Cons Of Slate Roofing
Slate roofing is well worth the investment for many people, but you never want to jump into a project blindly. The material is durable, but the same quality that makes it ideal for cutting into slabs can also be its downfallslate is somewhat fragile and can be cracked or broken if not handled properly. It is also very heavy, which means that you will need to have your home evaluated to see if it can bear the weight of a slate roof beforehand. The weight of slate shingle roofing tiles range between 800 and 1,500 pounds per square .
How This Site Works
We think it’s important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We’re a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can’t guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can’t accept liability if things go wrong.
- This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it’s right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.
- We don’t as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned , but there is a risk any company can struggle and it’s rarely made public until it’s too late .
- Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first.
- We often link to other websites, but we can’t be responsible for their content.
- Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.
MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySuperMarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally-binding MSE Editorial Code.
Insulating A Slate Roof: An Overview
Spray foam used to insulate your roof will almost always be used in the same way. It is sprayed directly onto the underside of your roof structure from the inside. Layers of foam are applied between the rafters and then either left as it is or covered with plasterboard.
The main concern people have with applying spray foam in this way to a slate roof is that many of these roofs are constructed with no barrier between the slate and the inside of the loft.
In other words, the spray foam adheres to the slate directly. As you might expect, there are pros and cons of this approach:
Read Also: Where Is The Closest Red Roof Inn
Names Of Reclaimed Roof Slates
- Princesses are commonly know as 24 x 14 slates, becoming very rare these days!
- Duchesses, 24 x 12 reclaimed slates, again as with all larger sizes, they are becoming hard to find.
- Small Duchesses, 22 x 12 a lovely second hand slate, offering great coverage with 13 slates/m2.
- Wide Countess, 20 x 12, a popular and versatile second hand slate.
- Countess, 20 x 10, a common reclaimed slate the name refers to 20 x 9 and 18 x 12 versions alike.
- Wide Viscountesses, 18 x 10 an extremely popular choice of salvaged roof slate.
- Viscountesses, 18 x 9 and 16 x 12 alike, these slates are common amongst reclamation yards.
- Wide ladies, 16 x 10 perhaps not the most PC of names when it comes to second hand slates? Perhaps the most popular size.
- Broad Ladies, 16 x 9 are a popular choice when it comes to reclaimed roof slates.
- Headers, 14 x 10 we always carry good stocks of this size at The Reclaimed Company.
- Small ladies, 14 x 8 a popular choice for Victorian Terraced houses and always a stock item.
- Narrow Ladies, 14 x 7 are not as common as the wider 14 sizes.
Who Manufactured The Shingles
In any given neighborhood where multiple homes have slate shingles, the quality of the slate is liable to vary. The disparity between each roof will often be due to the age of the shingles and the maintenance, or lack thereof, employed by successive generations of homeowners. However, the differences in slate quality will often boil down to the company that manufactured the shingles.
As noted, there are hard and soft forms of slate. Shingle manufacturers that use only the former quality of slate will generally produce the longest-lasting shingles. That said, other differences separate the best manufacturers from some of the lesser brands on the market, and it all boils down to those who use real slate versus cheaper imitation productions.
One of the telltale signs of genuine slate is its inconsistency. Slate shingles will have a rough, rocky texture and vary in color from tile to tile. Imitation slate, on the other hand, will usually have a consistent appearance and a flatter, smoother texture. Some manufacturers try to pass imitation slate off as the real thing on unsuspecting homeowners. Therefore, it is important to know real slate from fake slate, as the latter has neither the value or longevity of the real thing.
Don’t Miss: How Many Sheets Of Metal Roofing Do I Need
Is It Time To Replace My Old Slate Roof
Both properties are a typical Victorian semi detached 3 bed property, average size. I don’t think we have any leaks, however the guttering needs replacing and the wooden facias need attention and there is no felt under the tiles. I’m just wondering what some of you would do? We are here for the long term, would you consider replacing the roof?
Labor Costs To Install
Slate must be installed properly in order to last as long as it is made to last. As you call contractors, make sure to ask specifically about each contractors experience with slate roofing so that you can feel confident they have the necessary experience. It is also a heavy material, so this particular roof installation should be done with the utmost expertise and care. Labor will most likely cost you anywhere from $600 to $1,500 per roofing square. If your current roof needs to be removed, or if you have a complex roof layout, this will add to the cost. Be sure to take these factors into account and ask about them when you contact roofing specialists.
