Reasons Why Your Slate Roof Could Be Leaking

Slate roofing tiles are usually chosen because they last a long time and look great. However, they aren't immune to issues if you skimp on maintenance. If your slate roof is leaking, your roofing contractor will be looking for one of these problems.

Missing Tiles

It may be hard to imagine how something as strong as stone can be damaged by weather, but it can happen. Sufficient wind and debris can get up under the tiles and break the clips holding them to the roof. Once there is a gap, it's only a matter of time before water gets in and starts to eat through the lower levels of the roof. This can get tricky to spot if the errant tie is only partially displaced. The tiles should look even and any sort of displacement needs to be investigated and addressed.

Degraded Joints

The joints in any roof are a potential weak spot, and slate roofing is no different. The flashing around chimneys and other protrusions will not last as long as the slate tile and needs to be replaced occasionally. While pulling up enough tile to replace the flashing is an expensive piece of maintenance, it is far less expensive than replacing that section of the roof because water worked its way into the joint. If the leak is near a skylight or your chimney, then the flashing is likely to blame.

Improper Installation

No one wants to hear that the roof they paid dearly for is never going to work correctly, but it does happen. There are a couple spots where poor installation can come back to haunt you. The worst is if the slope of the roof is calculated incorrectly. Either the roof isn't steep enough to get the water to run off quickly, or there isn't sufficient overlap in the tiles for the given slope. The second place a roof can fail is if the clips used to attach the tiles weren't installed correctly. This can leave the tiles loose or prone to fall off. Either is a disaster in the long run.

As you can see, there are several ways that a slate roof can actually fail. The most important thing you can do to prevent this situation is to keep up with your regular maintenance. By working with a contractor that specializes in slate roofing, you can save yourself major repair costs down the road. Visit a site like https://www.diromaroofing.com/ for more help.


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