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A slate roof offers many advantages over other
roofing products. First and foremost slate is a natural stone
so it provides a beautiful and classic look. Second, slate
roofing tiles are non-combustible and therefore potentially
reduce home insurance costs. Third, slate roofing has an
extremely long lifespan, again since it’s a natural product.
Some New England homes have had the same slate roofing tiles
on them for hundreds of years. Slate is also a very dense and
thus durable product. As a result it is very stable to
temperature changes, waterproof, and resists cracking and
breakage. |
Also, due to its weight compared to other roofing materials, it is less
susceptible to storm and wind damage. Lastly it easily sheds snow and
ice thus making it extremely beneficial in colder climates.
Slate roofing tiles are however pricey and thus why they are not used
very frequently today. However, they can still be seen on older historic
homes and high end houses. If you’re in the process of remodeling an old
home, it is certainly worth considering investing in slate roofing as
they can help preserve its old home ambiance and style. If the cost of
real slate roof tiles is beyond your reach, but you still want to have
that slate look appearance on your roof, you may want to consider using
synthetic slate roofing tiles. They are less expensive and look very
much like the real deal.
The key reason why slate became such a viable roofing product is that it
can be cleaved, or split, in one direction and into various sheet
thicknesses. Thus relatively lightweight compared to other stone
materials, roofing tiles could be cut and trimmed from the thin sheets.
Slate roofing tiles come in many standard sizes varying in lengths from
12 to 24 inches, and widths from 6 to 12 inches, respectively. They
typically range in thickness from 3/16ths to 5/16ths of an inch, however
most slate roofing tiles are around ¼ inch thick, +/- 1/16 of an inch.
This said, some slate roof tiles can be purchased in excess of 1 inch
thick.
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Another benefit of the fact that slate is a quarried natural
stone is that slate roofing tiles come in a variety of different colors and
shades. Slate roofing tile colors and tones can range the gambit, however in
general they tend to vary from a grayish-black, to a greenish gray, to a light
to dark purple or reddish. Between these main colors there is a wide spectrum of
earthy color shades. As a result, there is a slate roofing tile color that can
match just about any house paint scheme.
Also, slate roof tiles can be purchased with various levels of
expected fading or weathering. |
Unfading slate roof tiles, for example, are predicted to fade very
little over time. In addition, any fading that does occur is predicted
to be uniform throughout the entire roof. Fading roof slate, on the
other hand, can fade significantly over time and from shingle to
shingle. The amount of fading associated with slate roofing tiles is
dependent upon the natural aspects of where it was quarried and the
skill in the supplier being able to predict it accurately.
| An additional benefit of slate roofing is its
insulating properties. Due to its denseness and thickness
compared to other roofing products, it can provide better
insulation to your home thus reducing your home’s overall
energy costs. Also, slate roofing tiles also require very
little maintenance. In the rare event of a broken slate tile,
only the broken tile itself needs to be repaired. A skilled
slate roofing contractor can easily make these types of
repairs. To conclude, if you have an old home that you plan
to remodel and want to add an elegant and natural look to its
roof, consider slate roofing tiles. |
 Photo Courtesy of TAMKO |
Their old world charm will offer your home unique beauty, while at
the same time provide many functional and long term cost saving
advantages. Alternatively, if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford
real slate roofing tiles you may want to consider synthetic slate
roofing tiles. They look virtually the same as natural slate tiles, but
are more affordable both from a material and installation cost.
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