Things to Consider About Getting a Slate Roof Installed on Your Home

Considering a slate roof for your home? Here are the top six features of a slate roof that will you decide if slate is right for your home's roof.

Many homeowners have questions when it comes to picking a material to put on their roof. Slate is a unique roofing material that is often overlooked because customers are unfamiliar with its value and capabilities. Before choosing a slate roof, make sure you have all your questions and concerns answered by a professional roofing contractor. Below are a few of some of the most frequently asked questions regarding slate roofing. You can watch the full interview here.

What are the style and color options of slate roofing?

There are numerous slate roofing styles that range from textural and graduated installations to mixed colors and patterns. Two of the most common styles found in the US are the standard pattern style and the random width style. To view all various styles and examples search slate roofing. Not only can slate vary in style, but also in texture, which can range from very smooth and uniform to very rough and rustic. The color of slate ranges from muted to vibrant colors.  Greys and blacks are the most common colors but there are also greens, purples and reds.

What is the lifespan of slate roofing?

Slate is essentially a rock, a homogeneous metamorphic rock that is derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. Therefore, this roofing material is millions of years old. Slate is incredibly durable and can last several hundred years, often with little to no maintenance. It is safe to say that you will get at least 75 to 100 years or more out of your slate roof. However, it’s important that you do not put anything on your slate roof such as sealant or paint because this can cause the roof to age prematurely.


What are the benefits of slate versus shingle roofing?

Slate is something we like to call a ‘forever roof’ since homeowners will only need to put only one on in their lifetime, but a shingle roof may need to be replaced two or three times. Another benefit of slate roofing is its ability to increase the resale value of your home due to its natural beauty and durability. Slate is recognized as an elegant roofing material and will enhance the architectural style of your home and maintain the same appearance over the years. Other benefits of slate roofing include its natural ability to be fire resistant and mold resistant and slate’s low water absorption makes it very resistant to frost damage and breakage due to freezing.

What should you do to prepare your roof for slate?

Slate is an extremely heavy product and can add an additional 500 pounds to your roof. If your home is not engineered for slate, you will need to have a structural engineer inspect your roof. This will ensure that your roof is prepared to hold the weight of the slate roofing. What is the price difference of slate versus shingle roofing?

Slate is an expensive product and you can count on it being two or three times more expensive than a standard architectural shingle roof. The price can range from 15 to 16 dollars a square foot installed. The price of a slate roof will also vary depending on the size of the home and the roof pitch.

Can you repair a slate roof?

You can repair your slate roof at any time. It is important to have a licensed roofing contractor examine your slate roof to find the damaged pieces, and the repair is as simple as sliding out the damaged slate and replacing it with a new piece. Having a professional inspect your roof once a year will also help you keep your slate in the best condition possible.

How Not To Get Taken By a Commercial Roofer Again

A few years ago you hired a roofing contractor after a hail storm to make repairs on your commercial building. Unfortunately, it was not a good experience and now you’re in need of another roofing job but you’re afraid you’ll get burned again.

The roof is one of the most expensive things you can have done to your home, so it isn’t any surprise that you want to get your money’s worth.

Here are a few tips to follow when choosing the next roofing contractor for your commercial building:

Specialty

You probably realize now that commercial building roofs aren’t done by all roofing contractors. The majority of roofing contractors are residential only because commercial roofs are little more intense. As you call around to roofing contractors, ask for references for commercial jobs.

Certification

Manufacturers of roofing materials award their top contractors. Ask the contractors you’re considering what certifications and award they have been given.  If they don’t have a big name award or certification, you should keep looking.

Knowledge

A new roofing contractor in town most likely won’t have the experience and knowledge of weather and roof types where you are. The roofer from New York City isn’t going to be familiar with things in Oklahoma City. Ask the roofing contractors you’re considering if the roofing system they’ve quoted meets standards of FM Global.

Service

Your needs and requests should come first with any roofing contractor. If they are pushing a certain roofing system too hard, back away.

Matching Broke Tiles on a Tile Roof

On homes with tile roofing, finding a perfect match to replace broken tiles can be difficult. Perhaps the
manufacture discontinues a color or product line and going with anything different can totally take away from the beauty that the tile roof once offered.

