing Client
In 60 years no one other than Dave North had been on our roof except for Santa!
Vince P. · Roofing Client
He has always been responsive to our needs and is particularly knowledgeable about slate roofs.
Roger R. · Slate Roofing Client
We have an early 1900's spanish style home in the Highlands in Wauwatosa. Dave's crew did a great job.
Tony C. · Google Review
Most of the slate and tile roofs here are more than 90 years old, and their condition varies a lot from one house to the next.
We have serviced tile and slate roofs here for more than 40 years. Most of that work replaces worn flashings so the original roof can stay.
For Home Buyers
A pre-purchase inspection tells you what the roof needs before you make your offer. It is billed at our hourly rate and never costs more than $500.
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitAbout Us
Dave North Roofing Corp. directly employs its entire workforce. As tile and slate specialists, we don't subcontract our work. That keeps the quality and the continuity of our service in our hands.
Our People
Offering career-type compensation has let us attract and keep the best craftsmen in this field.
Our staff has the training and experience to complete the full scope of work we offer without going outside the company. The roofers who set the slate and tile and the sheet metal workers who bend the copper all work for Dave North Roofing.
See Open JobsMeet the Owner
Watch
A tile roof replacement on a Lake Drive home, seen from the air.
More of Our WorkOlder homes across Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, including these communities. See Where We Work
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitRoofing FAQs
How to keep a tile or slate roof in the best shape possible, from more than 40 years of working on them.
Ice forms along the lower edge of a roof and in valleys and saddles when snow melts over the heated part of the house and freezes again at the cold overhangs. It happens most when there is a snowpack and the temperature is above 25 degrees.
Several cycles of this build large blocks of ice that stop the melt from reaching the gutters and downspouts. Water ponds behind the ice and drips through the roofing into the house. An ice and water shield membrane under the slate or tile helps by sealing the nails driven through it.
To keep ice from forming in the first place, heating cables can go along the lower edge of the roof, along the gutters and down the downspouts. They keep a path open for the melt to leave the roof.
You only need them on when there is snow on the roof and the temperature is above 20 degrees. Otherwise, save the electricity.
As the snowpack freezes and thaws, it gets heavy and bonds together. On a warm day, water from the melting underside releases that bond, and the whole mass comes down at once. It can damage the gutter on the way and land on the driveway or front walk. The smooth, hard surface of slate and tile makes this more likely.
Snow guards are small copper or bronze clips installed in with the slate or tile across the area where snow and ice collect. The snow freezes around them and stays put. Rail snow guards, made from bronze brackets and brass rails, work like a fence at the bottom of the roof. Either style does the same job. Individual snow guards generally cost less.
A quality quarried slate roof should last 150 years or more. A quality fired clay tile should last 200 years or more. You want the materials that support them to last as many of those years as possible.
Copper, and above all soldered joints, finishes the details with the best materials and methods available. Painted aluminum or steel has to be riveted and caulked, and those joints only last as long as the caulking stays fresh.
The critical three-way corners, where three planes come together at the top and bottom of a chimney or dormer, can only be fitted correctly by soldering. Galvanized steel can be soldered and costs less as a material, but it takes longer to work with and has to be painted. At today's labor costs, copper is the less expensive choice.
Cutting down the back of the old gutter and fitting aluminum underneath is a common repair, and it has real drawbacks on slate and tile. The single fold on the outside bead of an aluminum gutter, and the hanger that fits into it, won't hold up to ice sliding off the roof. The top outside edge ends up bent and pulled away from the hangers. Standard off-the-shelf seamless copper gutters end up the same way.
The best replacements use a custom 20 oz. copper gutter with a reinforced top edge. Copper bar hangers are bolted to that edge and extend under the first course of tile or slate. The gutter has a continuous high back that fits under the first course and is pitched toward the downspouts. We remove the first two courses to lap the gutter and hangers correctly, then fit them back in place. Soldered joints make these gutters maintenance free, apart from cleaning out the leaves once or twice a year.
Rubber and aluminum are both poor replacements for built-in gutter liners. The originals were copper or tin with soldered seams, and the replacements should be 20 oz. copper with soldered seams. We remove the bottom two courses of slate or tile so the continuous back flashing can lap underneath by 4 inches, then fit them back once the new gutter is in.
Soldered seams give you 60 to 80 years without maintenance. Aluminum liners need riveted and caulked seams that last only as long as the caulking. Rubber liners are usually glued to the old gutter and have trouble staying stuck. They come loose at the edges and bridge at the bends. Doing this right matters, because a leak will damage the wood trim or stucco in the eaves below.
We can set planks and ladders on the roof so a masonry crew can work safely and efficiently. When they finish, we replace any slate or tile that broke as we take our rigging down. We work with many mason contractors and painters to help them reach their work.
We have a large inventory of reclaimed tile and slate that we've collected since 1979. The slate used on older homes is still quarried and available new. Older tiles can still be made as a special order, but there's a good chance we can match them from our inventory. We're also connected with other old tile inventories across the country if we don't have the match on hand.
We offer roof inspections for prospective buyers. For a fee, we inspect the roof from the rooftop, take photographs and detail any areas that need repair. We prepare an overview of the roof's condition and an itemized quote for the repairs. We work closely with local realtors and home inspectors to help buyers establish the value of the home.
