Slate selection
The framing is checked for the weight of slate and reinforcement is planned if needed.
Slate Roofing
Slate Roof Installation Elmwood Park, NJ
A Elmwood Park slate roofer can help you choose a slate, plan the layout and install the roof with fasteners and flashing that last as long as the stone. Dial (551) 367-0165 to talk with a local roofer about a new slate roof.
A slate roof starts with picking the stone. Different slates vary in durability as well as color, from long lived hard slate to softer slate with a shorter service life. Unfading slate keeps its color, and weathering slate mellows to new shades with exposure.
Before ordering slate, the roof framing needs a hard look. Natural slate is among the heaviest roof coverings, so framing built for shingles may need reinforcement before slate goes on. Building codes typically require a minimum slope of 4 in 12 for slate, laid over a solid deck.
How the slate is hung decides how long it lasts. Each slate is fastened with two copper or stainless nails driven so the slate hangs on them rather than being pinned tight, which lets the stone sit flat without cracking. Copper valleys and flashing are standard on slate, since lesser metals wear out decades before the stone does.
Many slate roof installation calls in Elmwood Park also turn up a need for slate roof replacement or slate roof repair.
Dealing with this in Elmwood Park, NJ right now? Call (551) 367-0165 to reach a nearby roofing contractor.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a slate roof installation
A slate roof is built slowly and by hand, one course at a time.
Choose the slate
The job begins with the structure, the choice of slate and a layout that sets the exposure for every course. Exposure is the slate length minus the headlap, divided by two.
Prepare the deck
Underlayment goes over a solid deck, with ice barrier at the eaves where codes require it. Drip edge and a cant strip at the eaves come next.
Start at the eave
At the eaves, a starter row and a raised cant strip set the first course at the correct pitch. Joints in the first course are offset from the starter below.
Nail the field
The field slate goes on course after course with offset joints, consistent headlap and two nails per slate that are never driven tight. Headlap is set by slope, with more on lower pitches and less on very steep ones.
Install copper flashing
Step flashing, counter flashing and open copper valleys are built into the roof course by course. Snow guards help hold snow on the roof, since snow slides off smooth slate in heavy sheets.
Finish the ridge
Hips and ridges are closed with slate laid in a saddle or combed pattern or capped with copper. A stock of spare slate is left with the owner for later repairs.
What is included
What slate roof installation includes
Valley metal
Long life metal is used at every flashing point instead of metals that wear out early.
Ridge finish
Ridges and hips are finished in slate or copper with spare slate left for repairs.
Copper fasteners
Each course gets the headlap the slope calls for which keeps water out at every joint.
Underlayment
Underlayment and ice barrier go down lapped to shed water to the eaves.
Related service
Natural Slate Roofing Elmwood Park, NJ
Natural slate roofing is quarried stone split into thin sheets, and its long life comes from the stone itself, not from coatings or additives. It is fireproof, does not rot and holds up to weather for generations when it is properly hung. Natural variation in texture and edge gives every slate roof a distinct look.
Natural slate roofing in Elmwood Park is a long term choice, so it pays to match the slate grade to how long you want the roof to last. Some owners compare natural slate with synthetic slate, which weighs less but lasts far fewer years. Ask the roofer to show real slate samples before ordering so you see the true color and texture.
Local help
Slate Roof Installation Near Me
Around Elmwood Park, slate installations range from additions matched to an original slate roof to full new slate roofs on custom homes. From Elmwood Park out to Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, a slate roof goes on slowly and by hand, so planning ahead with the roofer matters, and snow guards and copper flashing are worth planning for from the start.
For slate roof installation in Elmwood Park, NJ or nearby towns like Garfield, Fair Lawn, Paterson and Lodi, call (551) 367-0165 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
What the local climate does to a roof
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. That is why roof repair in Elmwood Park is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why not wait
Smaller repairs
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Elmwood Park
Local roofers see the same roofs and storm damage across Elmwood Park and nearby towns.
Know what happens next
Ask the roofer about the cause, the options and the estimate before work starts.
Slate Roof Installation questions
How heavy is a slate roof?
Slate is among the heaviest roof coverings, several times the weight of asphalt shingles, and thicker slate weighs more. Whether a particular house can carry it depends on the framing, so a structural check comes first on any conversion. Thinner slate or synthetic slate can be options where the framing falls short.
Why do slate roofs have snow guards?
Smooth slate sheds snow all at once, so snow guards hold it in place to melt gradually. They are most important above entries, walks and lower roofs. Where snow is rare, they may not be needed.
Which is better, hard or soft slate?
The main difference is durability: hard slate lasts longer than soft slate. Soft slate is easier to work, though it is not meant to last as long. The right choice depends on how long you want the roof to last and what matches the home.
How long does it take to install a slate roof?
Expect a longer schedule than shingles or tile, often several weeks for an average home. Complex rooflines, copper detailing and structural work add time. Once the underlayment is down, the house is protected from rain.
What nails should be used for slate?
The nails have to last as long as the slate, which is why copper or stainless steel is standard. Steel nails rust out and cause slates to slip, the most common failure on older slate roofs. Each slate gets two nails, driven so the slate hangs without being clamped.
More questions? Call (551) 367-0165
Related services
Slate Roof Replacement
Full slate roof replacement when the stone, the nails or the flashing have failed across the roof, with salvage of good slate wherever possible.
Learn moreSlate Roof Repair
Slate roof repairs done with a slate ripper, copper hooks and matching slate rather than tar, so a roof built to last a century keeps going.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Putting on a new roof the way the material maker intends, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreRoofing Contractor
Finding the right roofer for the job and knowing what to ask, so you know who is on your roof and what they will do.
Learn more
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See all roofing servicesGet slate roof installation help in Elmwood Park
Call (551) 367-0165 to talk to a roofer serving Elmwood Park, NJ.