Copper roofs and details
Full copper roofs and single details: canopies, bay windows, dormers and gutters. Every piece is formed and soldered by hand.
How we build in copper
The rules we follow so a copper roof looks right and lasts.
At low-slope valleys, gutters, transitions and anywhere water sits. Not lapped and sealed with caulk.
Factory clips and stainless steel screws on large roofs, copper fasteners on domes and custom work. Plain steel or aluminium touching copper corrodes at the fastener.
Runoff from copper damages zinc and galvanised steel below it, so gutters and flashings are planned as one system.
Copper is soft enough to form by hand and strong enough to hold the shape.
Non-combustible.
How copper changes colour
Copper arrives the colour of a new penny and changes slowly over the years. We can show you samples of each stage before you decide.
Year one
Bright, almost orange, then darker brown as the shine goes.
A few years in
Dark brown and uneven while the surface settles.
Decades later
The green patina forms. It protects the metal and grows back where it is scratched.
Copper on part of the house
Most of our copper work is one detail on a house, set against a steel roof or stone walls.
Bay and porch roofs
Small, highly visible, and a good place for copper without roofing the whole house in it.
Canopies and dormers
Tricky junctions where most of the work is the flashing anyway.
Domes and turrets
Curved shapes a factory panel cannot follow, formed and soldered on site.
Chimney caps
Made to the chimney rather than bought off the shelf.
Gutters
Soldered seams that stay closed.
Restoration
Matching old profiles and joints on heritage buildings.
Good to know
Can I have copper on part of the house only?
Yes, and that is how most of our copper is used. A copper bay roof, dormer or canopy against a steel roof looks deliberate. Copper has to sit at the bottom of the drainage path, or the metals below it need to be copper too.
Will it turn green in Calgary?
Slowly. In a dry climate the brown stages last longer, and full green can take decades. Pre-patinated copper is available if you want the green look from day one.
Why does copper cost more than steel?
The metal costs more, and the work takes longer: copper is formed and soldered by hand. The calculator shows what goes into the price for your roof.
What will it cost?
Every roof is priced by the same formula: material, area, pitch and shape. Try it on yours.
Start the estimate