Hi all…
I’m Dr D’s wife…Kathy. All if you helped us on the mahogany porch and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
In addition to the porch we had built, we are also needing a roof. (!) The plaster ceilings are reminding me every night! (argh…)
The contractor who was building the porch was also set to put on a new roof. Obviously, a roof is pitched and he does not “do pitch”. 🙂 Therefore, we need to find someone to replace our SLATE roof. I have several questions.
1. Our slate roof is toast. Like moths wings, it’s so brittle. I’ve been told that to re-slate the roof would be like taking another mortgage…not a good thing! But our house is pretty original looking and I’d like to keep the slate look if possible. My dream is to use real slate, but if it’s truly cost prohibitive, then I’ll have to find another product. I did receive a sample of rubber slate-lookalike material by a company called Welsh Mountain Slate and it looks nice. Does anyone have experience with this product? Good? bad?
If bad, do you have other options or suggestions?
2. Our roof is framed with true 2×4’s on “sorta” 24″ centers with skip sheathing that was “skipped” a lot… 🙂 There are 3 brick chimneys and no dormers. Just a plain 2 storey colonial with an 15’x15′ ell, creating 2 valleys. I don’t know what the pitch is, but the original house is only 15′ front to back (30′ wide) and you can almost stand up in the attic… the ridge beam is only a 2×4, I think… With all of this, what am I looking for in a roof replacement? I fix trucks for a living, not build homes. I’m afraid now (after the porch fiasco) of getting a roofer who is not a professional (how can I tell the difference??) who would replace the roof in a manner which would cause it to fail quickly. So what would I want done in order to replace this roof correctly? I’d rather pay someone more to do it right…but how do I know what I should have done / checked / replaced / upgraded / corrected?
3. Lastly, but certainly not leastly :), we need a roofer in the Somerset/Hunterdon County area of NJ. Or someone who isn’t far from the area. Do any of you know someone (you respect) who might be interested in doing the job? And if not, do you know of a way to find a contractor that would be capable of the job? What do I ask? What do I look for? Where do I look?!?!?! Yikes!
Thank you very much for your valuable time!
Kathy
Replies
I'm afraid now (after the porch fiasco) of getting a roofer who is not a professional (how can I tell the difference??) who would replace the roof in a manner which would cause it to fail quickly. So what would I want done in order to replace this roof correctly? I'd rather pay someone more to do it right...but how do I know what I should have done / checked / replaced / upgraded / corrected?
Check references. Get them to show you some work they've done. Call your local roofer's supply house and get some suggestions. They know who's been buying slate or fake slate. When you find someone reputable, hire them as a consultant (buy a couple of hours of the guy's time to tell you what he would do if it was his roof). He'll likely have more than one option.
The fake slate option has been discussed here before. I like the concept of it, but the manufacturers seem to keep going out of business.
Good luck.
>> ... but the manufacturers seem to keep going out of business.
Another advantage of slate. The quarrying and processing companies may go out of business, but not the Manufacturer.
if i wanted slate... and could afford it... that's what i would do..
short of that.. i really like Certainteed's Grand Manor and Carriage House ( a more scalloped look )..
then another Slate appearance is the Certainteed Hatteras..
long story short.... if i couldn't have real slate, then i would go Asphalt.... and those 3 above would be my 1 -2- 3 choices
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
It is unlikely that a knowledgeable roofer would replace any material on the job you describe, particularly slate. Just from your description it sounds like you need structural alterations as well as sheathing before any roof material is laid. There are many choices from asphalt shingles to concrete, wood to metal. Depending on where you are, fire resistance may be a key issue. Despite a few crumbling edges slate lasts a long time and you may be able to re-use much of what you have. Look for someone that specializes in slate and ask for recommendations.
Kathy-
Where in the Somerset/Hunterdon area are you located? I work in Somerset, and if you'd like, I can take a ride past to see what you're up against, and hopefully provide some free advice.
Bob
Thank you Bob!
Please email me at [email protected] and I'll give you our address. Our house is located near Spruce Run...we work in Bridgewater.
You can see first hand our "porch from hell", too!
Kathy
Have a look at this site:
http://www.traditionalroofing.com/index.html
You can probably find a local slate roof expert there.
Also, be skeptical of the opinion from a non-slate expert that your roof is really toast. Even if it does need replacing, there may be salvage value in some of the old slate. Slate is one of those things where you really need a specialist, not somebody who will simply want to demolish what they don't understand.
-- J.S.
Thank you John...
LOL... I read the link you gave and under "mistakes" there are pictures of all the different portions of our roof right there! The ell was faced nailed with little rubber washers (?), the previous owner was fixing leaks with (I kidd you not) triple expanding foam and we've been chasing leaks for a year with tar and metal flashing. The first year we owned it, I had a nice roofer come and fix the original leaks, did a beautiful job. He is gone and his phone number belongs to a teenage girl now....(sniff...)
If the slates are still useful, I guess I could use them to re-roof the outhouse...but the slate roof on that is just fine...(figures, eh?)
Most of them are like neat stacks of burned paper ...they fall apart when you look at them. :(
I've printed out the list. Thank you again.
"The first year we owned it, I had a nice roofer come and fix the original leaks, did a beautiful job. He is gone and his phone number belongs to a teenage girl now....(sniff...)"
Just out of curiosity, how long ago was that and what did he charge??
Good advice above to get a roofer who specializes in slate to evaluate your roof.
Maybe enough of the slate is still usable to slate the front of the house and do something cheaper on the back??
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
Kathy,
There is slate that will last hundreds of years and slate that is more flakey in composition that will only last a generatiomn. Sounds like you've got the later. I was also suprised that the framing is so light weight for a slate roof job. The small size and span is probably combinbed with a fairly steep pitch to transfer a good portion of the load to the walls. Bob is a a good guy, especially for offering consult fro free, one of the benefits of this fine Breaktime community.
I have seen several imitation slate roof products but none that have convinced me to put my reputation behind them as of yet. I have posted photos here of jpobs only two or three yuears old that are looking disasterous.
So I am like Mike Smith. If you like the slate look and it fits your architechtural style, but cannot afford real slate, then the Certainteed line of asphalt look-alikes are the way to go. They would need a better surface for installation than skip sheathing. I often smooth the deck out with a 3/8" plywood or 7/16" OSB nailed over the old sheathing.
As someone else noted, it would be a sign of a quality roofer if he inspected the rafters also. They might need some sistering or replacements to keep the load lined up.
BTW, does it have sags now or is it fairly straight in a flat plane?
Going to your title Q - with the way the weather has been, a tarp might be the way to get through winter while you find and line up the right person for the job.
Excellence is its own reward!