So what do you do when you notice a broken tile on your roof? First things first is get the paperwork that came with the roofing, if you are so lucky as to have that available. Sometimes the tiles themselves may have the product information underneath. Then start checking with different roofers, you may find one that has scraps of that tile in their possession. If they don't have stock, they often have sources to find that tile.

If these efforts don't work out, the next best thing is to find the closest match possible from a professional roofing contractor like Dun-Rite Roofing. We can place the newest tile on a part of the roof that doesn't show and move a good tile to replace the broken tile.

Ting, Ting, Ting ….. What Is That Noise?

Were you kept awake last night by a Ting Ting Ting sound from the outer walls of your bedroom? Sounds like it is coming from the downspout off the gutters? Perhaps it lulled you to sleep but then at 2am it sounded more like a snare drum. Inside your head. All night, getting louder and louder.

So what is that noise? It is common the first winter after you've had new gutters installed to hear this noise. Dun-Rite Roofing has had customers call after this experience and the usual culprit is from a tiny amount of water going through the downspout instead of a free flow of water.

What causes this? When downspouts are made of a rectangular shaped material with custom made elbows, the free flow of water is sometimes stopped at the elbow. Thus the results of what sounds like a snare drum banging are custom made.

An easy and quick fix to this problem is moving the downspout a little by loosening the straps that are holding it in place. This will allow the downspout to be moved left or right approximately half of an inch then re-attach the strap. This can usually be done by the homeowner, but if don't have the tools to loosen the strap, a call to Dun-Rite Roofing and we can.

What Is The Best Way To Install Your Next Roof?

Next time you're in the market for a new roof, ask your roofing contractor what method they will be using to install it: Air Guns or Hand Nailing. There are pros and cons to both methods and here at DunRite Roofing, we'll be more than happy to explain the one we use and why.

You know a neighbor that just got a new roof a year or so ago and already, you see lose shingles, missing shingles, even crooked shingles.  While these things could be weather related such as storms and wind, it can also be that the roof wasn't installed properly.

For composition shingles, hand nailed is the oldest method, but can take longer to complete the job.  It requires each shingle to be positioned and the nails hammered in by hand, shingle by shingle. Of course with a crew of several techniques, they are working the roof from different angles.

Air Gun nailing is the other method, which is a quicker process. This is a tool that hooks up to an air compressor. That compressor blasts air into the air gun and automatically drives the nail into the shingle.

Which method is best? Well that can depend on the type of asphalt shingle used, the pitch of the roof and even city or homeowner association requirements. These are all things that our professionals will discuss with you, show you the differences and work with you to get the best job done.

Does Your Roof Have An Ice Dam?

Here in the Tulsa area, it is common for DunRite Roofing to get calls about roof leaks after ices storms. This is usually caused after ice damming. This is caused when the upper roof has snow melt then re-freezing on bottom portion of the roof.

The ice melts from the warm air escapes from inside your home, especially if the insulation isn't thick enough. That causes the underside of the roof deck to warm up and the snow melts. The melted snow will run down the roof under the snow that is accumulated and refreeze as it reaches the eaves and overhang.

Thus the ice dam is formed. Several things can contribute to ice dams developing such as the escaping heat, poorly ventilated attic and the steepness of a roof as well as how long the roof is covered in ice.

A roof that doesn't have eaves or overhang are less likely to have ice dam’s form and roofs that aren't a smooth surface aren't as susceptible to ice dams either. While there is not any roof 100% ice dam proofed, there are things that can be done to lessen the possibility. A call to DunRite Roofing will get you an appointment scheduled and one our experienced technicians will check your roof and discuss the possibilities of your roof having ice dams.

There Is New Stuff Happening Up On The Rooftops!

You can't tell it from the street, but there is a new trend in roofing materials used on commercial buildings these days. Thermoplastic Polyolefin or TPO for short, a synthetic rubber compound is topping off more and more commercial buildings. What's so great about this material?

A TPO system offers more advantages like it can be fused, making the seams long lasting. It is a stronger material and can withstand the changes from cold to hot weather better. It is more energy efficient too because it is a heat-reflective material. This type of material withstands chemical, ozone and ultraviolet effects better too.

This product comes in a variety of thickness and it can be installed ballasted, fully-adhered mechanically, making it more cost effective. It is found in mostly white which makes it even more efficient in regards to reflecting heat and light and less apt to absorb and transmit temperatures of outside to the inside.