Slate roof tiles are a great long-term investment for most homeowners and building owners. If you’d like a natural, gorgeous roofing material which may be able to outlive the rest of the building, slate tiles are the way to go. They have an incredibly long lifespan and durability, and offer superior insulation, weather resistance, and have a number of other beneficial properties.
One of the benefits that you may have heard about is the ability for you to reuse slate roof tiles in the future – or use reclaimed slate tiles in your own project, to reduce costs. Is it really possible to reuse slate roof tiles? You may have a hard time believing it, but it’s true. In this article, we’ll take a look at everything that you need to know about reusing slate roof tiles.
SLATE ROOFS CAN LAST OVER 100 YEARS
Along with some other roof tiles like concrete tile and some types of clay tiles, slate roofs can have an incredibly long lifespan. Slate roofing is built to last 100 years or longer.
When properly installed, a slate roof will easily last at least 100 years. Worldwide, there are slate roofs that are primarily composed of their original laid slate. There are countless examples that currently have lasted centuries. Some buildings in Cambridge University in England, for example, as well as Cobh Cathedral, and Crathorne Hall Hotel. There are innumerable other examples all across the world.
Simply put, natural slate is incredibly resistant to wear, and that means that, when properly cared for and installed, a slate roof can easily last 100 years or much longer.
THE REST OF THE ROOF WEARS OUT BEFORE SLATES DO
If a roof was made entirely out of slate, the roof would likely last more than 100 years. But, as we all know, roofs are not just made of slate. Copper, steel flashing, underlay, battens, and other components of the roof are more prone to degradation in a shorter time-frame. When properly installed, a slate roof will help protect all of these sub-components. Although they will still wear out eventually, especially when exposed to extreme weather conditions.
However, this has two major advantages for those who choose to re-roof their homes or buildings with slate. Sometimes. when a roof must be rebuilt due to the deterioration of the underlying structure, slate can be reclaimed and repurposed. Usually, some slate on the roof will still be in great condition. Some may need to be discarded, but with proper care, a percentage of slate can be reclaimed. Thus leading to lower overall roof replacement costs.
As an inert, natural material, the chemical and physical composition of slate will not change, even after hundreds of years.
Like stone, it may become weathered– but the physical properties, including minimal water absorption, insulation and strength won’t change.
By purchasing reclaimed slate for your project, you can do your part to help the environment, and save money, compared to purchasing brand-new slate.
SLATE ROOFS ALSO HELP YOU SAVE ON REPAIRS
Roof repairs are, unfortunately, unavoidable. Although natural Slate is durable, slate can still be damaged by shock and impact. Impacts such as hail, tree branches and other debris that may strike a tile and damage it.
However, slate roofs need repairs less frequently than other types of roof. It can be easy to remove individual slate and replace them. When doing this, we recommend to use older, reclaimed slate taken from other properties. This is becuase it will be thinner than new slate. New slate, can be thickly cut, and cause the surrounding tiles to kick up. This would then cause excessive shear stress, which can break the other tiles.
Reclaimed slate, can be matched to the proper thickness, and be similar to the existing slate in appearance. This leads to a more reliable and aesthetically-appealing repair. As long as you can ensure that you are getting slate that’s equal in quality to your existing slate. We specialise in this, and we highly suggest using reclaimed slate for your slate roof repairs.
REUSED SLATE – JUST AS GOOD AS THE NEW STUFF!
Re-used slate (whether from your own roof or that of another building)can be just as good as “new” slate. Why does that makes sense? After all, even the “newest” slate is still technically millions of years old!
So, if you’re curious about whether or not you can reuse your own slate when repairing your roof, or you’re thinking about investing in a new slate roof and would like to use reclaimed tiles, contact NSW Slate Roofing. We can help you determine what’s right for you, give you a free quote, and guide you throughout the entire process. Call us today on 1300 102 908.