Why You Might Want To Have A Slate Roof Installed On Your House
Out of all the various materials that can be used on a roof, the top choice that you might want to consider is slate. Although it does cost more than many other kinds of materials, it also is one that lasts the longest. It is quite hard to install, which means you will pay a lot more for installation costs in addition to the expense of the materials. There are many benefits as well as drawbacks in your roofing material being slate. We will discuss those now.
What Is Slate Exactly?
The material is metamorphic rock that is similar in nature to shale. It lasts a very long time, and is made up of volcanic ash or clay. It is incredibly durable. Forming it into usable pieces is an easy process and that makes it quite appealing for people who want to use it as their roofing material. It has a bit of a different installation process, but after it is in place, most likely it will last for a hundred years.
What Are The Benefits To Using Slate?
Having this type of material installed on your roof has several important benefits that it offers. As previously mentioned, it offers extreme longevity. It can last for over a 100 years, and has a naturally beautiful appearance. Another benefit is that it is fire resistant. It is environmentally friendly as well. If this kind of material needs to be taken off ever, it won’t cause any environmental problems like asphalt shingles, which currently are filling landfills up all around the world.
What Drawbacks Come With Using Slate?
When using slate, the main drawback is that it is very expensive. Also, until it is put into place, slate is often very fragile. If you drop a bundle of asphalt shingles, most likely they won’t get damaged. However, if you drop slate, most likely it will shatter. It is also very heavy. Every 100 square feet averages around 1,000 pounds. If you home is not constructed properly, it will not be able to support that much weight. However, if you are having a new home built, and requesting that this kind of material be used, then it will be possible to make the proper adjustments to your home’s framing to provide it with the extra support that it needs.
The main reason why people like this kind of material is because it is very different. It most likely will be something that other houses don’t have. Most likely it will cost three times more than what a traditional roof will cost, and take a lot longer to get everything put into place. Additional bracing will also be required for a house to support the amount of heavy weight that pieces of slate will be placing on the roof. However, after it is complete, it will be one of your home’s most distinctive aspects. If you have the money for investing in this kind of material, you won’t ever need to install another roof ever again. Also, it is an excellent way of having your home stand out from all the others with traditional roofing materials. Learn more here.