Slate Roof Repairs: I have noticed a real problem that I see too often with Slate Roofs.

A slate roof repair would need to be considered when slates have slipped down. This can leave a decent hole in the roof in a place where the owners are unable to see from the ground level.

Unfortunately, the owners end up finding out that there roof is leaking during a big storm and water starts to come in through there plaster ceiling causing plaster damage and water staining.  Generally this is a sign that you might need to consider a slate roof repair.

 

There can be many reasons why your slate roof tiles slip out but generally the roof slate tile slip out due to the nails rusting. Originally the slate roof tiles would have been fixed into position with a soft zinc nail. These nails have done a good job up to the present day but over time they have started to rust through allowing the slate tile to slide out leaving a hole in the roof.

No matter how many times the area is repaired, other areas of slates will continue to slip. It’s inevitable and in the end the most economical solution and better result is to have your roof restored.

Another sign that your may need your slate roof repaired is if you have decorative picket ridge or terracotta caps that have loss some of the cement mortar beneath them that holds them in place. Generally the loss of mortar beneath them won’t allow water into your ceiling space, it’s the strong winds which could potentially cause the damage. What happens is the wind can get beneath the capping tiles where there is missing mortar causing them to blow  off and onto the main bodied slate roof tiles breaking them leaving a hole for the rain water to enter into the ceiling space. Subsequently, this causes plaster damage to your plaster ceiling and potentially, in some bad cases, I have seen an entire ceiling fill up with rain water causing the plaster ceiling to collapse.

Another common sign your roof is in need of some maintenance is when rusting starts to occur to your box guttering.  General signs that your box guttering is starting to rust is when brown stains start to appear on the surface of your box gutter or if it is a painted surface bubbles will start to appear. This is a common problem with older homes and it should be repaired immediately as once a rust hole has occurred water will start to come straight into the ceiling space of your home.