A slate roof is made of natural slate tiles and it’s considered to be one of the most elegant roofing materials on the market. It’s one of the best materials for roofs as it’s very durable and long-lasting.
However, even the most durable and long-lasting materials when constantly exposed to the elements start to fail. This is where many homeowners are faced with a pretty big dilemma – to repair or replace the slate roof.
As you may have guessed, slate is one of the most expensive roofing materials, and replacing it is bound to be pricey. So, every homeowner should hope that their beautiful slate roofing just needs to be repaired.
Types and styles of slate roofing tiles
Slate roofing tiles come in various types and styles. This means that repairs may greatly depend on both the type and style of roof tiles.
The most common is the standard slate roof, where the slate tiles are all cut uniformly and arranged as asphalt shingles. This type of slate roof is easy to repair. The patterned slate roof is arranged similarly to the standard one, the only difference is that slate tiles are made of different colors and shapes.
A multicolored slate roof is probably the most interesting of all as it adds character and charm to your house. As you already guessed, this color is made up of different slate tile colors. The last type is a textured slate roof and it consists of slate tiles that vary in size and thickness.
Repairing any slate roof is possible but only if the damage is not big. Let’s find out when’s the right time to repair your slate roof.
Slipped or cracked slate tiles
Damaged, slipped, missing, or cracked slate tiles can lead to serious problems such as roof leakages. If you’ve noticed that some of your slate tiles are missing or broken, the fix is pretty simple. All you need to do is replace the missing tiles and secure them with copper wire or tingles. In some cases, you can even secure them with nails.
Older roofs, however, may lack the necessary underlay that protects the roof from the elements. In those instances, repairing the slate roof may not be enough. Placing the underlay and replacing the slate tiles may be the only option, in this case, which is not ideal, but necessary.
Sagging roof slopes
Sagging roof slopes are common and if the sagging is not extreme, easily fixable. On certain structures, gable ends can settle slightly, and if this happens, repairing the slate roof is pretty simple.
It’s the more extreme cases where the sagging can compromise the foundation of the building that should worry you. In those cases, you’ll notice slate tiles slipping due to damaged rafters or the roof dipping towards the middle due to rafters being spread unevenly.
In those extreme cases, your best option is to call experts to repair the roof structure and replace your slate roofing. This option will be more expensive but also the only option you have.
Defective pointing
Defective pointing happens when there is loose mortar at certain points on the roof or where mortar is completely gone. Also, in situations where roof ridges are slipped. Defective pointing, if not repaired on time, can cause the roof to collapse.
To avoid serious problems, you should repair the roof as soon as possible. If the tiles are loose due to mortar gaps, you can simply add new mortar and repair loose tiles or repair mortar joints – which is called repointing. Additionally, you can add new hip irons on the roof.
Of course, if you don’t know how any of this is done, hiring a professional slate roof repair service would be your best decision.
More than 10 slate tiles missing
If you have around 10 sipped or missing slate tiles on your roof – the problem is relatively small and easily fixable. Repairing a roof like this is even advisable.
However, if the number of slipped or missing tiles is well over 10, you should reconsider whether repairing the roof is a good option or replacing the whole roof is more viable.
Yes, replacing the whole roof is expensive. But when more tiles are missing, repairing the roof may be equally as expensive, as you will need to strip old materials first, and get new slate tiles, ridges and hip tiles, and other necessary materials.
If you notice that some of the slate tiles on your roof have been damaged, slipped, or missing, don’t wait too long, fix them or hire someone to deal with them. The longer you wait, the risk of more tiles getting damaged or slipping becomes larger. In that case, repairing them won’t be enough and you’ll need to spend more on replacing the whole slate roof.
