Replacing An Acorn Roof Finial

By Robert Robillard on Finish Carpentry

This past winter we were asked to duplicate an old acorn finial that sat atop of a beautiful Victorian on Nashawtuc Road in Concord, Massachusetts. The roof was being redone and the old finial was over a hundred years old and in need of replacement.
The acorn roof finial mounts to the roof peak just behind the chimney pictured below.
Accessing the roof top was a problem. The roof peak is three stories up and at the top of a very steep pitched roof. We needed roof staging to safely traverse this terrain.
Almost there. Roof brackets pave a narrow path for access.
If you remember or looked at the previous posts you know that I choose to use Azek pvc for the scroll work on the roof.
I also used the Cortex concealled fastening system to hide all of the screw holes. This system drives a special screw into the Azek creating a perfectly sized countersunk hole.

A cortex pvc plug then fills the hole. The beauty of the cortex plug is that it is made from the same pvc material and will expand and contract at the same rate.

The plan was to assemble the scroll trim work on the ground, plug the holes, and then drop it in place over the roof peak and secure it to the roof. My thoughts were the least amount of time spent on the roof the better.
The new acorn finial and the old roof scroll work share a moment.
Dry fitting the acorn finial on the ground.
At the ridge we removed the ridge cap shingles and installed a thin layer of rubber as a redundancy weather protection layer. The scroll work will cover this area.
Scroll work in place and ready to install to the roof. Six stainless steel screws were used to fasten it to the roof.
Fitting the acorn’s “tail” trim. Six stainless steel screws and adhesive secure the tail to the scroll trim.
Dry fitting and checking the acorn finial for plum. Nice view huh?
six holes were counter sunk into the acorn finial. I used 8″ timber lock screws to secure the acorn finial to the ridge beam and hip rafters.
The tail was then assembled and secured to the roof and also the acorn finial with two countersunk screws.The acorn finial is made out of Spanish Cedar. We used the same material plugs hide the timber lock screws. These were sanded and primed before one final finish coat of paint.
Driveway view of the acorn finial.
Front yard view.
Close up view before the final coat of paint.
The lightening rod protection was reinstalled. [green rod / point seen behind the acorn head]

 

 

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About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

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