Roofing Materials
Natural Slate
Natural slate is quarried stone split into sheets, it routinely lasts a century, and the reason more houses do not have it is that most frames cannot hold it up.
What It Is
Stone. It does not rot, burn, melt or fade. The nails and the flashing give out long before the slate does, which is why a hundred year old slate roof is usually restored rather than replaced.
Where It Wins
- The longest lived roof there is
- Completely fireproof
- Individual slates can be replaced one at a time forever
Where It Does Not
- Three to six times the weight of asphalt, so a structural engineer comes first
- Very expensive to buy and to install
- Brittle underfoot, so every later trade on that roof is a risk
- Genuine slate roofers are rare and worth waiting for
In the Quad Cities
There is real slate on churches, schools and grand houses across Davenport and Rock Island. If you own one, restoring it is almost always better than replacing it, and we will say so.
Colors
Vermont GrayBlack SlatePurple GraySea GreenMottled Blend
Ask for a Sample Board
Colors on a screen are close. Colors outdoors against your siding are the real answer, and we will bring one.