Free Roofing Quotes in Fountain City

Fountain City began as a resort, not a suburb. Visitors came in the 1880s for the spring at the foot of Black Oak Ridge that forms the head of First Creek, and the heart-shaped Duck Pond in Fountain City Park is what remains of the old Fountain Head Hotel. The community stayed independent until Knoxville annexed it in 1962. Today it is a residential area tucked between Black Oak Ridge and Sharp's Ridge, with houses from the Victorian era, the 1920s bungalow years and the decades after World War II.

Bungalows, Victorians and post-war homes

The Gibbs Drive Historic District, listed on the National Register in 2000, includes 52 houses, mostly bungalows, Craftsman homes, foursquares and Minimal Traditional houses built before 1930, with some infill as late as 1950. Along Tazewell Pike, a city conservation district takes in houses from about 1860 to the 1960s, ranging from Federal and Queen Anne to Craftsman, Revival and Ranch styles.

Those houses rarely have simple roofs. The Tazewell Pike guidelines describe offset gables, telescoping gables and dormers as typical, and bungalows usually add wide eaves and a porch roof tied into the main roof. Every valley, dormer wall and porch joint needs careful flashing, so ask each roofer how they will handle them and whether the old metal is being replaced or reused.

What historic status means for your roof

National Register listing, as on Gibbs Drive, recognizes a place's history but does not by itself require design review when a private owner replaces a roof. The Tazewell Pike Neighborhood Conservation District does have local guidelines, but they cover additions, new buildings and demolition. Those guidelines state that roofing, siding, painting and similar work do not need Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission approval, even when a building permit is required.

That leaves owners plenty of flexibility. If you want the new roof to suit an older house, ask roofers to show you dimensional shingles in muted colors, and ask what they would do to protect original details such as exposed rafter tails or decorative trim at the eaves.

Ridges, slopes and old shade trees

Fountain City is framed by its ridges, Black Oak Ridge on the north and Sharp's Ridge on the south, and the ground between them is irregular enough that some houses are hard to see from the street. Along Tazewell Pike, homes sit on spacious lots set well back from the road and framed by shade trees.

Mature trees mean leaves in the gutters, moss on shaded roof faces and limbs that come down in storms. Before a replacement, ask the roofer whether branches should be trimmed back from the roof and whether they recommend gutter guards. On steep or hard-to-reach lots, ask how they will stage materials and protect your landscaping.