ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR
CERTIFICATIONS for ROOFING CONTRACTORS
CHOOSING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR
ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES
FIRE RETARDANT PLYWOOD
ROOF INSPECTION SAFETY & LIMITS
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR
How to Inspect & Repair
Types of Roofing Slate
Slate Colors, Chemistry
Slate Roof Aging and Durability
Ribbon Slates
Slate Roof Installation Quality
Other factors in Condition
Slate Roof Repair history
Slate Roof Leaks
Slate Holding actions
How to Repair Slate Roofs
Copper Tab Method
Slate Hook Method
SLATE ROOF PHOTO LIBRARY
About The Authors
Slate References
Slate Sources, Repairs
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION CLASS
STANDARDS for ROOFING
WARRANTIES for ROOF SHINGLES
WORKMANSHIP & WIND DAMAGE
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How to Repair Slate Roofs
RoofAPedia ©
- How to repair slate roofs - a guide
- How to inspect, evaluate & repair slate roofs - the basics
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at
inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.
This is a detailed article describing procedures for evaluating the condition of slate roofing.
How to inspect, identify defects, and estimate remaining life of slate roofs are addressed.
The abandonment of good slate roofs which should have been repaired
is a financial shame and the destruction of a valued asset. At the
same time, careless optimism about a bad slate roof which is at the
end of its life risks an angry inspection client. This article reviews
some slate roof repair
tips. We also provide slate sources and where to buy slate roofing materials and slate roofing tools and products.
© Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.
How to Repair Slate Roofs
This section deals with repairs to damaged slate roofs as compared with complete new slate roof installation.
A key difficulty is presented by the fact that unlike asphalt shingles, slates are rigid. The repair person cannot
easily "lift" adjacent slates to install the fastener for the new replacement slate.
Replacing Lost Slates using the Copper Tab Method
A proper slate repair involves several steps:
- Cut the concealed nails, holding the damaged slate in place. There are usually two nails.
- acquire the properly sized replacement slate. If the exposure is ten inches the slates should be twenty-three inches
long. A proper slate application uses slates which are twice the exposure plus a three-inch allowance for head lap.
- slide the slate into place, use the gap between the sides of the above-course of slates to mark the location of a single
holding nail.
- the nail hole is punched into the slate from the back, so that the ragged part of the hole is on the front or face
of the slate. This will allow the nail to sit flush in the hole. It's a crude form of counter-sinking.
- nail the replacement slate into place with a copper nail. Sometimes the edges of the nail head have to be cut off to pass
between the sides of the two slates in the covering upper course.
- cover the new nail with a copper "bib" which is slid up under the covering or overlaying slates to cover the nail hole
and to extend up below the next upper covering slate whose bottom edge covers the upper portion of the gap through which the nail was
placed. the copper bib should have its edges burred, or should be bent slightly so that it will not slide out. The top of the bib should
extend well above the nail and under the slate above. Some roofers slide the bib up under all three of the slates above the repair slate
making the copper totally hidden. The bib is bent slightly arched and burred to stay in place.
Using Slate Hooks for Inserting Replacements:
An alternative procedure uses 3" stainless steel slate hooks
distributed by Vermont Structural Slate (and possibly other companies).
-
Stainless steel slate hookoffers a more reliable alternative than copper strips for holding replacement slates in place.
The fastener end of the hook is nailed roughly 3" up from what will be the lower
edge of the replacement slate. The slate is slid up over the hook and seated.
The illustrations below depict this procedure.
 Slate hook installation-1, the hook is driven in place where the missing slate is to be installed - nailed into the side butt joint of the lower slate course
 Slate hook installation-2, the new slate slides over the hook, is seated, and the hook, pops up into place to hold the new slate securely
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ROOFING INSPECTION & REPAIR
CERTIFICATIONS for ROOFING CONTRACTORS
CHOOSING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR
ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES
FIRE RETARDANT PLYWOOD
ROOF INSPECTION SAFETY & LIMITS
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR
How to Inspect & Repair
Types of Roofing Slate
Slate Colors, Chemistry
Slate Roof Aging and Durability
Ribbon Slates
Slate Roof Installation Quality
Other factors in Condition
Slate Roof Repair history
Slate Roof Leaks
Slate Holding actions
How to Repair Slate Roofs
Copper Tab Method
Slate Hook Method
SLATE ROOF PHOTO LIBRARY
About The Authors
Slate References
Slate Sources, Repairs
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION CLASS
STANDARDS for ROOFING
WARRANTIES for ROOF SHINGLES
WORKMANSHIP & WIND DAMAGE
More Information
InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map
Air Conditioning
InspectAPedia Bookstore
Electrical
Environment
Exteriors
Heating
Home Inspection
Insulate Ventilate
Interiors
Mold Inspect/Test
Roofing
Plumbing Water Septic
Structure
Accuracy & Bias Pledge
Contact Us
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Slate Roof Inspection & Repair - Chapter Index
Use links just below or at the left of each of our other website pages to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
ROOF INSPECTION SAFETY & LIMITS
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR
How to Inspect & Repair
Types of Roofing Slate
Slate Colors, Chemistry
Slate Roof Aging and Durability
Ribbon Slates
Slate Roof Installation Quality
Other factors in Condition
Slate Roof Repair history
Slate Roof Leaks
Slate Holding actions
How to Repair Slate Roofs
Copper Tab Method
Slate Hook Method
SLATE ROOF PHOTO LIBRARY
About The Authors
Slate References
Slate Sources, Repairs
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION CLASS
Slate Roofing References
- SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR home page
- SLATE ROOF PHOTO LIBRARY Our online photo dictionary of roofing slate colors, types, and conditions has moved to its own web page
- SLATE ROOF INSPECTION CLASS presentation notes and illustrations
- Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
- The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
- Slate Roofs , Steven Trapasso, presentation to NY Metro
ASHI, Inc. chapter seminar, November 1990.
