Question 1

How long does a slate roof last?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the slate. Hard slate — Vermont and Virginia unfading varieties — routinely serves 150-200 years. Soft slate, like Pennsylvania soft-vein, lasts 50-125 years and fails by delaminating in layers. The flashings usually give out long before hard slate does, which is why we install 20oz copper in valleys, rated for 100+ years. Many New Orleans slate roofs installed in the 1800s are still in service today.

Question 2

How much does slate roofing cost?

Accepted Answer

Natural slate runs $20-$50+ per square foot installed, driven by slate grade, roof complexity, and copper detailing — on a 3,000-square-foot roof, that is $60,000-$150,000+. Synthetic slate runs $10-$20 per square foot installed, roughly half the cost, partly because it is light enough to skip structural upgrades. Both are premium roofs; the choice comes down to budget, structure, and how long you want the roof to last.

Question 3

What is synthetic slate, and is it any good?

Accepted Answer

Synthetic slate is a molded composite — usually polymer or rubber blends — made to mimic quarried stone. Good products carry Class 4 impact ratings, weigh about a quarter of natural slate, and are warrantied for around 50 years. It is a legitimate roof, but it is not stone: it will not last centuries, and up close the texture reads differently. We recommend it when structure or budget rules out natural slate but the look matters.

Question 4

Should I repair or replace my slate roof?

Accepted Answer

Repair, in most cases. A good rule: if fewer than about 20% of the slates have failed and the slate is a hard variety, repair and targeted flashing work will buy decades. Replace when soft slate is delaminating across whole slopes, when previous repairs relied on tar or face-nailing, or when the failure rate keeps accelerating. Most "failing" slate roofs we inspect actually have failed flashings — a far cheaper fix than a new roof.

Question 5

How does slate handle hail?

Accepted Answer

Honestly: hard slate sheds most hail, but large hail — 2 inches and up — can crack individual slates. No roof is hail-proof. The good news is that slate fails visibly and repairs tile by tile, so a hailstorm typically means replacing dozens of slates, not the roof. Synthetic slate carries Class 4 impact ratings and takes hail better. After any major hailstorm, we document cracked slates slope by slope for insurance review.

Question 6

Why does copper flashing matter so much on a slate roof?

Accepted Answer

Because the flashing dies first. Slate can last 150+ years, but a valley in thin galvanized steel fails in 25-40 — and replacing flashings under slate means carefully unweaving stone. That math is why we install 20oz copper in valleys and built-in gutters, following the standards in Joseph Jenkins' The Slate Roof Bible, with copper or stainless nails throughout. Matching flashing life to slate life is what makes a true century roof.

Question 7

Can my house support natural slate?

Accepted Answer

Natural slate weighs roughly 800-1,500 lbs per square (100 sq ft), so a structural evaluation comes first on every project. Homes originally built for slate or tile usually carry it without modification. Modern framing designed for asphalt shingles often needs reinforcement, which typically adds 10-15% to project cost. When the structure cannot reasonably be upgraded, synthetic slate — at about a quarter of the weight — is the honest alternative.

Question 8

Can you match my existing slate for repairs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We match thickness, color behavior (unfading versus weathering), texture, and exposure, sourcing from Vermont, Pennsylvania, and international quarries, plus salvage suppliers for discontinued slates. On historic roofs, a slightly weathered salvaged slate often blends better than a brand-new one. Matching matters for more than looks — mismatched thickness telegraphs through the coursing and can create water-shedding problems.

Question 9

Is synthetic slate allowed in historic districts?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the district. Some commissions accept high-quality synthetic slate on secondary structures or low-visibility slopes; stricter districts — including much of the French Quarter's regulated area — generally require natural slate on contributing buildings. We work under historic guidelines regularly and can tell you what your district will approve before you spend money on samples. When in doubt, natural slate is always the approvable answer.

Question 10

Who installs your slate roofs?

Accepted Answer

Our slate and tile crews are led by a master craftsman whose portfolio includes university landmarks like SMU and Tulane and hundreds of specialty slate and Ludowici roofs across the country. That crew restored the historic Sylvain building in the French Quarter — slate plus copper standing-seam on one of the oldest buildings in New Orleans — along with multiple other French Quarter slate roofs under Lapeyre contracts.

Slate Roofing

Slate Roofing Financing Options

Natural vs. Synthetic Slate: An Honest Comparison

Repair or Replace? How We Actually Decide

Our Slate Craft Standards

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