Everything You Need to Know About Slate Roofs

For generations, a slate roof has been a symbol of quality and craftsmanship. With the correct materials and care, a slate roof can last anywhere from 60 to 200 years. Other roofing materials, such as asphalt or wood, just do not have that kind of longevity. It is not only long-lasting but also extremely durable and attractive. Patterned slate roofs, which are sometimes built in unusual patterns using a variety of various coloured slates, stand out like nothing else.

• A slate roof may not be in your budget, but if you already have one, knowing the benefits and how to care for it so that it lasts for millennia is a huge money saving. 
• The National Parks Service Preservation Brief 29 The Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Historic Slate Roofs, which is a very valuable article on the topic, provided a lot of the information for this essay. If you have the time, have a look at it.

Slate Roofs Have a Long History

• All slate was imported from North Wales in the United Kingdom prior to the opening of the first commercial slate quarry in America in 1785 in Pennsylvania. In the 1600s and 1700s, it was mostly used in high-end buildings in major cities, but as slate became more widely available, pricing decreased, and it began to appear in more places. 
• Slate roofs grew in popularity as railroads developed, and by the 1870s, the United States had become a net exporter of slate, with over 200 quarries operating mostly in New England and the mid-Atlantic states of Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia.
• Between 1897 and 1914, the slate roofing industry peaked across the country before succumbing to less expensive materials such as wood and asphalt shingles, which could be mass-produced and exported more easily. When this was combined with the lack of trained labour necessary to build a slate roof compared to other roofing materials, slate quickly fell out of favour and became a niche item.
• Slate has recently had a comeback in popularity, thanks in part to historic preservation efforts and education about the material's virtues.

Choosing the Best Materials

• Slate comes in a wide range of hues. Grey, blue-grey, black, a variety of green colours, deep purple, brick red, and mottled variants are the most prevalent. 
• The terms "fading" and "unfading" are used to describe slate types, and they signify precisely what they say. The hue of the fading varieties will fade to a gentle grey, similar to how wood weathers. With exposure, these slates will change colour, but this is not a sign that they are decaying. 
• If you want to match an existing roof, buy a number of samples from different manufacturers and figure out whether they are fading or unfading so the match will endure more than a few months.
• Slate used to be 3/16′′ thick, but modern slate can be anywhere from 1/4′′ to 3/8′′ thick, so double-check the thickness of slate on your property before purchasing replacement slate. Slate comes in a wide range of widths and lengths, as well as a variety of distinctive shapes other than rectangles. You have a lot of possibilities if you don't have to match an original type of slate. Keep in mind that not all slates are created equal, and some will last longer than others as you shop.
• Vermont and New York slates have a 125-year lifespan, Buckingham Virginia slates have a 175-year lifespan, and Pennsylvania SoftVein slates have a lifespan of just over 60 years. Those are significant variables to consider when installing a new slate roof or replacing an old one.

Repairing a Slate Roof

• A slate roof is not difficult to repair, yet it may appear intimidating to a novice at first. Mastics, adhesives, and other glues should never be used to repair slate. 
• Slate roofing necessitates the use of a few specific instruments that you can't go without. The following is a list of slate roofing repair tools that you might require:
• Slate Ripper
• Slate Hook
• Slate Hammer
• Spiral Nail

• The removal of a cracked or otherwise damaged slate tile is the first stage in replacing it, and you'll need your slate ripper for this. Slide your slate ripper below the tile that needs to be removed and catch the nail with the hook end. Pull the nail out from the sheathing as hard as you can, then repeat the process with the other nail.

You have two alternatives for replacing the slate tile once it has been removed. They both function, and the manner is, in my opinion, purely a matter of personal preference.

Slate Hook Repair Method 1

• Install a stainless steel slate hook between the two slate tiles just below the slate you're replacing. Make sure the bottom of the hook matches the bottom of the tiles in the course you're working on. Make certain it's hammered flush with the surface.
• Pry the upper course of slate up just enough to slide your replacement tile into place and into the cradle of the slate hook with your slate ripper. The hook at the bottom, the slates on each side, and the slate overlapping it above will keep the new slate in place without the need for nails.

Nail & Bib Repair Method 2

• In this procedure, you'll insert the new slate and then nail it in place in the gap between the two slates above it, only nailing through the replacement slate using the smaller head spiral nail indicated before. Because there will only be one nail, spiral nails have more gripping power than smooth nails, which is important for large tiles. To avoid breaking your slate, pre-drill a hole before nailing it.
• You'll need to flash your nail with a bib to prevent water from penetrating it. The bib is a tiny piece of galvanized steel or copper flashing with slits cut into the edges to help it stay put beneath the slate. Then, simply put the bib beneath the slate and above the nail to keep everything dry.
• The length of the nail for slate construction will be determined by the minimum wood deck of 34 inches, the underlayment, and two times the slate thickness. The most typical nail lengths are 12" and 134", with a 3/8" diameter head, but double-check your dimensions.

Ending Thoughts

In general, slate roofs don't require a lot of upkeep. Keep off the roof as much as possible, and when you do go up to inspect things, wear soft-soled shoes like tennis shoes rather than hard boots.