Slate Roofing: Withstanding Calamity, Jeopardy, and History

Slate roofs are as hard as rocks—literally. Although the most expensive in the market, slate tiles for roofs are also the most durable and long-lasting. It is like your house wearing a Kevlar suit, a very heavy Kevlar suit.

Slate is a metamorphic rock, meaning it has lived its life as another rock before heat and pressure changed it. Most of the United States’ slate mines are located in northeastern states like Virginia. Slate roofs enjoy widespread use in Virginia, mainly Buckingham Slate, in buildings like the Smithsonian Institution and Ford’s Theatre. Just what makes this rock very popular with buildings and homes?

For starters, slate is a rock, and it is fairly clear how rocks are when it comes to the term “rock-hard.” Slate roofing tiles offer outstanding protection from almost anything Mother Nature throws at them: hailstones, tornadoes, etc. Simply put, slate is a house’s heavy armor compared with other types of roofing materials.

Apart from its resilience, slate roofs are known to last for a long time. As if a century is not long enough, some claim that slate roofs, with proper care, can last twice as long. Perhaps, by the time your slate roofs would have to be replaced, your grandchildren will be old enough to be the ones doing it for you.

Slate is not as common or abundant as others kinds of rocks, which explains its hefty price tag. Typical slate roofing Northern Virginia buildings have range from $600 to $1,000 for every square range. That is not a small amount, but still. The cost of having slate roofs should be almost inconsequential when you think about how it will most likely outlast you.

Not to mention the cost will be worth two to three lifetimes of resistance from the growing ferocity of today’s weather. This kind of Northern Virginia roofing is designed to deter the wrath of Mother Nature at her worst. And let’s not forget that it is very nice to look at and can last long enough for the next two to three generations to marvel at its beauty.

For more information on slate roofing, as well as other Northern Virginia roof materials, you can check out HomeImprovementHelper.com. Also, ask your local roofing contractor for tips on how to prepare your roof to support heavy slabs of slate. Your roof may have some beefing up to do prior to having slate installed on it.

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