A successful project for any type of historical roofing is comprised of the many parts that we call the Durable Way.
Proper Assessment
Proper assessment and the resulting plan of action are extremely important in the repair and restoration of all historical roofing types. Many of the “basic principles” and diagnostic techniques used by generic modern day roofers do not apply to historic roofing as slate, tile, and copper roofing have quite different properties to asphalt roofing. Our extensive experience on diagnosing roof problems on old buildings (some that date back 300 years) also provide us a great advantage in new installations as we have seen the methodologies that have worked and failed in our thousands of observations of historical roofs. Our senior technical expert, John Chan, serves on the board of the National Slate Association, and is one of the leading experts in slate and clay tile roofing in the country.
Appropriate Materials
With one of the largest stocks of re-claimed slate and tile in the country, we can provide matching pieces for most slate or tile restorations. Most of the clay tiles made fifty to hundred years ago are no longer manufactured and the only way to match existing is a reclaimed tile. On the other hand, many types of slate that were used on older buildings are still quarried but have weathered to a shade that can be vastly different than that fresh out of a quarry. Choosing new materials is just as critical of a choice. Factors such as weathering, the quality of the clay or stone at the time of quarrying, the quality of the stone at the time of cleaving and cutting, etc. can contribute greatly to whether one has a one hundred year product or a much inferior product. When it comes to new installations, we source only materials that have a proven track record to last many generations and use suppliers who have a similar integrity to provide only the very best.
Skilled Artisans
At Durable Slate, we train our artisans on the knowledge accumulated over generations of experience from expert slaters as well as from our thousands of completed projects. However, the restoration and installation of historic roofing requires extensive practice and application of that knowledge to a high level of skill. The difference between a roof installed with this knowledge and skill or lack thereof can mean a hundred plus year roof or one that will not perform satisfactorily for more than a few years. This pride of creating and restoring beautiful roofs that lasts generations has resulted in numerous local and national awards for craftsmanship to many of our fine artisans.
Quality Control
Our Quality Control staff ensures that every single job is completed to the same uniformly high standard. They are responsible for the training and apprenticing of our personnel in the Durable Way. This high standard of integrity in the company has lead to multiple awards for ethics and integrity including the International Award for Marketplace Ethics from the Better Business Bureau.
Licenses
- Alabama: Residential License #10398
- Florida: Certified Roofing Contractor #CCC1327270, Certified General Contractor #CGC1514873
- Georgia: #GCQA002039
- Louisiana: Building Construction License #44869
- Maryland: Home Improvement License #105029
- Michigan: Residential Builder License 2101201404
- Mississippi: Building Construction License #15345
- New Jersey: Home Improvement Contractor License # 13VH07094100
- North Carolina: General Contractor License #72522
- North Dakota: Class A Contractor License #34981
- South Carolina: General Contractor License #114866
- Tennessee: General Contractor License #59190
- Virginia: Class A #2705140896
- Washington D.C.: Business License #4105120004009
- West Virginia: General Contractor License #WV037484
In addition, we are state registered in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and New York.