Slate Roof Repair in Hackettstown, NJ

Slate in northwest New Jersey

Drive around Warren County and you'll still see slate on old farmhouses, churches, Victorian homes and outbuildings. That's no accident. Just across the Delaware River lies Pennsylvania's Slate Belt, around Bangor, Pen Argyl and Wind Gap - in the 1800s it was the largest slate-producing region in the world. Slate was close, durable and fireproof, so plenty of older buildings in this part of New Jersey were roofed with it.

Good slate can last a century or more. What usually fails first isn't the stone, but the nails, the flashing and the occasional broken piece.

Common slate roof problems

• Cracked or broken slates from falling branches, ice or someone walking on the roof
• Slipped slates - when the nails holding them rust through, slates slide down and leave gaps
• Worn flashing at chimneys, valleys and walls - often older copper, lead or tin that's reached the end of its life
• Delaminating slate - softer slates that flake or crumble with age
• Bad past repairs - tar smeared over cracks, or asphalt shingles patched into a slate roof
• Snow and ice damage at the eaves and around chimneys

How slate is repaired

Slate needs a different approach from shingles. A roofer experienced with slate will:

• Use roof hooks and ladders rather than walking on the slates, which can crack them
• Remove a broken slate by cutting its nails with a slate ripper
• Slide in a matching replacement and secure it with a copper slate hook or a nail covered by a bib flashing
• Replace worn valley and chimney flashing, often in copper
• Match the new slate's color, size and thickness to the existing roof as closely as possible

Matching matters. Slates vary in color and texture depending on where they were quarried, and some weather to a different shade over decades. Salvaged slate is sometimes the best match for an old roof.

Repair or replace?

A slate roof is often worth repairing even if it looks rough. The key question is whether the slate itself is sound. A roofer can tap slates (sound slate rings; failing slate sounds dull), look for flaking and check how many have slipped or broken. If most of the slate is sound, repairing the broken pieces and replacing the flashing can buy decades. If large areas are delaminating, or the nails have failed across the whole roof, it may be time to consider re-roofing, either with new slate or a different material.

Slate and older homes

If your house is one of Hackettstown's older homes, the slate roof is a big part of its character. Replacing slate with asphalt shingles changes the look of the house for good. Many owners of historic homes choose to repair slate wherever possible. Our post on roofing Hackettstown's older homes covers this in more detail.

Caring for a slate roof

• Keep people off it - most slate damage comes from foot traffic
• Look from the ground after storms for missing or slipped pieces
• Keep gutters and valleys clear
• Deal with broken slates promptly so water doesn't reach the boards underneath
• Have the flashing checked every few years

Finding the right roofer

Not every roofer works on slate, and the wrong repair can do more harm than good. When you call, mention that it's a slate roof so you're connected with someone who has the experience. Ask to see examples of slate work they've done.