Slate Roofs

Stone Roofs

• The natural slate is rigid and strong, like a piece of glass.
• The quality, color and longevity vary depending on where the slate was quarried. The main quarries today are in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Vermont and New York.
• Slate roofs are fireproof, strong enough to resist hail storms, aesthetically appealing and can last a century or even longer.
• They are mainly installed on steep roofs.

The main types of slate in the United States are:

• Sea green slate – a long lasting roof slate that is also known as fading gray-green slate, for its fading color due to weathering. This is a hard slate from Vermont with a life expectancy of about 150 years on average.
• Purple slate – stays a dark purple color throughout its life. This is an excellent slate with a life expectancy of 150+ years and these roofs are highly restorable.
• Unfading green slate – an excellent light green slate that could last 200 years or more.
• Pennsylvania black slate – a softer slate roof material, last up to 70 -125 years.
• Peach Bottom slate – dark black, hard, and long lasting with a life expectancy of 150-200 years.
• Monson slates – also a dark black slate that is quarried in Maine and last about 150 years.
• Buckingham, or Virginia Slate – a gray-black slate with a life expectancy of about 150 years. This slate contains countless tiny silica crystals it hat gleam when viewed in the sun, a unique characteristic of Buckingham slate.
• NY Red Slate – a very high quality slate with a life expectancy of 150-200 years.

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Plastic Roofs

• A modern roofing material, plastic slate is usually PVC or TPO.
• PVC is a thermoplastic polymer, while TPO is a thermoplastic olefin.
• Both are synthetically produced into plastic roofing to provide protection against
  the elements and energy efficiency.
• Plastic roofing is specially designed to withstand pounding water, because it is welded together with hot air to remove all seams, which prevents the passing of moisture.
• Reflect approximately 90% of UV and other rays, it lowers heat absorption and heavily reduces cooling costs.
• It’s fire-safe and highly suited to low slope roofs.
• It’s not capable of holding high weight.
• Plastic roofing tends to shrink, which eventually causes leaks.
• Plastic corrugated roofing is the most common profile for plastic roofing and it is available in an extensive range of sizes, thickness, colors, and designs.
• When combined with Micro Sealant technology, plastic slate have a life span of up to 35 years, and can expand/contract according to temperature fluctuations.
• Plastic roofing is a more inexpensive option.