For those of you who read my blogs, you already know that I’m passionate about historic roofing and the evolution of the roofing industry. Starting tomorrow, the National Slate Association is hosting an event in Washington, D.C. – you can find all of the details here. This association has worked diligently to promote the understanding Keep reading . . .
Author: Brian Stearns
Snow Guard Evolution from 1981-1985: Part 2
As a slate guy in the early 1980’s, it was my job to find and install snow guards. But, where to start? The internet had not yet been created by Al Gore (who?) and local roofers weren’t interested in helping out a competitor with material sourcing needs. So, I did what so many roofers do Keep reading . . .
Snow Guard Evolution from 1981-1985: Part 1
Up until about 1980, my involvement with the hard roofing industry was primarily with the salvage, sales and distribution of “used roofing slate”. In the early 1980’s, my salvaged slate customers started calling to see if I’d be interested in installing the slate. The truth is, the thought had never occurred to me. I was happily Keep reading . . .
Summer’s Almost Behind Us. Winter Lies Ahead.
Summer is officially coming to a close. For many of us, that means getting in the last fishing trip of the year before the cold weather sets in. It’s also the time of year when kids are back in school, Labor Day weekend is behind us, and we find ourselves preparing for the changing seasons. Keep reading . . .
Lessons Learned
Back in 1983 I was living in Vermont, taking on some slate roofing repair jobs, the occasional small addition (2-3 roofing squares), cleaning out bird droppings for church steeple projects and was generally just trying to figure out how to make my way. By chance, as I was focusing on slate salvage, I had run Keep reading . . .
Which Snow Guard is Right for My Project?
Let’s assume you’ve read my blog about the difference between pad-style snow guards (deterrent) and pipe-style snow guards (barricade). These previous posts are available on the Alpine SnowGuards website to help you determine which snow guard is right for your project. In the past, I’ve used the famous Frank Lloyd Wright approach to architecture design: Keep reading . . .
Snow Guard Evolution During the Me Decade (1971-1980): Part 2
As I mentioned in my previous blog, the roofing industry of the late 1970’s was beginning to mimic that of the late 1800’s. Slate, tile and metal roofing (traditional or hard roofing materials) began a renaissance….what an interesting time this must have been. There were a handful of roofing companies who were still installing these Keep reading . . .
Snow Guard Evolution During the Me Decade (1971-1980): Part 1
This is the first of a two-part series focusing on the 1970’s. It’s not that a whole lot was happening with snow guard evolution but a whole lot was happening in the roofing industry. First, it’s important to acknowledge, thank and share appreciation for the Vietnam war veterans. The social setting in the US was Keep reading . . .
1961-1970: Peace, Love and….Snow Guards?
The 1960’s. It sure was an interesting era for Americans. The era was dominated by Civil Rights protests, the Vietnam War, social unrest, the assassination of President Kennedy, peace, love and rock & roll.In the construction industry, from about the time of the depression up until this point, hard roofing and the recognized need for Keep reading . . .
Snow Guards in Post-War America (1951-1960)
For those of you who’ve been following this blog series, you’ll notice that there was very little going on in terms of snow guard technology and development during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Why is that? Early on in the 1950’s, the US economy really started to take off. Construction boomed (and, as evidenced by the Keep reading . . .