If the roofs are made of slate or tiles it is even more hazardous.
How does a slate roof work.
This slate material can come in either blue grey or heather purple color options.
For people who do not plan to ever sell their home the incredible longevity of slate is a highly desirable benefit.
Do they specialize in slate roofing.
Slate is a fine grained foliated homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism it is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock.
Perhaps the best natural slate material in the world for a slate roof is considered by many to be welsh slate.
Many slate tile manufacturers offer up to 100 year warranty on their products.
Although a slate roof is initially quite costly it will often last for a lifetime and beyond.
How to work on slate roofs.
The roofers should try to adhere to the below mentioned precautions while working on slate roofs.
Ideally you would only allow specially trained roofers to work on roofs covered in slate but for emergency repairs or the retrieval of the occasional frisbee it can t be avoided.
Slate roofing tiles are very delicate and can easily crack and dislodge under your weight.
When you have a slate roof installed or maintained the work should only be done by roofing professionals with extensive backgrounds in the application of slate.
Slate shingles do not lie flat against each other and can easily snap under pressure.
Also slate is slippery when wet.
It is to be kept in mind that repairing any kind of pitched roof is a dangerous task.
This can be carried out cheaply and it s work you can comfortably undertake yourself.
A slate roof will easily last over 100 years which is at least double of what other roofing materials can offer.
If you re one of the lucky individuals who has a slate roof on his house you re almost guaranteed that you won t have to replace it for its first 60 to 100 years.
Precautions needed to work safely on slate roofs.
Foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering but instead is in planes perpendicular to the direction of metamorphic compression.
The best access for most homeowners comes in positioning a long extension ladder from the ground to the roof.
In order to maintain your investment and make sure it lasts a slate roof will need regular maintenance.
This qualifier is crucial considering the special handling required for slate shingles.