How to Inspect and Repair Slate Roofs - A Photo Library of Slate Roofs InspectAPedia® -
Photo Guide to Slate Roof Inspection
Photo library of slate roofing materials & slate conditions
Slate roofing patterns
Slate colors, types, and defects
Slate wear indicators
Slate repairs
Examples of worn-out slate roofs
This slate roofing photo library shows various kinds of roofing slate, slate roof colors, slate
roof patterns, and roofing slate defects. This photographic dictionary of roofing slates is a supplement
to our detailed article (links at page left) describing procedures for evaluating the condition of slate roofing.
How to inspect, identify defects, and estimate remaining life of slate roofs are addressed.
InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at
InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.
An online photo dictionary of roofing slate colors, types, and conditions
This article series assists home inspectors, building buyers or building owners, and roofing contractors in
evaluating the condition of slate roofs by providing photos of various slate materials, patterns, defects,
and conditions. Also see How to Inspect & Repair Slate Roofs for a detailed article about evaluating the condition of slate roofing and repairing worn or damaged slate roofs.
A Photographic Guide to Slate Roof Patterns
As we emphasized at
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR our main article on slate repairs, opinions run heavier than actual data.
The abandonment of good slate roofs which should have been repaired
is a financial shame and the destruction of a valued asset. At the
same time, careless optimism about a bad slate roof which is at the
end of its life risks an angry inspection client.
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR reviews
types of slate, common defects, inspection topics, and some repair
tips.
Photographs of Closed Lap Staggered Slate Roof Pattern
Closed lap staggered slate pattern, don't mistake this for the leak-prone "Dutch lap" which too often was installed with minimal side lap between slates
Diamond pattern slate roofs, tar patched, a few missing slates, this roof may seem OK, but what about all of that tar/mastic patching?
Photo Guide to Diagonal Pattern Slate Roofs
Diagonal pattern roof slate, red and green, good condition, shown here on a building on the Vassar College Campus, Poughkeepsie, NY
Slate Roof Dutch Lap or Staggered Slate Lap Roofing Pattern Photographs
Dutch lap pattern with good side lap, adequate side lap makes leaks less likely but quite often shingles were installed in this pattern with just an inch of side lap and very little head lap, making for a leaky roof. Our Dutch lap slate roof at above left is on the Vassar College Campus, Poughkeepsie, NY, and at above right is a Dutch-lap pattern slate roof on a home in Putney Vermont.
Photo Guide to French Pattern Roofing Slates
French Pattern Slates, generous side lap visible where slate is missing, tarred valley, thin, delaminating slates
Photo Guide to Graduated Slate Roofing Patterns
Graduated Slate Roof, generally good, some roof mastic patching at a missing slate; note the mastic at sidewall step flashing?
Graduated Slates, green slates, generally good condition, note less algae below copper salts washing down from skylight
Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
Slate Roofs , Steven Trapasso, presentation to NY Metro
ASHI, Inc. chapter seminar, November 1990.
The Old-House Journal , Special Roof Issue , April
1983, The Old-House Journal, PO Box 50214, Boulder, CO 80321-0214
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop. The Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
Architectural elements: the technological revolution: Galvanized iron roof plates and corrugated sheets; cast iron facades, columns, door and window caps, ... (American historical catalog collection), Diana S Waite, available used out of Amazon.
Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide, Edmund C. Snodgrass, Lucie L. Snodgrass, Timber Press, Incorporated, 2006, ISBN-10: 0881927872, ISBN-13: 978-0881927870. The text covers moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height of 350 species and cultivars.
Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, Kelley Luckett, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009, ISBN-10: 007160880X, ISBN-13: 978-0071608800, quoting: Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design
Construction methods for new and existing buildings
Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection
Details on optimal soil formulation
Illustrations featuring various stages of construction
Best practices for green roof maintenance
A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality
Tips on the LEED design and certification process
Considerations for assessing return on investment
Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs
Useful checklists, tables, and charts
Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
Roofing The Right Way, Steven Bolt, McGraw-Hill Professional; 3rd Ed (1996), ISBN-10: 0070066507, ISBN-13: 978-0070066502
Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
Roof Tiling & Slating, a Practical Guide, Kevin Taylor, Crowood Press (2008), ISBN 978-1847970237, If you have never fixed a roof tile or slate before but have wondered how to go about repairing or replacing them, then this is the book for you. Many of the technical books about roof tiling and slating are rather vague and conveniently ignore some of the trickier problems and how they can be resolved. In Roof Tiling and Slating, the author rejects this cautious approach. Kevin Taylor uses both his extensive knowledge of the trade and his ability to explain the subject in easily understandable terms, to demonstrate how to carry out the work safely to a high standard, using tried and tested methods.
This clay roof tile guide considers the various types of tiles, slates, and roofing materials on the market as well as their uses, how to estimate the required quantities, and where to buy them. It also discusses how to check and assess a roof and how to identify and rectify problems; describes how to efficiently "set out" roofs from small, simple jobs to larger and more complicated projects, thus making the work quicker, simpler, and neater; examines the correct and the incorrect ways of installing background materials such as underlay, battens, and valley liners; explains how to install interlocking tiles, plain tiles, and artificial and natural slates; covers both modern and traditional methods and skills, including cutting materials by hand without the assistance of power tools; and provides invaluable guidance on repairs and maintenance issues, and highlights common mistakes and how they can be avoided.
The author, Kevin Taylor, works for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors as a technical manager presenting technical advice and providing education and training for young roofers.
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
Solar heating, radiative cooling and thermal movement: Their effects on built-up roofing (United States. National Bureau of Standards. Technical note), William C Cullen, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off (1963), ASIN: B0007FTV2Q
"Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
Mobile View