- The Old-House Journal , Special Roof Issue , April
1983, The Old-House Journal, PO Box 50214, Boulder, CO 80321-0214
- National Slate Technology Center courses for architects, builders, etc.
- Handbook of Building Crafts in Conservation, Jack Bower, Ed.,
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY 1981 ISBN 0-442-2135-3 Library of
Congress Catalog Card Nr. 81-50643.
- Slate Roofing Contractors Association of North America
- National Slate Association includes list of slate testing laboratories
Slate Replacement & Repair Sources
If less than 25% of the slates on a roof are damaged or sliding down from worn out nails,
slate repairs are in order. Luckily replacement slates are available from a variety of
slate quarries, slate suppliers, and slate roofing companies. Slate "lookalike" products
are also available using cementious materials. If the building owner cannot afford to
repair a slate roof where most slates are intact, holding action slate roof repairs should be
followed, such as simply sliding metal flashing up under broken or missing slates on the roof.
- Vermont Structural Slate Co., PO Box 98 Fair Haven, VT
05743 802/265-4933 802/265-3865 FAX (Green, purple, unfading red,
and Spanish imported black.)
- Rising & Nelson Slate Co., West Pawlet, VT 05775; 802/645-0150
(all VT colors plus Buckingham Gray from VA and blacks from PA.)
- Evergreen Slate Co., 68 Potter Ave., Granville, NY 12832;
518/642-2530. Vermont slates in 10 colors.
- Hilltop Slate Co., Middle Granville, NY 12849; 518/642-2270
(all VT colors plus imported Spanish Black)
- Structural Slate Co., Pen Argyl, PA 18072; 215/863-4145
(PA black)
- Buckingham Slate Co., 4110 Fitzhugh Ave., Richmond, VA
23230; 805/355-4351 (VA Buckingham Grey)
In addition to these slate sources there are several slate look-alike
substitutes. While the application techniques, flashing and nailing
concerns are similar, the wear characteristics of these materials
may be quite different and were not evaluated for this paper. This
paper is not an endorsement, nor a critique of any of these materials.
- Eternit, Inc., rigid fiber reinforced cement roofing slates
(and board products. Village Center Drive, Reading, PA 19607 800/233-3155
- BritSlateTM are made from 100% quarried slate particles
combined with an adhesive (epoxy?) and no fillers with no questionable
side effects according to the manufacturer. According to the manufacturer,
they can be cut, drilled, etc. and come with a 50-year guarantee.
They're less prone to breakage than slate, fireproof, and do not absorb
water (like natural slate), and do not encourage organic growth (moss
and lichens) because they are not porous. BritSlate North America,
Inc., 647 West Boylston St., Worcester, MA 01606 508/852-4888 508/852-7224
FAX 2/90.
- Reinforced-cement shingles which "look like slate but are
lighter and one-third the cost" are available from Atlas International
Building Products, 5600 Hochelaga St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1N
1W1. [$180/square loose or $400./sq. installed, 30-year guarantee.]
- Supra-Slate "looks like slate and is manufactured in colors
of real quarry slate." Tegusol is a double interlocking clay roof
tile. Available from: Supradur Manufacturing Corporation, PO Box 908,
Rye, NY 10580 800/223-1948 or 914/967-8230. or 122 East 42nd St.,
NY, NY 10168 212/697-1160
- Lifetile(R) Boral Concrete Products, Inc., produces high
density extruded concrete roofing tiles meeting Class "A" requirements.
Dallas, TX 214/544-2227
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