Slate
Slate roofs on stone and timber houses
Slate reads best on stone and timber, and it keeps for generations. We check the framing, lay it course by course and flash it in copper.
What we install
Three kinds of slate work
New slate
Cut stone laid in courses, with the quarry, color and thickness chosen at the site visit.
Hand-cut hips and valleys
Copper valley and flashing
Slate repair and matching
Broken slates replaced with salvaged or matched stone, so repairs disappear.
Hooked in without breaking neighbors
Salvage sourced for old roofs
Slate over timber
Heavy-roof framing checked and reinforced where it needs it.
Engineer's letter when required
Deck and underlayment rebuilt
Details
Detailed to last as long as the stone
What we look at before we quote a slate roof.
Weight
Slate is heavy. We check the rafters and the load path before we order.
Color and wear
Slate is quarried in colors from gray to green to purple, and weathering shifts them. We show samples in daylight.
Copper where water gathers
Valleys, chimneys and walls are flashed in copper, which lasts as long as the slate.
Snow and slate
Snow guards for slate are fixed on the nails' line, so no slate is drilled.
Settled on paper
What we look at first
Three checks before a slate quote.
- 01
The framing
Rafters, spans and load path under the stone.
- 02
The old flashings
What is copper, what is not, and what has to be rebuilt.
- 03
The salvage
Whether the old slate can be reused or matched.
How the job runs
Day by day on your roof
- 01
Step 1: Day 1: staging and tear-off
Old roofing off, salvage sorted and decking inspected.
- 02
Step 2: Days 2 to 5: deck and underlayment
Deck repaired, ice barrier and underlayment laid.
- 03
Step 3: Next: slate by courses
Laid from eave to ridge, with copper flashings set as the courses climb.
- 04
Step 4: Last: ridge, snow guards, walk-through
Everything checked and photographed with you.
The bid
What the price depends on
We don't post prices. A roof like this is priced from its drawings, and each of these shows on the written bid.
Roof area and pitch
Squares, planes, hips and valleys.
The slate
Quarry, color, thickness and whether it's salvaged.
Framing
Whether the structure needs reinforcing, found at the visit.
Flashings
Copper valleys, chimneys, dormers and walls.
Snow retention
Guards and where they go.
Access and season
Haul distance, staging and the weather window.
Questions
Questions about slate
How long does a slate roof last?
Commonly 60 to 150 years, depending on the stone, the pitch and the flashings. We name the slate and its source in the bid.
Can you repair or match old slate?
Yes. We source salvaged slate or a close match, and replace broken slates without disturbing the ones beside them.
Is my house strong enough for slate?
We check at the site visit and tell you if an engineer's letter or added framing is needed. We say so before you commit to the material.
What about snow and ice on slate?
Snow guards fixed on the nail line, a ventilated deck and an ice barrier at the eaves. Slate sheds snow quickly, so we plan where it lands.
Ask for a slate bid
Send a photo of the roof or the drawings. We answer on the next business day.