This home, built in 1937, was placed on the National Historical Register of homes in 2000. The original roof on the building was an asbestos slate roof. Over time, due to wear, time, and appearance, the owners agreed the roof should be replaced. Cost, efficiency, and appearance were major concerns of the homeowner. Asbestos slate removal is very expensive, the owner received an estimate of $14,000.

The homeowner was vacationing in Florida when he saw a metal roof being installed over an asbestos slate roof. He began to research metal roofing on the Internet. He came across ATAS International Inc. ATAS International Inc. put him in contact with a salesman, and the names of distributors in his area.

Before the project could begin, a building permit would have to be issued by the City of Bluefield, West Virginia. The city required approval from the West Virginia Environmental Protection Agency because an asbestos slate roof was involved. After the WV EPA contacted the EPA in Florida, the permit was granted. Frye Roofing in Bluefield, West Virginia, completed the job in August 2005. The roofing distributor was Best Distributing of Roanoke Inc., Roanoke, VA.

Metal roofing was chosen for this project for the cost and durability. Because the metal roofing could be installed on top of the existing roof, the cost of removing the asbestos slate roof was eliminated. Also, the homeowner was looking to replace his roof with a permanent roofing solution; metal roofing was the answer, rather than other roofing materials that have to be replaced much sooner.

Another reason metal was chosen was because of its efficiency and endurance. The homeowner liked that the metal roof reflected the heat from the inside of the house rather than absorb the heat like a traditional asphalt shingle roof. The house faces south with the back side receiving a northern exposure where mold and mildew were unsightly; therefore the metal roof, which does not mold or mildew, was the practical choice.

Finally the homeowner wanted to maintain the historical look of the building as much as possible. ATAS International Inc.’s Advanta panel closely resembled the appearance of the previous roof. Advanta shingles are durable, lightweight, weather-resistant, non-combustible, and environmentally friendly.

ATAS International Inc.’s Advanta panel is a one-foot wide by three-foot long panel that provides the appearance of dimensional shingles. Advanta Shingle has and embossed pattern and is available in nine standard colors and nine Advanta Americana Series colors. The color for the Linkous Residence was Sierra Tan. Over 1,500 square feet of 29 gauge G90 galvanized steel was used in this project.