There are numerous different materials available for covering your roof – the main ones in the United States are asphalt shingles, wood shakes (typically cedar or other hard wood), a range of tiles made from a variety of manmade materials, cement and such, and of course slate. Which material you eventually choose will be determined by the budget, the requirements of the home itself (slanted roof versus a flat one), local building codes, your ability to access specialist contractors for some kinds of materials (slate does need someone experienced in handling it) and a range of other factors – not least, how the finished job will look!

Slate is a hard, naturally occurring material which is mined in the US, Spain and the UK. Most of the slate in the US comes from here in the country though you can source imported slate which does have different color characteristics. Slate is formed deep in the earth from sedimentary layers which are compressed under extreme pressure. This forces the sedimentary layers into parallel alignment which forms planes of weakness or a laminate structure. Once quarried from the mine, the slate can be split into progressively thinner and thinner panels, typically requiring a skilled hand which means slate becomes a labor intensive product and that means more cost.

Slate is expensive because it is labor intensive to quarry and prepare the material for use. The cost is also increased because it requires an experienced roofing contractor who has knowledge of slate and forming a roof with it to be engaged. In addition, slate is one of the heaviest of all roofing materials and this means your home will need an appropriately strong roofing frame and support to hold the slate roof in place. All of these factors contribute to the cost, however where slate is used, it typically becomes one of the cheapest forms of roofing material when you consider the costs of maintenance and repair over the life of the roof.

A slate roof will typically last for more than one hundred years which compares very favorably with an asphalt shingle roof which may be guaranteed to last for 20 to 30 years before it requires replacing. In other words, a slate roof will last at least as long as three asphalt versions and probably many more. From this perspective, taking the long term view, a slate roof may have a higher initial cost than an asphalt roof, however over the life of the home it will be a cheaper alternative which adds value to the home (and which is available upon resale).

A slate roof requires very little in the way of maintenance, and this will become a significant portion of the total cost of ownership for most homeowners with a roof made from other materials. For instance, a slate roof will not warp as it is unaffected by extremes of temperature – excessive heat has no effect and nor will it crack or splinter due to cold and ice (it is made of stone after all). Weathering is minimized as a consequence, but more than this, slate is sterile in that it provides no sustenance for pests and molds. Slate cannot be eaten by bugs, it provides no shelter for flora and fauna, and there is no food source for the promotion of mold.

Finally, looking at the properties of slate there are numerous distinct advantages from using the material. Slate is a natural looking material (it is a naturally occurring material after all). Slate is also fire proof – not simply fire resistant but fireproof – it will not react in any shape or form with fire and will not burn (unlike wood or asphalt shingles). Slate is also waterproof and completely impermeable to water as well as not providing any refuge to encourage the accumulation of moisture.

Author Bio: Find quality Slate Tile from Virginia Slate

Category: Home Management
Keywords: slate roof, roofing choices, slate roof vs asphalt roof, slate roofs