In a message dated 2/19/2004 12:46:01 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Re: Slate Roof. Unfortunately, replacing a slate roof has, in my opinion,
become prohibitively expensive. >>
Replacing ANY roof is very pricey - slate roofs, luckily, require far less
replacement than asphalt shingle roofs!
A REAL slate roof should be good for about 100 years!
However, there is one other issue about slate roofs ...
At one of the Old House Fairs many years ago, I talked to a "retired" roofer who had spent many years installing and maintaining slate roofs all over the Delaware Valley. He was of the opinion that virtually all Slate used on repair or replacement of roofs today was of seriously inferior quality -- not really slate, but "merely blue stone." Its characteristics made it not as reliable (i.e. durable) as shingle roofs. He was only willing to give it 25 to 50 years before needing replacement.
He was evaluating a new technology -- "shingles" that look and behave like slate. He called them shingles because "synthetic slate" didn't have the right ring ... but that is what it was.
Sadly, there haven't been any more Old House Fairs in Philadelphia for quite a few years so I haven't seen him again to get an update on his opinion, but I can provide testimony on the "look" of the materials.
The property at the NE corner of 44th and Sansom was done using them last summer. From the ground, you can't tell that it is not slate.
I don't know what product was used on Sansom, but this is one story:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/exteriors/article/ 0,16417,203173,00.html
"Of course, all this quality comes at a price. The product itself, which is available from building and roofing supply houses nationwide, arrives on the jobsite for around $260 to $300 per square. Installation costs vary widely, possibly because of the newness of the product (it's been on the market since 1993) and roofers' lack of familiarity with it. According to the complexity of the job, Mulloy estimates he'll be charging from $700 to $900 per square, materials included. By comparison, he charges $200-300 per square for a 30-year asphalt roof, and $1,300-1,500 for real slate."
[A "roofing square" is 10 foot by 10 foot (100 sq feet)]
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/stories/Detailed/10335.shtml
I would also underscore Melanie's comment:
Here in University City, slate roof problems can often be solved by replacing
a FEW cracked or missing slates,or a SECTION of slates, or by relining
gutters, by sealing edges - it is usually not necessary to replace the ENTIRE slate
roof!!
The reason that roofers want to replace a slate roof is because they have no idea how to repair it! So if your roofer sees a slate roof and says "you have to replace it" -- say, "Thank you for your estimate, we have to get three more bids. Don't call us, we'll call you."
T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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