Reclaimed slate and clay tile roofing is often the best choice when it comes to restoring an old roof, and can also be a great choice for a new roof or re-roof. For a restoration, reclaimed slate and tile nearly always match better than a new product. This provides one the ability to recreate the original aesthetics rather than the "patched" look that comes with using new materials that don't match as well. For a new roof or re-roof, reclaimed materials instantly give a historical appearance and often at a lower cost than new materials.

Reclaimed muti-color graduated thickness slate installed on a new build estate manor in Grosse Pointe.

Close-up of Grosse Pointe roof.

Reclaimed Vermont green and purple slate roof graduated in length from 28" down to 12"
and graduated in thickness from 1 1/2" down to 1/4" installed on Indian Hill Estate Manor.

We have one of the largest supply of reclaimed slate and clay tile roofing in the country. For projects which specify slate or clay tile- including restorations, replacements, and new buildings or additions, we can provide most types, colors, and textures to meet your needs. We offer a free identification service to help you find the right slate or tile.

One of our three yards of reclaimed slate and clay tile roofing.

Take advantage of our free identification service. As a broker and installer of slate and tile all over the country, we are familiar with all the various types of slate and clay tile that were produced around the country. We will help you identify the slate or tile that you need and gladly ship you a sample upon request.

Whether you are a demolition contractor, roofing contractor, or home owner, please contact us to get a price quote if you have slate or clay tile roofing you wish to sell. We may buy the materials on the ground, or tear off the roof to save you the headaches and costs of tear-off, cleanup, and landfill fees. Contact us for our best price.

In particular, we are interested in buying clay tiles manufactured by Ludowici Roof Tile, National Tile Company, B. Mifflin Hood, Heinz, Mound City, Detroit Tile, Des Moines Tile, and Cincinnati Terra Cotta Company.

We commonly carry the following types of historic clay tile:

• Spanish "S" tile, regular and true S
• French tile
• Straight and Tapered Barrel Mission tile
• Interlocking tiles such as Classic, Americana, Jamestown, Lanai, and Closed Shingle
• Slab tiles such as Colonial, Brittany, Provincial, Norman, and Antique
• 5-sided Combo Shingle
• Conosera
• English
• Beaver Tail

The familiar phrase has been spoken by people of all generations when referring to a variety of products. It may be true for houses, appliances and clothing - but it's certainly true for clay roof tile.

However, this is where the old and the new diverge. Although wet clay is still formed into molds and fired in a kiln, the shapes manufactured now are different than were produced in times past. Most of the original tiles were handmade and very individual , whereas they are now machine made. For shingle tiles, every tile was slightly different in the old days, and it made for a beautifully aesthetic blend. Today, the shingle tiles have about 4-5 different molds, and this causes a checkerboard effect. Furthermore , Ludowici "book tile", an interlocking tile, originally started at 8 1/2" x 11 1/2". They got bigger (8 1/2" x 13 3/4"), and bigger ( 9" x 14" ) , and bigger (now some of them are 10 3/4" x 16".) The greater size translates to fewer pieces per square. This is advantageous as it reduces the material and labor costs. The disadvantage is twofold: the large surface area causes the individual tiles to be weaker and therefore they break much more often, and secondly new tiles do not match historic tiles, and have made the old obsolete.

When it comes to roofing tile, much of the manufacturing process is the same as it was a century ago. The clay deposits are discovered, mined and transported to the manufacturing plant. The machines may have evolved somewhat over the centuries, but they still sift the clay through screens, mill it with water, and treat it with a small amount of chemical compound to ensure a durable and consistent product.

Additionally, some of the finishing methods used in the past are no longer available to tile manufacturers. Lead-based glazes and the "fireflash" and "coke" processes used in the past are now prohibited as a consequence of environmental regulations implemented in the past few decades. As a result, the colors and textures produced today are not quite the same as those manufactured in the 1920's or 1930's.

If you need to match an historic tile, manufacturers will usually produce short runs of a custom tile, but their most skilled craftsmen are required for the job which increases both the price and the lead-time. Furthermore, matching historic colors and textures can be difficult, and is quite often impossible. Many manufacturers will charge an additional fee to experiment with glazes in an attempt to reproduce an historic color, but it's not guaranteed to match.

For repairs or additions to historic buildings, salvaged tile is the perfect solution. It is often less expensive than new tile, and it will provide the best possible match in size, color and patina. Durable Slate has a large inventory of high-quality historic tile. We'll correctly identify the tile you need and deliver it on time. Call us today at 1-877-340-9181.

Imitation slate products have been on the market for a few decades. Whether made from plastic, rubber or other material, in our experience, they are simply unreliable. The color fades, and the pieces too quickly become brittle and break.

The cost of the synthetic slate roofing systems is typically higher than asphalt shingles. This is attributed in part to the manufacturing process as well as to the labor cost of installation. Manufacturers have offered warranties of fifty years or more on their synthetic slate products, which sounds appealing to consumers.

Unfortunately, we have seen many examples of fake slate roofs that have failed within fifteen years of installation. What about the fifty-year warranty? When the manufacturer is out of business or a foreign corporation , the warranty is worthless.

If the classic texture and appearance of slate is desired, consider installing a good-quality salvaged slate. It will be more reliable than synthetic slate, and less expensive than a new slate roof. A salvaged slate roof is an excellent value. It saves on material costs, and, properly installed, the roof will truly last a lifetime.

With one of the largest inventories of salvaged slate in the U.S., Durable Slate can provide the slate you need for any installation, addition or repair. Call us today at 1-877-340-9181 or email us at tile@durableslate.com.