Heritage Roof Renovations: Slate Work
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Fairfield, CT - Residence
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Slate: Tried, True, Tested
Slate is one of the most trusted roofing materials in the world hence our company slogan “In Slate We Trust.” Slate is also one of the few construction materials that quite honestly gets better looking with age. Slate is available in many shapes, sizes and colors. There are quarries across the globe which means the varieties are endless. As New Englanders we are fortunate enough to have some of the world’s finest slate to our immediate access. Quarries in Vermont and New York produce out standing slate in many different colors and textures. From Georgia to Canada the east coast of North America has a slate for every application.
As far as value is concerned few roof materials can compete with slate. Slate roofs certainly cost more than other roofs however when the life span of a slate roof is taken into consideration the value in comparison to other roofs is undeniable. Slate in its average quarter inch thick grade is a hundred year roof. Slate will out last most other roofing materials with a mystique unlike any other. Many traditional details and styles can be accomplished with slate. Distinctive styles from German, French, Dutch and English traditions can add a distinguishing and traditional look that can not be accomplished with other materials.
Slate is a “green” material that can be recycled and reused. Often reclaimed slate can add an antique appeal to a home or preserve the historic integrity of a restoration project. We have excellent resources for this type of vintage material in both slate and clay tile roofs.
We at Heritage Roof consider the installation and preservation slate roofs our fore most goal in business. We are members of the National Slate Association where we can continue to share ideas and knowledge with other like minded professionals to further our knowledge of our trade. We are constantly seeking opportunities to promote the use of new and reclaimed slate as a roofing material.
Brief History of Slate Roofs
Slate has been unearthed in archeological digs in the Roanoke settlement of Virginia. This slate came across the sea in merchant vessels from England as ballast. As this country received more settlers from across the pond Quarry men from Wales started new quarries here on the east coast. By the 1800s we were exporting some of the world’s finest slate. Slate roofs are steeped in tradition and one of the few trades with proprietary tools. Like the name Smith this trade is so well respected it has become a last name “Slater.”