Talk to Contractors
Some benefits of slate roofing compared to new asphalt roofing installation:
- Life Expectancy up to 150+ years.
- Energy Efficient.
- Low Maintenance.
- Increases the value of your home.
Natural Stone is the ultimate eco-friendly, durable, and beautiful roofing material. Unfortunately, high cost and weight concerns make slate a rare sight on run-of-the-mill homes. You will most often see a slate roof on churches, libraries, and government and university buildings.
Roofing slate stone will not saturate with water, and offers a completely fireproof option for your roof. Since slate roofing is made of stone, it is impervious to weather, sun, heat, and cold so you can expect a slate roof to last up to 150+ years.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Wasp Nest Under Roof
Think Outside The Box
Before we get into what to do with slate, lets not forget the packaging. Think outside the box. Literally. And get creative with the crate, the box, or whatever wrapping it comes in.
Take our pallets, in which this Kentdale blue-grey slate was delivered. This customer has reused their crates to make some fantastic planters for the outside, sprucing up the front of their house!
Weve also seen people reusing crates to produce garden furniture, shelving, storage, seats and much more. Rather than throwing something away, try to think creatively about what else it could be used for. And if wooden crates really wouldnt suit the aesthetic of your home, consider posting about them online and offering to give them away for free, so someone else can make use of them.
Selling Reclaimed Roof Tiles
We have recently completed a complete tear off of our clay tile roof and have most of the tiles intact.
I am looking for advice on where and how I might sell the tiles so they can be reused. I believe most are original tiles from the house which was built in the late twenties.
Thank you in advance.
It might help to know where you are located. There are some specialty places in some of the larger metro ares that resell tile and slate. They have whole fields of it. Habitat also will resell the tile, but they wont pay you for it.
It might help to know where you are located. There are some specialty places in some of the larger metro ares that resell tile and slate. They have whole fields of it. Habitat also will resell the tile, but they wont pay you for it.
Thank you for the response. I am in the Mobile, AL area where despite there being a number of tile roofs, I had a lot of difficulty finding a competent roofer who would redo the tile at an affordable price. One mentioned they would have to see if they could find matching tiles in the New Orleans area but I dont know from where.
If I am unable to sell the tile, I would be willing to donate it to Habitat but would like to get some idea of its value for tax purposes. I will check to see if I can find a manufacturers mark and get a count of the various types if there is someone here who can help me determine its valuation.
What kind of tile is it? Clay? Concrete? Do you have pictures?
Recommended Reading: How To Cool Seal A Mobile Home Roof
Is It Safe To Use Slate For Roofing
Slate is a roofing material with exceptional lifespan. Sadly, this means that the material product, the roofing tile, frequently outlasts the company that quarried it or the functional quarry itself. Because there is no new product available for roof repairs, reclaimed slate is often the only option for seamless repairs.
Why Buy Reclaimed Roof Tiles
Reclaimed roofing tiles can dramatically improve the overall look of your building project, blending in seamlessly with an existing roof or nearby buildings. Reclaimed, or second hand, slates and roof tiles come in many beautiful varieties, some are actually antiques and in parts of the country certain roof tile types must be used as required by the local planning authorities.
Contact Details:
Also Check: Will My Home Insurance Cover A Leaking Roof
Get Artistic With Your Slate
As any artistic or creative individual would know, any material can be your canvas, but when it comes to slate, you can get extra creative. When you use your imagination, slate can serve as an array of different artistic outlets. From simply creating a painting using slate as your canvas, to creating mosaics from painted slate parts and creating a mirror surround, the options are endless. Some other possibilities for getting arty with your leftover slate are:
- Candle holders Use four sides of slate to make a rustic looking, oblong-shaped candle holder to rest your tealights, then sit back and relax.
- Sundial Unleash your inner artist and get creative with your own funky slate sundial!
- Birdhouse Give back to nature by turning some old slate tiles into a functional birdhouse.
- Tabletop games If you love games, why not make you own like a chessboard or a noughts and crosses board from slate? Perfect for a living room or front room trying to create a rustic feel.
- Flowerpots With just four pieces of slate, you can create your very own functional and adorable looking flowerpots, perfect for both indoors and out.
- Plant markers Slate makes for great plant markers. Its sturdy and durable and can easily be written on in chalk or with a white marker pen. So, if you have any small pieces of slate you dont know what to do with, plant markers could be a great option.
