Daytona Beach 1947 complete rehab

[harleydvdsn99]

Will be completing the purchase end of March 2016. Two story, 2k sq ft, large covered porch with drive-through carport, two additions (kitchen/utility room), and detached garage/shop building. I am considering a new metal roof. There will be some areas of rafter repair and sub-roofing material replacement. My question is, can I leave the 2 layers of existing shingles, where no repair is necessary, and run the new metal roofing over it? It has true 2"x8" rough-hewn rafters, so I believe from a weight standpoint, it should be ok. It also appears a previous owner removed a wall (NLB) between the LR and DR. Prior to that, it had a 2nd layer of hardwood flooring added to the DR area. Now there is a tripping hazard. For correct period restoration purposes (and safety considerations), how wide should the new transition strip be? Thanks for any help.

[Gothichome]

Harleydvdsn, first off, welcome to the Historic District. I would suggest a third layer of anything on your roof would be a mistak in my opinion. I would be thinking about putting the wall back in, it just might be load bearing. Open concept in older homes can some times be a disaster waiting to happen.
Pictures would be nice,

[Mick_VT]

Hey harleydvdsn99 welcome to the District

[harleydvdsn99]

Thanks for the welcome. Gothichome, I know what you mean about a 3rd layer of any roofing material as not the being the suggested way to go, however, I'm thinking about the insulation factor for summer cooling. I restored a ca. 1900 home in Newport, RI in '97-'00 with a slate roof. Even though a professional home inspector and a dedicated slate roof expert looked at the place, and gave the existing roofing a solid rating, I ended up, while repairing a small valley, replacing a large section ($15k+). As I'm sure most restoration experts will agree, sometimes the proverbial can of worms will accompany old roofing tear-offs. If I could avoid a complete roof replacement on this project, I would. The interior wall was not load bearing, however, I am considering building a wide opening shallow arched wall with french doors where it was. I'm still going to have the flooring height transition problem, but it won't be as pronounced if a wall separates the two rooms. As time goes on, I will add some photos. Thanks again for the tips and warm welcome.

[Gothichome]

Harley, a veteran at the old home restoration thing. You already have learned the lesson of never pulling a nail because you know it never stops at just that one simple fix, or in your case, one slate shingle. Look forward to the pics.

[DRJR]

Good chance your building codes will not allow a third layer of roofing material added.

[harleydvdsn99]

Good point.

[Don M]

Welcome; as others have said we love pictures & will be interested to see your new old house!