Springer Roofing LLC

Slate roofs in Miami need repair for two common reasons, when slates have broken or damaged, or flashings have deteriorated. Therefore, the repair and restoration of slate roofs requires knowledge about replacing slates and flashings. Just as crucial, understanding the source of leakage, and finding it, is too critical to the successful repair of these roof systems. If you don’t know what a leak looks like, you will not be able to find it and repair it, it’s that simple.

Before getting started, we want to clear some of the most common myths about Slate Roof Repair, not only in Miami, but around the globe:

Myth #1) The felt paper underlayment has deteriorated and therefore all the slate must be taken off, the felt replaced, then the slates put back on. This is totally bogus. The felt paper is a temporary underlayment used to keep the building dry until the roof is installed. After that, it’s essentially obsolete. Most older slate roofs have no functional underlayment and they do not leak. Many slate roofs never had underlayment in the first place.

Myth #2) The slate ripper, which is the basic tool used to remove slates from a roof, slides underneath the slate and cuts the nails. False. The ripper pulls out the nails; it does not cut them. You do not want to cut the nails because that will leave a broken nail nub under the slate which will prevent the insertion of the replacement slate.

Myth #3) Ring shank nails should be used on slate roofs when plywood is used for decking or where a stronger nail grip is required. First, don’t use plywood decks underneath slate if you want the best job, even though the slate suppliers may recommend it. They only sell the slate; they don’t have to repair or restore the roofs later. Slate salesmen and carpenters will tell you to use plywood. The slate professionals crafting a 100-200 year roof will tell you to use solid boards. Take your pick — it’s your money, but for the best longevity, use solid wood decking, not a glued material. It’s already tried and proven. Second, ring shank nails are weaker than smooth shank nails and tend to break when you try to pull them out with a ripper. That leaves that nub underneath the slate which is a huge pain in the you-know-what.

WELL, HOW TO REPAIR SLATE ROOFS?

The best way is a qualified roofing contractors in Miami. You do not want foot traffic on your slate roof, for example. Some contractors will tie a rope around themselves and tromp around the roof, breaking slates. Hook ladders instead provide the perfect work surface from which to access a steep roof. There is no excuse not to have them. Otherwise, scaffolding or lifts are helpful. Aside from foot traffic, roofing contractors will damage slates by “repairing” them. It is easy and simple to properly repair slates.

Slate repair is simple and straightforward: you locate the defective slates and replace them with matching slates. Use the correct fastening techniques and the right tools and everything will be fast and simple. Flashing repair is another story. When flashings wear out, and they will, they have to be replaced too. This is simply a matter of removing any slates that are covering the flashings, pulling out the old flashings down to the bare roof deck, then replacing the flashings with new metal. Then replace the original slates back into their original positions. This is all routine work for professional slate roofers.

The cost to completely restore  usually about 15% of the cost to replace it. As long as the slates themselves are still good, there is no need to replace the entire roof, but the subject of flashings and roof restoration could take up an entire book.

If you want a professional contractor in Miami to take care of repairing a damage, make sure to contact Springer Roof. We’re experts and we will make sure you help you installing or repairing your roof for a long-term solution with reasonable prices.SHARE