How Fragil Is Slate Roofing

Any form of weight can crack or break a slate tile so no homeowner or roof cleaning professional should ever walk on the roof.

How fragil is slate roofing. Fragile roofing materials may fracture without warning. Deaths caused by falls through fragile surfaces occur mainly to those working in the building maintenance sector when carrying out small short term maintenance and cleaning jobs. Durability a slate roof is built to last between 100 and 150 years which is a reasonable period as long as it is installed by an expert roofer. The way that slate is formed however makes it nearly impossible to use anything except a tile saw either a wet saw or a dry angle grinder with a tile cutting blade.

These roofing stones are available in different thicknesses and sizes as well as a wide variety of colors such as black red green gray purple and even some types that have a mix of colors. However that doesn t include the cost of installation which raises the overall cost to the range of 12 to 25 per square foot. You should not walk on slate tiles unless you know what you are doing otherwise you will most likely damage some of them. For people who do not plan to ever sell their home the incredible longevity of slate is a highly desirable benefit.

On average 7 people are killed each year after falling through a fragile roof or fragile roof light. Many others suffer permanent disabling injury. Fractures can occur so rapidly that a worker could easily fall through the roof suffering serious or even fatal injuries. Most slate roofs tend to be older so it is safe to assume that any slate roof is fragile and prone to damage.

Most other roofing materials last at most just half that amount. Fragile slate is extremely fragile and can cause issues for anyone attempting to walk around on the roof. Many slate tile manufacturers offer up to 100 year warranty on their products. Fragile while slate is a very durable material it can break if stepped on.

You will find nothing else in the market that comes close to slate in appearance. No sheeted roof should be relied on to bear a person s weight. A slate roof will easily last over 100 years which is at least double of what other roofing materials can offer. Weight slate roofing tiles can wiegh over 1 000 pounds per square meaning you ll need to make sure your home or business structure is sound before installing them.

One misstep can cause thousands of dollars of damage in broken tiles. All roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed they are not.