Tin roof colors before the Civil War were usually a mixture of iron oxide and linseed oil. The appearance of the soldered panels was a rusty red, thereby any rust spots were muted. Every few years, the roofs were repainted with the same mixture.A minority of owners (the "yuppies" of that age) of these home metal roofs tried to mimic copper or slate finishes.
More about true vintage tin panel colors in future posts.
