Slate roofing has been shown to be one of the most durable and appealing types of roofing that can be used and installed on a structure. It has a lot of alluring qualities including extended service life, fire rating and aesthetic appeal. While these are qualities that every homeowner looks for when choosing a roofing system for their home, there are some drawbacks to natural slate that do not allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of a natural slate roof on their home.
The drawbacks of a natural slate product include the heavy weight of the slate, the installed cost of the product and availability. Natural slate is very heavy, sometimes weighing in excess of eight pounds per square foot. The inability of a home's structure to handle this type of weight may inhibit the homeowner from choosing this type of system. Slate roof repairs can also be expensive.
In addition, the installed cost of slate which includes the cost of the product and the labor to install it is very high when compared to standard asphalt shingles. Finally, the lack of availability of natural slate in certain geographic areas may keep buyers from purchasing the product and ultimately the roof that they are looking to install.
Many different roofing manufacturers have developed a synthetic slate product as part of their overall roofing product lines. These products are made of various materials and applied in different methods and fashions. Each product attempts to simulate the appearance of natural slate, each to a varying degree of success.
Synthetic slates, while not a natural product like slate, help homeowners achieve the appearance of slate while overcoming some of the drawbacks of natural slate. They are lighter in weight, have a lower cost of installation and are available in most geographic areas. Synthetic slates offer a great alternative to natural slate and should be considered as an option when choosing your next roof system.
Photo © www.jurinroofing.com. Natural slate roof system.
Photo © www.jurinroofing.com. Synthetic slate roof system.