Roofing expert: Copper best option for Town Hall in Sunbury

By TOM SHEEHAN

ThisWeek Community News Monday February 25, 2013 9:27 AM

An expert in roofing materials told Sunbury Village Council members Wednesday, Feb. 20, that he would recommend using copper for the historic Town Hall's new roof.

"It's a good material to work with," said Jody Totin, who has worked in specialty roofing since 1979. "I've taken off (copper) roofing 100 to 150 years old and still functioning."

Totin, of Totin Builders in Delaware, also recommended using copper gutters and downspouts for the proposed project.

Council members also are considering a less-expensive, coated galvanized-steel roof for Town Hall.

"The advantage to copper is that you don't have a finish" or coating, Totin said. "Copper is a 100-year roof. Most manufacturers offer a 20-year warranty on other materials. A warranty is only as good as the people and company behind it."

While coated galvanized-steel roofs can last 50 years, the coating starts to fade after about 20 years and would require repair at some point, he said.

At its Feb. 6 meeting, council heard a report from an engineer who inspected the leaky and deteriorating metal standing-seam roof on the building.

Daniel Bonham of CT Consultants told council at that meeting that it would cost an estimated $155,000 to remove the old roof and replace it with a copper roof. New gutters, soffits, downspouts and other related repairs are included in that estimate.

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Roofing expert: Copper best option for Town Hall in Sunbury