Slate is one of the more common types of roofing materials, but it can be common for homeowners that have never owned a slate roof to be informed about this particular type of roof cover. Without a solid understanding of the basic features of this material, it can be impossible to effectively evaluate whether it is the right solution.

Do You Have Options For The Color Of The Slate?

The color of the roofing is a factor that can have profound impacts on the appearance of your property. A roof that clashes with the rest of the home's exterior can compromise the appearance of the property enough that it may even result in the value of the property dropping. When you choose to have slate roofing installed, you will have a wide range of colors available. While the most common color of slate roofing will be neutral gray, it can be possible to opt for slate that has a tint of blue, green, or orange. The exact color will depend on the composition of the soil where the slate formed.

Will Slate Be A Durable Type Of Roofing?

Due to the fact that slate is a natural type of stone, it will be a highly durable material when faced with the wear and tear from exposure to the elements. It will also be well-suited for withstanding routine storm damage as the heavy slate tiles will be difficult to dislodge during wind events and strong enough to withstand impacts from hail or small pieces of windblown debris. Furthermore, slate roofing is extremely low maintenance. It will typically only need to be cleaned every couple of years to remove leaves, mosses, and other materials that could have gotten on it.

What Is The Process Of Installing Slate Roofing Like?

The main challenge that can come with using slate tiles for your roof is that these materials will be extremely heavy. In order for your home to accommodate this style of roofing, you may need to have additional supports installed so that the weight from the slate tiles will avoid exceeding the capacity of the current supports. Also, the current roof covering will have to be removed before the slate tiles can be installed. While it is often possible to reroof a home by placing additional shingles or tiles over the current ones, this will not be possible when you are changing roofing materials. While these steps may sound like the roof installation will take a very long time to complete, it should only take a marginally longer amount of time to install than a standard asphalt shingle roof, but it will have the advantage of lasting for many years longer.

Contact a slate roofing contractor near you to learn more.