Home improvement questions: roof over ext. door

I thought maybe the collective power of NES might be able to answer these home improvement questions. The house is circa 1930s.

Questions 1 & 2: On the side of the house there are a couple fixtures not being used. What are they: old electrical covers, old gas fixture, or something else? These things annoy me. Obviously someone just covered it and painted it years ago and I’m tempted to remove them and cover with a new shingle but don’t want to open a can of worms.

See Photo 1 & 2

PHOTO1.JPG


PHOTO2.JPG

Question 3: If I build a small roof on the side of the house to cover the side doorway, what’s the best way to attach the roof to the side of the wood shingled house? I was thinking of lag screwing the roof frame and brackets to the house right over the existing shingles and into the frame/sub-boards. But how do I fill the gap created by the wood frame going at an angle across the shingles? Would caulking alone be appropriate? Can flashing be used at an angle like this? Or do I have to remove the wood shingles?

Thanks!

Can't help you with Q's 1&2 as I have never seen utility covers like those here in Maine. You need local knowledge.

#3, Gable roof or shed roof? Either one, you need to strip the shingles and attach directly to wall sheathing with a ledger board, and then flash (step flashing if gable roof, wall flashing if shed).

Not super difficult, but it needs to be done right to look good and keep the water out of the structure.

Thanks Pat, I want to add a gabled roof. There was actually a shed roof there at one point. It's actually my aunt's house and her plow man sent a friend with a dump truck this winter to plow her out and the top of the dump truck sheared her shed roof right off the house! The shed roof was put on over the shingles and had a gutter attached to it, which seemed overly complicated. I was thinking of building a gabled roof so the gutter wouldn't be required since the water would shed to the sides.

She has an insurance check and might just hire someone to do the roof but I still need to know how it's done so she hires the right person. I fixed her door and window molding and a few shingles already. When the roof came off it didn't go without a fight!

Those odd-ball fixtures are around the door.

Originally Posted by joe847

Regarding 1 & 2. Is one at about 4' of of the ground and 2 at about 6'? It looks like 1 is a very old weather proof switch cover and 2 is a box cover for where the light was at one time. If so there are likely wires still in there and they might still be live.

Bingo!!