The roof you see below is a slate roof replacement Arlington, VA that had reached the end of its service life. When slates start to turn brown or show white efflorescent half moons in their faces it is a sure sign that they have begun to deteriorate; over the past 5 years the owner had spent a few thousand dollars patching up areas where slates had fallen out or where flashings had begun to leak. When slates deteriorate they get soft and can drop out of their positions or just crack off entirely; its a long slow process when a slate roof starts giving up the ghost, keeping it on life support can get really expensive. I know what you’re thinking “I thought slate roofs last forever?”; nope, some slates from only a few quarries will last for more than 125 years, some slate veins in those same quarries can produce softer slate that is more prone to water absorption. [Read more…]
New Slate Roof
This was one of my favorite projects this spring; the existing slate roof was on it’s last leg and had been the victim of some lousy repairs over the years. You can see where some of the slates have just turned to powder, when more than 25% of the slates have gone bad the most prudent thing to do is schedule a complete replacement. [Read more…]
Eco-Star Majestic Slate
We have been repairing the roof on this house for years. The house was roofed with a tile that was designed to look like slate; it was made up of slate dust and cement formed into a uniform slate shape. The product failed miserably and the company that produced it was sued out of existence. [Read more…]
Long Term Roof Leaks
Rotted Roof decking
How long has it been leaking? Its my first question when someone calls about their roof; and sometimes its hard for my clients to answer. [Read more…]
Alexandria VA Slate Roof Repair
Slate Roof Repair Attempt
This is a slate roof in Alexandria, VA. The homeowners had been having some sporadic leaking and hired a company to correct the problem. The solution they came up with was not carefully examining the slates for cracks or checking flashings for pits or holes; that would have been the right thing to do. [Read more…]
