RIDGEFIELD, CONNECTICUT
Ridgefield Residence
Recreating the character. Resolving every junction.
THE ARCHITECTURAL BRIEF
A familiar silhouette.
A roof rebuilt in detail.
The owner of this older stone residence wanted to preserve the character of an unusually substantial slate roof. Delivering that result meant coordinating graduated slate, rebuilt dormers, custom lead-coated copper and built-in gutter waterproofing across a complex roof high above the hillside.
Maultz Construction developed the layout and details from its experience with complex slate roofs. Special-order natural slate supplied by Vermont Slate Company was sorted by size and thickness, with the largest pieces at the eaves and progressively smaller, thinner courses toward the ridge.
ACCESS & UNDERLYING REPAIRS
The work began
below the finish.
Along the downhill elevation, the team worked approximately five to six stories above grade. Multi-level scaffolding provided access and material staging, while a telehandler raised the heavy slate to the working elevations. This infrastructure made careful, sustained work possible around the entire building.
Opening the roof exposed deteriorated tongue-and-groove decking. Damaged sections were removed and replaced with plywood before the new roof assembly proceeded. The existing copper gutter lining was replaced with a Kemper waterproofing system.
BUILT-IN GUTTERS
Waterproofing that carries through.
The Kemper lining extended approximately eight inches onto the roof deck, beneath the overlapping ice-and-water membrane. That connection was part of the assembly, rather than treating the gutter and sloped roof as separate details.
Once the gutter was lined, fitted plywood protected the new waterproofing from falling slate cuttings during installation. Protecting completed work mattered as much as installing it.
CONCEALED WINDOW DETAILS
Secure the slate.
Keep the pan whole.
Where dormer windows meet the roof, custom lead-coated copper pans extend beneath the slate. Copper fixing points were soldered onto the pans and bent by hand to retain the slate, avoiding nail penetrations through the metal beneath it.
This allowed the slate to continue up to the window while preserving a continuous pan below. Raised, hemmed edges help contain wind-driven water; a carefully soldered finishing piece completes the junction. These concealed details were planned alongside the finished appearance.
SLATE & CUSTOM METALWORK
Fitted one piece
at a time.
The dormers received replacement windows, new trim, slate-clad walls and standing-seam lead-coated copper tops. Selected larger projecting roof sections were changed from metal to slate at Maultz Construction’s recommendation, giving them a visual weight suited to the stone architecture.
At the dormer bases, individual slates were cut to follow the profile of the roof courses beneath them. The largest lower-course pieces approached an inch thick and required four copper nails each. A difficult hand-cut could take 10–15 minutes—small decisions repeated across the roof to maintain a consistent finish.
THE FINISHED ROOF
Clean lines.
Considered construction.
Tightly fitted mitred hips and closed valleys carry clean lines through the changing roof geometry. At the hips, individual metal flashings interleave with the slate courses and overlap the pieces below by approximately three inches, shedding water beneath the visible joint without relying on sealant at that detail.
Maultz Construction also completed the upper Kemper roof in a separate phase. Together, the slate, dormers, metalwork and waterproofing demonstrate what this project required: one team able to carry the architectural intention through the construction details that support it.
THE COMPLETED PROJECT
Craftsmanship across
the whole roof.
See how the graduated courses, dormers and metalwork come together in the finished roof.
DISCUSS YOUR ROOF
Tell us what your roof needs to preserve—and what needs to change.
For a complex slate replacement, we can discuss the materials, underlying conditions and custom details your property requires.
Talk with Maultz Construction ↗