Slate Roof: Buyers Guide To Choosing The Right Type
Image source: Matthews Roofing
With their old-fashioned Gothic appearance, slate roofs are one of the most eye-catching, durable, and longest-lasting roof types. Natural slate roof tiles are made up of hard metamorphic rock, which derives from sedimentary rock, usually made from clay or volcanic ash. So naturally, slate roofs are incredibly environmentally and eco-friendly. If you’re considering installing a slate roof, let’s explore what you should know before hiring professional installers.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Rid Of Moss On Your Roof
Your Home Maintaining Slate Roofs: New Options
- Read in app
FEW homeowners would argue with the premise that a slate roof adds beauty and value to a house. But while such roofs are often thought to be virtually indestructible — some have been around for a couple of hundred years — even the best slate roofs age, leak and eventually have to be replaced.
”The average homeowner will look at an 80-year-old slate roof that’s leaking and think, what in the world am I going to do with this?” said Joseph C. Jenkins, a slate-roof contractor in Grove City, Pa., who is author of ”The Slate Roof Bible” . ”And I would say that the most important thing to find out before answering that question is what kind of slate you have.”
Mr. Jenkins explained that while there are a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and styles of slate used on roofs, most slate roofs can be divided into two basic categories: hard and soft.
”Hard slate will last anywhere from 75 to 200 years, while soft slate will last only 50 to 125 years,” he said, adding that as a result, a homeowner trying to decide whether to repair, restore or replace a slate roof should first determine whether the existing slate is hard or soft.
Generally speaking, Mr. Jenkins said, colored slates are almost always hard slate and black slates are almost always soft. In any case, he said, a slate expert — known as a ”slater” — will be able to tell hard slate from soft simply by tapping on it.
Recycling Ideas For Slate
Slate is an incredibly popular material with a variety of uses, most prominently in the world of roofing to flooring, where slate is used to make incredibly versatile tiles. But as time has gone by, our uses for slate have only widened further. From snooker tables to the humble kitchen cheeseboard, slate is becoming popular for ever more applications.
In a world where we are becoming increasingly aware of our environmental impact, we are beginning to recycle and reuse everything possible. People are turning their otherwise useless products and broken items into new and rejuvenated pieces of practicality and art, and this includes slate. Here are some exciting ideas that you could use if you have some old slate lying around.
Recommended Reading: How Long Does A New Roof Usually Last
Can I Insulate My Slate Roof With Spray Foam
Insulation inside your loft is one of the best ways to keep your home warm and spray foam insulation is always the best choice.
Being more flexible, easier to use, more thermally protective and longer lasting spray foam is becoming a more popular choice for homeowners. However, you may have concerns that your slate roof may be ruined by the application of spray foam and as with most things there are positives and negatives.
Do They Specialize In Slate Roofing
When you have a slate roof installed or maintained, the work should only be done by roofing professionals with extensive backgrounds in the application of slate. This qualifier is crucial, considering the special handling required for slate shingles. A roofer with little or no knowledge of slate is liable to make mistakes during an installation that could lead to costly problems soon after completion.
A common mistake among roofers is to employ the same application methods that work for other types of roofing materials. For starters, the roofer might break tiles while walking across the roof during the installation process. Even worse, the roofer might leave the fasteners exposed to rain and snow.
One thing a roofer should never do is coat slate shingles. There is no reason for slate to have any coating, as the stone is, by nature, resistant to fire, rain, snow, hail and wind. Roofers who leave nails exposed “face-nailing,” as the problem is called have been known to cover the imperfection with tar when performing repair work. In cases like these, tar often winds up brushed along the shingles. When covered with tar or any other coat, the surface of the slate loses its aesthetic luster.
Also Check: Does House Insurance Cover Roof Leaks
Spray Foam For Slate Roofs: Final Verdict
Overall, spray foam insulation when used on a slate roof will ensure it lasts longer and will provide additional structural support. The main areas of concern are that replacement of the roof in the future will be a more costly and time consuming job and the slates cannot be reused.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that your slate roof is expected to last a century and after this time the slates will be crumbling and ineffective as a roofing material, in any case. You could even extend that life by using spray foam therefore getting even more from your roof.
Whatever you choose to do, getting the right contractor to fit both your slate roof and your insulation is essential. A good roof that has been correctly laid will be the starting point to an excellent spray foam insulation job.
You should not use the insulation to repair your roof always try to start with a slate tiled roof that is in good repair and you will have many years of maintenance free roofing.
Ready to transform your roof-space into a a fully habitable room? With spray foam insulation, you can achieve exactly that! Request your free roof survey today by calling , or by simply clicking the button below!
