Are you looking to install a roof in your home? One of the options that you can go with is the slate roof. According to roofers, slate roofing became popular in 1600 and since then its popularity has grown steadily.

What are the pros of installing the roof?

There are plenty of benefits that come with installing the roof. The most common ones being:

Beauty: There is no way you can look at a slate roof and not be drawn to it. The roof has a unique beauty and distinctive texture. It also comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from. The most popular ones being: black, red, purple, and green.

The slates are derived from different quarry locations. This means that the chemical and mineralogical compositions of the pieces vary.

Long lasting: When you properly install the roof and maintain it, it can last up to 150 years. This is extremely impressive as most of the modern roofs last up to 30 years after which you have to replace them. Since you don’t have to keep on replacing these roofs, you save a lot of time and money over the long run.

Fire resistance: The roof is fireproof. This gives you peace of mind that your house won’t catch on fire while you are away.

Environmentally friendly: Since you don’t have to keep on replacing the roof like the other roofs, you don’t fill up the landfill. This comes in handy at protecting the environment and ensuring that it’s clean all the time.

Increase in value: The slate roof can greatly add value to your home. According to a study done in 2016, roof replacement increases the chances of recouping your investment by up to 90%. This means that if you are looking to sell your house, when you install a slate roof, you increase the value of the house hence increasing the chances of getting back your money.

Disadvantages of the slate roof

Heavyweight: The biggest drawback of the slate roof is the heavyweight. The tiles weigh between 800 and 1,500 pounds per square which is heavy in most homes. Plenty of cases have been reported where the house crumbles after the roof has been installed.

Before you buy the roof, it’s wise that you first evaluate the structural integrity of your house to determine whether it can carry the weight of the slate roof.

Complex installation: In addition to the roof being heavy, it’s also complex to install. Due to this, you can’t hire just any roofing contractor to install it for you-you have to hire an expert specializing in slate roof installation. As you might have guessed, these professionals don’t come cheap. This leads to you ending up spending a lot of money installing your roof.

Fragility and replacement problems: While the roof is tough and durable, when you step on it, it breaks. Since the tiles break easily, replacing the damaged pieces is a problem. This is because you have to step on the old tiles to install the new ones. This makes the replacement process tedious and expensive.

As mentioned above, the slate tiles are extremely unique. This makes it hard to find those that are a perfect match when you are looking to replace them.

How do you maintain the slate roof?

For the roof to last for a long time and retain its look you need to maintain it properly. Since the roof is brittle, roofing contractors Akron strongly advise against walking on the roof. For you to have peace of mind that the roof is in good condition, you should regularly hire a professional to inspect the roof and fix any issues it might be having.