Most existing slate roofs can be repaired. Broken pieces can be replaced, and so can damaged copper flashings and gutters. We match the old slate from our stock of reclaimed slate.
The Wisconsin Historical Society draws the line at about 20 percent. Below that, replace the damaged pieces. At 20 percent or more, plan on a new roof and new flashings. Read its slate roof guide.
A quality quarried slate roof should last 150 years or more, and a quality fired clay tile 200 years or more.
The metal flashings that carry water at the joints start to fail after about 60 years. That is why most of our repair work on older roofs is to the metal, not the slate or tile.
You will hear built-in gutters, box gutters and Yankee gutters. They are framed differently, but each one sits in or on the edge of the roof instead of hanging below it, and each depends on a sound metal liner.
The fix is the same for all of them: a new 20 oz. copper liner with soldered seams, lapped under the bottom courses of slate or tile.
If the home is locally designated, yes. The City of Milwaukee requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior repairs and replacements on designated properties, and that includes re-roofing.
The city says most smaller projects can be approved quickly by staff, without waiting for the monthly hearing. Tell us when you call if your home is designated, so the approval and the schedule line up. See the city's rules.
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitClient Reviews
In 60 years no one other than Dave North had been on our roof except for Santa!
We had wind storm damage to our clay tile roof. I emailed Dave on a Sunday and his inspector was out on Monday and his crew came on Tuesday to make the repairs.
I have used Dave North Roofing for over 30 years. Great service and high quality work on clay tile roofs and copper gutters and downspouts.
We've used Dave North's services for years. He has always been responsive to our needs and is particularly knowledgeable about slate roofs.
I find Dave North Roofing to always provide excellent, very competent service. My neighbors who know of different companies all feel that Dave North is the very best.
I give him and his company my highest recommendation.
More Reviews
From Google, newest first.
Dave and his team are extremely professional and treat your home as if it's their own. My go-to contractor for an older home with a slate roof.
Dave took the time to call me and then educated me that the roof of the home I just purchased was actually an asbestos tile roof, not slate. … He was truly instrumental in the final moments of home buying and I am so appreciative of his thoroughness, expertise and attentiveness.
Dave and his men are pros. I am restoring a 1927 home with clay shingles and copper gutters. All custom flashings and a variety of curved and flat roofs. And the needed carpentry work to do it right. I recommend without reservation.
Top notch exceptional work. We have an early 1900's spanish style home in the Highlands in Wauwatosa. Dave's crew did a great job. There was a high level of attention to detail and the new tile were perfectly laid.
Have had a troublesome leak in my roof that has baffled other roofers. Dave did a thorough inspection and photographed problem areas for me to look at. Work done quickly and neatly with resolution of the leak.
Dave North and his team also coordinate and work well with other contractors (e.g., masons/chimney work and flashing repair; HVAC/dis/reconnection for flat roof repair; etc.). They are the only ones I call for my roofing, gutter, and snow guard needs.
I've been working with Dave North Roofing for my home's clay tile roof since 1995 -- and they consistently do excellent work! They do high quality copper gutter/downspout work too. Not the lowest priced roofer in town - but well worth the cost to do the job expertly!
I am a Mequon, WI based general contractor and have worked with Dave North Roofing on several complex slate and copper roofing projects. His attention to detail, craftsmanship and communication are excellent.
I first met Dave North of Dave North Roofing back in 1993 when I needed a firm to assist me in relaying the Spanish clay tile main roof and replacing the built-in copper gutters on my family's historic home. … Dave's firm ranks at the top for dedication, quality, accommodations, safety, and timeliness.
Very thorough analysis of our church roof and work is very high quality.
Share Your Experience
A review on Google helps the next homeowner with a slate or tile roof find us.
It takes a minute. Mention your town and the work we did, so neighbors with the same kind of roof know what to expect.
Review Us on GoogleRather send it to Dave? dave@davenorthroofing.com
Get in Touch
Or send a note and we'll set up a first meeting to look at your roof.
Schedule a Roof VisitCareers
We don't subcontract our work. We hire full-time tile and slate roofers and sheet metal workers, and we offer career-type compensation to keep them.
Current Openings
We're looking for experienced professionals who want a full-time career in the trade.
Roofing
What You'll Work On
What We Look For
Sheet Metal
What You'll Work On
What We Look For
Why Work Here
Dave North Roofing has been Milwaukee's tile and slate specialist for more than 40 years.
01
We don't sub out our jobs. Our crews are full-time employees.
02
Our compensation is built to attract and keep the best craftsmen in the field.
03
Our staff completes the full scope of work without going outside the company.
04
We work on some of Wisconsin's most historic buildings, in slate, tile and copper.
Apply
Send the form, or email Dave directly at dave@davenorthroofing.com.
Contact Us
Call or fill out the form to learn about our roofing and gutter services. We're happy to set up a first meeting to talk through your project or questions.
What Happens Next
Call, or send the form with a few photos.
We meet at the house to look at the roof and talk through the project.
The slate or tile, the copper and the flat sections, start to finish.
Older homes across Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, including these communities. See Where We Work