by Ali Turner, editorial & multimedia manager - Western Roofing Magazine

Originally built in 1889, The Castle sits regally on a corner in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Designed by famed Denver architect William Lang, the Richardsonian-Romanesque-style façade’s iconic lava stone is derived from locally sourced rhyolite and is 22” thick. In 1989, The Castle was purchased by the Feher-Peiker family, which restored and renovated the 100-year-old mansion and opened its doors as a luxury bed and breakfast, art gallery, and wellness center. Recently, The Castle was sold and also underwent repairs to fix damage caused by wind, hail, and age.

The Castle’s roof is 3,400 sq.ft., and 95% of it incorporates a steep, 12:12 pitch. Spires, turrets, and decorative metalwork along the roof ridges make it a striking addition to the Denver skyline. “The castle-inspired design of the roof presented its own unique challenges. The decorative metalwork had not only seen extensive damage from rust over the years, but several portions were missing, having been weakened and ultimately knocked off by Colorado’s unforgiving weather over the years,” said David Estes, commercial sales, Elite Roofing, Denver, the contractor selected for the project.

Preserving the historical appearance of the roof was a key requirement of the reroof process, particularly because it is a recognizable part of the Denver skyline. To begin Elite Roofing installed tarps around the entire perimeter of the property before tearing off the old roof, which included several layers of roofing that had been installed over the decades. The decorative metalwork was carefully removed, as well as two layers of asphalt shingles and a layer of wood shake roofing. Once this was done, the roofing team installed a new layer of roof sheathing over the existing space decking.

Elite Roofing chose GAF Camelot® II asphalt roofing shingles in the color royal slate for the project, and they not only matched the style and color of the roof perfectly, but they also preserved the integrity of the historic home. For the metalwork, Elite Roofing wanted to restore the original design, which meant fixing the rusted portions and replacing any missing areas. A custom metal shop reconstructed the metalwork, and the end result was stunning.

Elite Roofing completed this project despite being faced with several challenges. Having no access from the main road, the roof materials had to be loaded via a forklift, which was made even more challenging by the limited amount of parking around the property. Also, the steep 12:12 pitch meant that the reroof project required scaffolding around the entire perimeter of the building for fall-safety protection. Elite Roofing team members were tied off on the roof at all times.

The Castle reroof won the Silver Award at the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) Excellence in Asphalt Roofing Awards in 2021. Judging for these awards are based on four criteria, which include beauty, performance, asphalt as the roofing solution, and distinction. ARMA determined that Elite Roofing’s workmanship on this spectacular roof design, as well as the way GAF Camelot II asphalt shingles, met the unique needs of this historic reroof project.

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