A slate roof is a viable choice for most homeowners owing to its elegance and durability. You can’t get any material better than slate in the market. Also, these roofs need minimal maintenance, unlike other roofing structures. It is indeed convenient for homeowners in more ways than one. According to a survey, a good slate roof can last for more than 100 years. Whereas, if you choose to go with individual tiles, it may get cracked or broken during that time.
If the roofing material of your house gets damaged, elements will get a chance to enter into your home. Giving a blind eye to it can cause serious damage to your roofing structure. The repair costs start to pile up and ultimately the situation goes out of your hand. The same applies to slate roof repairs. Get your slate roof repaired immediately you notice a problem in it to avoid bigger problems.
Some homeowners try to repair the roofs by themselves. However, it is not the right decision. You may think of saving costs but it will land you to bigger trouble if something goes wrong. Calling a roofing professional is the best solution you can opt for. Hiring an experienced roofing contractor also keeps you free from all sorts of headaches. You can be assured of quality services from their part under all circumstances.
The Repairing Process
Initially, the roofers clear the roof of anything that might be an obstacle in the repairing process. This could be snow, ice, or some sort of growth that may damage your slate roofing structure. The slate roof repair process will begin once the area has been cleaned.
When there are instances of broken tiles, remnants of the tiles are held in place by the nails. A slate ripping tool is needed to fix the problem. This tool has hooks that are used to extract and catch any nails that are left behind by the broken tile.
For getting the hooks into the right place, the roofing experts make use of a hammer. The nails can be removed or sliced off. This allows you to add the new tile. The replacement slate should be of the same size as those around it. If the damaged tile is still in place, it can be used as a template. Thereafter, you can use a slate cutter to trim the new slate according to your requirements.
Sliding the new tile into place is not a tough job though you may feel a little hindrance from the overlapping slates. To insert the new slate, the roofing experts need to apply a little pressure. After this, copper nails should be used to hold it in place. The final phase begins when the copper slip is installed under the new tile. It will drive water over the nails and onto the exposed portion of the slate roof.
Repairing a slate roof is not a labour intensive job though it may seem from the above-mentioned facts. But yes, trying to repair a slate roof by yourself can be risky. Instead, call a professional like the experienced team at The Slate Roofing Company to get your job done within a stipulated time frame.
