SLATE ROOFS: Are They More Difficult To Maintain And Repair Than Traditional Roofs?

We love installing slate roofs. They’re stunning, long-lived, and historically accurate on many Virginia homes. However, we often find customers make false assumptions about slate roofs. 

Many potential customers come to us thinking that slate roofs are tough to maintain. Or, they believe they require more repair work than a typical shingle roof. This is not the case at all! In fact, slate roofs are easier to maintain and repair than shingle roofs. And this is just one of the many benefits we find with slate roofs. Here are some other reasons we believe more homeowners should consider slate roofing.

Ease of Repairs and Maintenance

Slate roofs do benefit from regular maintenance. You still need to keep your gutters clear, keep an eye on the flashing, and have the roof inspected from time to time.

Sometimes, your roofing contractor will examine your slate roof and find that it needs some repairs. They may, for example, see that a piece of slate has slipped out of place, or perhaps a bit of slate cracks or develops a chipped corner. These problems are easy to fix. Especially when issues are discovered early, your roofer can quickly address them.

Roofers can work on slate roofs one small section at a time. They don’t have to lift multiple roofing layers or otherwise disturb the whole roofing system as they often do with shingle roofs. Instead, they can just remove the damaged pieces of slate and replace them with new ones. In other words, when your slate roof needs repairs, those repairs are not a big deal.

Cost Effectiveness

Slate roofs cost more, up front, than roofs made from shingles and other common materials. However, you also save on repair costs over time. Slate roofs need fewer repairs, which saves you money. Plus, slate roof repairs are easy to make, reducing labor costs. The materials are affordable, too. It’s usually less expensive to buy a couple of new slates than to buy a whole bundle of shingles.

Keep this in mind, too: most slate roofs come with a long warranty. So, if you do need repairs earlier in your slate roof’s life, you probably won’t have to pay for them out-of-pocket. With the long lifespan of a slate roof, you may never need to pay for repairs yourself – they might be entirely on the next homeowner!

Eco-Friendliness

These days, there is a greater push towards eco-friendly building strategies and materials. This is entirely understandable, as there is an overabundance of waste and pollution on this planet already. A slate roof is definitely an eco-friendly option, in part because of the reduced need for repairs.

The slate itself is just stone. It’s hard to imagine a more earth-friendly material than stone. Few resources are needed to quarry the slate and prepare it for use on the roof. And one day, when your slates do start cracking, they can be returned to the earth. They won’t break down and contribute to pollution.

Repairing a slate roof does not generate pounds of waste like repairing a shingle roof. Plus, the materials used to repair a slate roof are just more stone. 

Also, consider the fuel saved by the reduced need for repairs. Fewer visits from roofers over the years means less gasoline burned by your roofers’ trucks. Every little bit counts.

Aesthetically Pleasing Outcomes

Does anyone really like looking at a roof that is partially deteriorated? Even if it is not letting a substantial amount of moisture into the home, it can quickly become an eyesore. This does not tend to be an issue with slate roofs. Even when they do have a few cracked or chipped slates that need replacement, the issue is small and difficult to even notice from the ground. A slate roof has to be really dilapidated to become an eyesore. Any responsible homeowner will take care of the problem long before it reaches this stage.

Slate roofs are also easy to make look “like new” after repairs and maintenance. The new slates will look just like your original ones. There won’t be any apparent patches. If part of your roof does become dirty or algae-covered, it can easily be cleaned. In other words, slate roofs stay looking gorgeous for decades, and it does not take much to keep them this way.

Contrary to what you may have heard, slate roofs are not high-maintenance or tough to repair. In fact, the opposite is true. The low maintenance requirements of a slate roof make it a very eco-friendly, cost-effective, and aesthetically pleasing option for your home. If you’re looking for roofers to install a slate roof in Virginia, contact Stevens Roofing Corp. Our experienced roofers would love to help.