slate look alike shingles

[Guest]

Re: slate look alike shingles

We installed the Royal roofing for the first time last summer. It does have a great warranty (50 yr.)and is fairly easy to install. It does require the use of 30 lb. felt paper instead of just 15 lb.. The pricing was about 6-7 times that of a medium quality fiberglass/asphalt shingle and once we got by the learning curve it wasn't a whole lot more labor intensive to install. We were working on an 8 pitch and didn't even need staging to stand on, we set it up just to store our materials on and as a guardrail. When it got wet or dirty though, forget walking on it. I've only repaired a few slate roofs and haven't installed any from scratch, but I'm quite certain that these are much easier to install than the real thing. As far as the authenticity it looks exactly like the real thing.

[Guest]

Re: slate look alike shingles

Slate roofs, like most things in life, come in a variety of qualities. Some last a lifetime (200 + years) and some as little as 25 years. Generally you get what you pay for. If the homeowner can locate a contractor that will give her an honest opinion and the roof needs replacement then she need to decide if she wants a slate roof or another type of roof. If she is uncertain as to the type of slate on her roof and its condition I would have her contact paul Evans at The Roof Center in GAithersburg, MD. (800-503-5500). The Roof Center also carries a complete line of slates for any repairs as well as the tools needed. Slate "look alikes' are usually just that and are for the most part untried. The new rubber based slates seem the most promising, but they just have not been out that long and already there has been failures of some of the companys that made the early products. Be sure that whatever you buy it is backed by a strong company--preferably as US based company to avoid legal hassles.

If she wants the look of slate then she should bite the bullet and install real slate. There are a number of real slates from around the world that are currently cheaper than some local slates and again Paul Evans could walk you through the options available. If she wants an immitation then she should recognize that it is not "slate" and be content with the best choice she can make based on the options available. If price is an issue I would go with a good grade shingle which will give her predictable life at a reduced cost.

Again, you generally get what you pay for, but the roof of a house is not an area where one should cut material quality or employ cheap labor.

[Guest]

Re: slate look alike shingles

Beezo -
Labor wise - Imitation slate is the same cost as the real thing, The rubber might be a bit less labor intensive since you don't need to worry about cracking -

Comparison :

Vermont slate installed with new valley flashing, & snow guards 57,000.00

Imitation Product - same job 52,000.00

Asphalt - rip off & reroof with Grand Manor - 23,000.00 -

The client bought the Slate & loves it, it just isn't in everyones budget

The slate we removed was Pa & we replaced it with a Vermont Blend greys/greens/reds

Mike S

[Guest]

Re: slate look alike shingles

I agree with people that natural slate is a beautiful and long lasting material for roofing. One company that manufactures synthetic slate and hasn't been mentioned is EcoStar. EcoStar is a division of Carlisle SynTec Incorporated. The Carlisle group of companies have been around since 1917, and been making roofing products since the 1960's. Additionally, they are a US based, financially stable company that has stood the test of time. EcoStar offers a wide variety of synthetic slates, cedar shake, and even an old asbestos tile design (Titus tile) in nine different colors and both a Class C and a Class A formulation. Additionally, they have great technical and customer support. I have yet to see a warranty in the synthetic roofing market better than EcoStar's Gold Star warranty. If you are really interested in a synthetic roofing tile, I would seriously consider EcoStar. Check them out at the link below.


http://www.premiumroofs.com

[Guest]

Re: slate look alike shingles

I will repeat the advice to get a copy of Joe Jenkin's " The Slate Roof Bible". It has been invaluable to me as I recently got involved with slate.

Here is a reason to keep slate on the roof which you might not have considered. The weight of the slate just might be what is keeping the roof on. This past fall I repaired a building where a previous owner had saved money by replacing PA slate on the south slope with 25 year asphalt shingles. Along comes 72 mph gusts. The roof sheathing on the asphalt roofed slope peels off and the rafters fail to stabilize the the north slope. North side of the roof collapses into the building, followed by the 16" thick brick west gable.

$200,000 later the building has a repaired slate roof and west wall. Admittedly this building had some conditions tha don't happen on the average house, it is 45' to the eaves, and the first tall thing at the downwind end of Lake Erie. But slate had been holding the roof down on this building since before the Civil War.

I have also installed EcoStar. Yes it takes almost as long as slate. If you look closely you can tell it is not slate. Still it looks pretty good. See it on my site at this link


http://www.alliancebldrs.com