How to Install Slate Roof Shingles
Slate is a natural stone building material composed essentially of compressed clay. Slate shingles are one of the most impressive looking, and long lasting, building materials used for protecting rooftops. Slate has been used for centuries as a roofing material and adorns the rooftops of an array of historic buildings throughout Europe and the United States. Slate can be a tricky material to work with. Over time, it becomes brittle and is subject to cracking. It is also a tough material to nail. But if you carefully follow a few steps, you can install slate roof shingles yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Chalk line
- Tape measure
- Drill, with 1/8 inch masonry bit
- Copper or stainless steel nails
- Slate hammer
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Instructions
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Drill nail holes into your slate pieces. It's a good idea to drill the holes in your slate pieces before you get up onto the rooftop. The placement of the nail holes will vary depending on the style and size of the slate tiles. Consult your manufacturer's recommendations regarding where to place nail holes in the slate shingles.
Some slate shingle manufacturers will drill the holes into the tile for you, based on your own specifications.
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Use your tape measure to find the center point of the lower edge of the rooftop. Mark this point and then snap a chalk line up the roof from this center point, to the ridge of the rooftop. This will serve as your guide line as you lay out your first course of shingles, and then for alternating shingle courses.
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Fasten slate starter strip to the rooftop. Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding the placement of the starter strip. Typically, it should overhang the edge of the roof by about 1 1/2 inches. Use copper or stainless steel nails, and take care not to over- or underdrive nail heads. Overdriving the nails can cause the slate to crack, and underdriving the nails and leaving the nail heads raised from the slate surface can cause problems with overlying slate shingle courses.
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Nail the first course of slate shingles to the rooftop. Drive the nails through preexisting nail holes. Hammer them down securely, but be careful not to overdrive the nails and crack the slate shingles. Unlike wood shingles, slate will not expand and contract in varying weather. As a result, you can butt two pieces of slate up close together.
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Use your chalk line to mark the exposure of the first shingle course. The exposure is the amount of shingle face that will be left exposed after the overlying shingle course is installed. Exposure will vary depending on the type and style of shingle you are using. Consult the manufacturer's instructions regarding the proper exposure distance.
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Stagger shingle courses and establish the proper headlap. As you work your way up the roof, the joints between shingle courses should be staggered by at least 1 1/2 inches. Each shingle course overlaps the shingle course directly beneath it. The shingle course that is two courses above will also overlap a portion of the head of the shingle two courses below, creating three layers of material over this distance. The amount of overlap generated by the shingle two courses above a shingle is called "headlap." Generally, the headlap should measure at least 3 inches to ensure proper moisture protection.
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Continue working your way up the house. Use the chalk line to mark your exposure for each shingle course, and keep staggering your shingle joints between courses. Maintain the proper headlap and work until you reach the crest of the roof. Then follow the same process for each side of the rooftop.
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Tips & Warnings
Working on rooftops can be dangerous. Always maintain awareness of your proximity to the roof's edge. On steeply pitched roofs, use a safety harness to ensure against falling and being injured.
Wear safety goggles when working with slate.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit slate image by BONNIE C. MARQUETTE from Fotolia.com
