Slate
Slate you can repair, and slate worth replacing
Sound slate is a stone that has outlasted three or four sets of nails. Most of the work we do on it is resetting, re-flashing and replacing the few that have slipped, so the stone you have keeps working.
Resetting slipped slates and replacing cracked ones
New copper or stainless steel nails, hand set
Matched slate for patches, new sections and full roofs
Structure check: slate is heavy, and the framing under it matters
Repair or replace
How we decide, from what we find on the roof
| Replace when | Repair when | |
|---|---|---|
| The slate itself | Replace whenIt is soft, flaking or delaminating across whole slopes | Repair whenMost of it is sound and rings when tapped |
| The nails | Replace whenThey have failed across most of the roof | Repair whenSome have rusted, and the slipped slates are scattered |
| The flashings | Replace whenThey need replacing everywhere, and the slate is also due | Repair whenA few are open and the rest are sound |
| The structure | Replace whenBoards or rafters beneath have rotted and need lifting the slate anyway | Repair whenThe framing and deck are sound |
Before you decide
What we tell you about slate
It is heavy
A slate roof weighs many times what an asphalt roof does. If the framing needs help, we say so and price the reinforcement as a separate line.
The stone can outlast the roof
Slate is commonly said to last 60 to 150 years. The nails and flashings usually give out first, so the age of the roof is not the age of the stone.
Salvaged slate is a good option
For repairs, old slate from a roof of the same age and quarry often matches better than new. We source it before we cut new.
Walking on it breaks it
Please don't climb a slate roof to look. We use ladders and hooks that spread the weight, and we photograph for you.
Slate questions
Can a few missing slates wait?
Not long. Water gets under neighbors, and what began as one slate becomes a stained ceiling. We can often reset or replace a few in a single visit.
Can you match my old slate?
We take a sample, compare it with new and salvaged stock in daylight, and tell you honestly how close we can get. The sample goes in the commission file too.
Do you install new slate roofs?
Yes, on houses where slate belongs and the framing can carry it. We say in the bid what the roof under it needs.
What about slate that looks like slate but isn't?
Composite and synthetic roofs are a different trade, and we say so. If your house is in a historic district, the commission will ask what it is made of.
Want us to look at your slate?
We bring a ladder, a camera and a slate hook, and we send the photographs with the bid.