Slate Repair, Done Right.

Slate roofs are famously durable and long lasting, but need regular maintenance and occasional repairs to help them reach maximum longevity.

Your premium roof deserves a slate specialist to be its best (for decades to come). You can rely on us to do what's right for your slate roof.

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About Slate Roofing

Slate is a classic and hearty roofing material that adds elegance and distinctiveness to your home, place of worship, or business. Although slate can cost more to install, that initial expense is mitigated by its incredible longevity, produces less environmental waste than its synthetic counterparts, and imparts a high-quality, old world durability to your home and surroundings.

Slate roofs have been around for nearly 1,000 years. Old slate roofs have been discovered dating back to the early 1200’s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, slate roofing was first used in the 1600’s and the first commercial quarry was opened in the Peach Bottom area of Pennsylvania in 1785.

With proper installation and routine maintenance slate roofs can last for a century (or longer). Amateurs often mistreat or mishandle slate, resulting in an inferior product and avoidable repairs (and expenses).

Discover More: About Slate Roofing | Slate Roof Maintenance | Different Slate Types | Storm Damaged Roof | Slate Roof Repair Near Me

The Art of Slate Roofing

General contractors often include slate repair services in addition to their conventional roofing services, but few roofing contractors actually specialize in the fine art of historic slate, clay tile, and copper roofing. Treating slate like any other roofing material can have disastrous consequences.

As a premium, but unique roofing material, slate demands a specialist. This is true for new roof installations and slate repairs as small as a single slate replacement. The orientation of the slate; how to match a replacement slate with existing slates; the manner in which the new slate is installed; evaluating the nearby area for wood rot or other damage; etc, are all skills unique to slate roof contractors.

And while many roofing contractors offer slate roof repair among their many services, The Durable Slate Company specializes only in historic roofing, which includes clay-tile roofs, copper roofing, and copper gutters. Slate roofing is our art and expertise, as well as our business.

azola boys learning center copper gutters

Storms can damage slate roofs if there is strong wind or large hail.

vermont unfading green slate roof with wind and hail damage

Home owners should review their insurance policies to see whether storm damage is covered or not.

another slate roof with hail and wind damage

Hail stones the size of baseballs were reported as far south as north Texas.

Repair Right, Once

While slate is rock hard, it is not impervious to damage. If hit hard enough – or if an inexperienced contractor steps in the wrong place – a slate roofing tile can crack. Cracks allow water into undesirable places, causing leakage, and eventually rot or other damage. Slate roof cracks should be repaired immediately. Likewise for misaligned tiles, which might let in animals or debris, in addition to water.

Worse than cracks are missing tiles. In this case, more of the underlying roofing structure is exposed to the elements, which can more quickly damage nearby tiles and other parts of your roof. Slates work best together, without chinks in the armor. If you notice any missing slates, have them fixed right away. Water can infiltrate tender areas of your roof, causing mold, mildew, and rot, as well as algae. All of these are evidence of excess moisture, cause damage to the slates and roof, and are indicators of more serious problems elsewhere.

city ridge in washington dc slate roof repair underlayment

city ridge in washington dc with new slates to replace broken slates on roof

example of chinese multicolored slate rusting out after only five years of roof use

Example of Chinese Multicolor slate rusting out after only five years.

Chinese black slate rusting through after only two years.

Another example of Chinese slate rusting after only two years of use.

Trust in a Specialist

Unfortunately, the incredible durability of slate is compromised by amateurish contractors who don’t specialize in this premium material. While slate is tough, it can be broken like anything if mishandled; the true longevity of a slate roof is due to the slates working together in a mesh, like a phalanx, to prevent water and material from entering your home or business.

Too frequently, to save on costs and compete on price, slate roofing contractors will use poor quality slate, often imported, instead of better but more expensive options. Let’s be clear: slate roofing is more expensive up-front than other, less durable roofing options. Cost savings in material or labor are often too good to be true and will result in increased costs down the road.

We often fix damage resulting from non-specialist mistakes such as improperly soldered joints; incorrect nails; excess traffic on the slates, causing hairline fractures; incorrect underlayment; and the list goes on.

The beauty of a slate roof is, at least in part, its implied strength. It’s stone – very durable stuff, except when it has suffered a lasting injury, unknown or ignored for years, worsening. It’s tempting to use a less expensive contractor willing to make any promise necessary to sell the job.

But a strong sales pitch that doesn’t focus on fundamentals and transparency should be treated with suspicion. A slate roof replacement or repair is not expensive if it is installed correctly and maintained properly. Slate roofs accidentally sabotaged by laymen roofing contractors are a slowly unfolding tragedy; they fail too often, degrading what should be a century strong roof, and add unnecessary expense, worry, and heartache to what should be a nearly maintenance free investment in your home.

Stick with the slate specialists. You’ll save yourself time, money, and worry.

A poorly installed slate roof.

A slate roof without copper chimney flashing.

A new slate roof without any copper flashing.

The Durable Choice

We are available to work throughout the Eastern United States, with offices located in Washington D.C., Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. We service Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, and beyond.

Durable Slate craftsmen continuously improve their skills in the field, as well as through our industry leading, in-house training program and facility. Slate roofing expertise is a rare skill and we’ve trained some of the best.

Our roofing estimators do not work on commission, so there is no incentive to bloat your bottom line. Our honest and free* roofing evaluations are thorough and we do our best to inform you every at every step. It’s important to us that you, our customer, understand the process, its beauty, and why attention to detail matters for the health and longevity of your slate roof.

We are committed to excellence in all things. We call this The Durable Way. Business integrity, honesty, and transparency, and an obsession with doing the job right the first time. We believe that work done right shouldn’t be repeated fruitlessly. It should last. And so should your roof.

Our work is award winning, long lasting, and true to our name, incredibly durable. We are more than mere roofers; we are master craftsmen and this is our art.