A 1900 Jamestown Home, a Wind Claim, and a Code-Upgrade Deck — TAMKO Heritage in Oxford Gray on Narragansett Avenue

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This 1900 home on Narragansett Avenue in Jamestown lost its roof to wind — and gained a far better one through its insurance claim. Pinnacle Roofing & Skylights replaced the roof under the claim, including something many homeowners don’t know their policy can cover: a complete new plywood deck over the original 1900 plank boards, required by today’s building code.

Scope of Work

After tear-off, the century-old plank decking told its age — broken, brittle, and unable to hold fasteners to modern standards. The crew installed new plywood sheathing across the entire roof (a building-code requirement, and typically covered under a policy’s code-upgrade provisions), then built the system: ice and water shield, underlayment, starters, TAMKO Heritage architectural shingles in Oxford Gray, and matching caps.

What We Installed (And Why)

TAMKO Heritage is a laminated architectural shingle with the dimensional profile that suits a 1900 island home — substantial shadow lines without pretending to be something the house never wore. Oxford Gray’s deep, even blend fits Jamestown’s weathered palette of gray shingle sidewalls and sea light.

The real upgrade lives underneath: a solid new deck, membrane where island wind drives rain, and fastening that meets today’s wind provisions rather than 1900’s. This roof is attached to the house in a way its original never was.

Project Photo Gallery

What the tear-off revealed: the original 1900 plank deck, broken and brittle.

New plywood and underlayment — the code upgrade most policies help cover.

The old roof that the wind finally finished off.

Good To Know: Does insurance cover a new roof deck on an old house?

Often, yes — through code-upgrade (ordinance or law) coverage. Building code requires solidly sheathed decks for new roofs, and no one is permitted to reinstall to a century-old standard. When tear-off on an older home reveals plank decking that cannot meet code, the plywood required to fix it is frequently claimable as a code upgrade rather than an out-of-pocket surprise. The key is a contractor who documents the deck condition and knows to put the code provision into the scope.

Why This Approach Works

Storm claims on old houses are won in the scope: document the wind damage, document the deck, cite the code, and the insurance process funds a rebuild instead of a patch. The homeowner ends up with a structurally better roof than the storm took — which is the whole point of insurance.

Why Pinnacle

Pinnacle Roofing & Skylights has been installing roofs across Rhode Island since 2012, and every project gets the same treatment: do it once, do it right, back it with the best warranty available. Island work adds its own logistics — every sheet of plywood crosses the bridge — and this crew plans for it. With more than 100 five-star Google reviews and an A+ BBB rating, our track record speaks for itself.

Jamestown, RI

Jamestown’s Narragansett Avenue runs the spine of the village, lined with homes from the island’s ferry era. They were built well and built long ago — which means storm work here is as much about structure and code as shingles. Pinnacle has completed dozens of projects across Conanicut Island. See our Jamestown roofing page for more on how we serve the island.