New Britain earned the name Hardware City. In the early 20th century it was known as the "Hardware Capital of the World," home to the Stanley Works, the American Hardware Corporation and other big manufacturers. Frederick Stanley opened a small shop making bolts, hinges and other hardware in the 1840s; in 1920 his company merged with the Stanley Rule and Level Company, founded in 1857 by Henry Stanley; and in 2010 Stanley Works combined with Black & Decker. The company is still headquartered in the city.
Two kinds of neighborhood, two kinds of roof
The West End. Factory money built houses here. The West End Historic District includes many homes built for executives of the Stanley Works. These are larger houses with complicated roofs: cross gables, dormers, turrets on some, deep porches and tall chimneys. Replacing them is detailed work, and some still have slate. See slate roof replacement.
Working neighborhoods. Closer to the old factories, New Britain's older streets mix single-family houses with two- and three-family homes. Their roofs are simpler, but the back-porch and addition roofs are often low-slope and need membrane roofing.
What to check on an older New Britain house
| Area | What a roofer will look at |
|---|---|
| Decking | Plank boards, soft spots at the eaves, past patching |
| Layers | Whether one or two old roofs must come off |
| Chimneys | Flashing, crown and whether an unused chimney should come down below the roof |
| Porch roofs | Pitch, membrane type and the joint with the main wall |
| Gutters | Built-in or box gutters hidden in the cornice on older houses |
West End or anywhere else in the Hardware City, call to talk with a roofer who replaces roofs in New Britain.Mon–Fri 8:30 am–7 pm, Sat 9 am–4 pm (Eastern)
(844) 505-0987New Britain roof replacement questions
- What are the West End houses in New Britain like?
- The West End Historic District includes many houses built for executives of the Stanley Works and other manufacturers. Expect larger houses with complex rooflines, dormers, porches and brick chimneys, and on some, slate.
- My multi-family house has a flat roof over the back porches. Can it be done with the main roof?
- Yes, and it usually should be. Porch roofs on New Britain multi-family houses are often low-slope and need membrane roofing, flashed into the main roof so the junction does not leak.
- Who issues roofing permits in New Britain?
- The city's building department. A full replacement needs a permit, and the contract should say whether you or the roofer will pull it.