Copper fasteners
Each course gets the headlap the slope calls for which keeps water out at every joint.
Slate Roofing
Slate Roof Installation Bloomingdale, NJ
A Bloomingdale 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 (862) 356-0010 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. Some slates hold their color, called unfading, while weathering slates shift in tone over the first years.
Before ordering slate, the roof framing needs a hard look. A slate roof weighs several times as much as asphalt shingles, and thicker slates weigh more, so a home switching from shingles often needs an engineer to review the rafters and sometimes add framing. 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. Slates are hung on two copper nails each, set just right so the slate is held but not clamped, since a nail driven too hard cracks the slate. Copper valleys and flashing are standard on slate, since lesser metals wear out decades before the stone does.
Slate Roof Installation is often paired with slate roof replacement and slate roof repair, depending on the cause.
Need slate roof installation in Bloomingdale? Call (862) 356-0010 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Bloomingdale.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a slate roof installation
Here is how a slate roofer typically installs a new slate roof.
Check the structure
Framing is checked, the slate is selected by grade, color and size, and the exposure is worked out from the slate length and headlap. The exposure works out to half of what is left once the headlap is taken from the slate length.
Dry in the roof
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. The first exposed course goes directly over the starter, with its joints offset.
Lay each course
Each course is laid to a chalk line with the vertical joints offset, and every slate is hung on two copper nails driven just enough to hold it. Lower pitches get more headlap, and very steep pitches can use less.
Flash the roof
Copper step flashing is woven in along walls and dormers, counter flashing is set into chimney mortar joints and valleys are lined with copper. Snow guards help hold snow on the roof, since snow slides off smooth slate in heavy sheets.
Close the top
Ridges and hips are finished with a saddle or combed ridge, mitered or Boston hips, or copper ridge caps. A stock of spare slate is left with the owner for later repairs.
What is included
A complete slate roof system
Structural review
The framing is checked for the weight of slate to suit the home and climate.
Underlayment
Sheathing is repaired and dried in with ice barrier at eaves where needed.
Ridge finish
Ridges and hips are finished in slate or copper to protect people, gutters and plantings below.
Copper flashing
Open copper valleys and step flashing are installed as the slate goes on.
Related service
Natural Slate Roofing Bloomingdale, NJ
Natural slate roofing uses stone that has been quarried and split into slates, with no coatings or binders to wear off. It does not burn, it resists rot and insects, and good slate barely changes over generations. Natural variation in texture and edge gives every slate roof a distinct look.
For a natural slate roof in Bloomingdale, the grade, thickness and color of the slate shape both the look and the lifespan. Synthetic slate is lighter and easier to install, but it does not carry the same lifespan as quality natural stone. 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 Bloomingdale, slate installations range from additions matched to an original slate roof to full new slate roofs on custom homes. For homes in Bloomingdale and nearby towns like Wanaque, Butler, Riverdale and Pompton Lakes that were framed for shingles, the structural check is what decides whether slate is practical, while snow and storms make fastening and snow guards part of the design.
Searching for slate roof installation near me from Bloomingdale or Wanaque, Butler, Riverdale and Pompton Lakes? Call (862) 356-0010 to talk to a roofer who works in your part of town.
What the local climate does to a roof
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. That is why roof repair in Bloomingdale is busiest after a hard winter and before the next one.
Why call
Why fix it now
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Bloomingdale know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Straight answers
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Slate Roof Installation FAQ
Do slate roofs need 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. In places with little snow, they are less of a concern.
What nails should be used for slate?
Slate can outlast ordinary nails by many decades, so copper or stainless nails are used to match the life of the stone. 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.
What is the difference between hard and soft slate?
Slates vary by quarry, and hard slates outlast soft ones. Soft slate can still be a good choice and is easier to cut and shape, but it wears sooner. Pick based on the lifespan you want and the look of the house.
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. The roof is dried in early, so the house stays protected during the work.
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. Where framing is limited, thinner slate or a lighter synthetic slate may work.
More questions? Call (862) 356-0010
Related services
Slate Roof Replacement
Replacing a slate roof that has reached the end of its life, by relaying the sound slate on new nails or installing new natural or synthetic slate, planned around the weight and look of the home.
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
New roof installation done in the right order with the right details, so it sheds water at every edge and seam.
Learn moreRoofing Contractor
Residential roofing work from a single leak to a full tear-off, from the first inspection through cleanup.
Learn more
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