If you’ve found your dream home, that you plan to stay in your whole life and pass on to your children, you should think about slate roofing. Slate roofing is one of the best roofing materials available, and is a good option if you want to make a big commitment to your home. Although initial costs can be high, slate is the longest slating roofing material available, with an average life of thirty years. Some are even still going strong past one hundred years! Slate often doesn’t need mortar or cement, and is excellent in colder areas with heavy rainfall.

Why Is Slate Roofing So Expensive?

The reason slate costs so much is that it cannot be manufactured in a factory. Slate has to be mined. Slate can be imported from Wales, China, Canada, and places across America, although Vermont slate is widely viewed as the best. One problem with slate is that although it is very strong once installed on your roof, it can break easily during transportation. Slate needs to be installed in small pyramid patterns in order to provide the most protection from wind and water. You will need to hire an experienced slate contractor or builder who knows how to work correctly with slate. This may take a little extra time, but the effort is well worth it.

Synthetic Slate Roofing

An alternative to true slate roofing is synthetic slate (also known as “semi-fake” or “composite slate”). This material is made from a mixture of slate power and plastic, or of wood and cellulose fibres. It is much cheaper than genuine slate, and is also just as resistant to fire. Synthetic slate is not as heavy or fragile, but it can be problematic if you live in colder areas. The synthetic slate made from fibres is not very resistant to ice, so if you get a lot of snow and icy weather where you live, genuine slate would be a better option. However, synthetic slate looks exactly like real slate, and doesn’t warp in hot weather, so it is definitely an option you should consider.

Both types of slate are environmentally friendly as they are both recyclable and biodegradable. Historic buildings such as homes and churches are often restored with slate roofing, not only for historical accuracy, but also for environmental reasons.

Either kind of slate roofing is a big investment in your home, but it will definitely make your home extraordinary.