Pennsylvania has more genuine slate roofs than almost anywhere in the country — and they are repairable.
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The Slate Belt of Northampton and Lehigh counties supplied roofing slate to much of the eastern United States, and a great deal of it is still on Pennsylvania roofs. A genuine slate roof can run a century or more. What usually fails first is not the slate at all — it is the flashing, the fasteners, or the nails, and those are repairable.
Individual broken slates are replaced with a slate ripper and a copper hook or bib, not with sealant and not with an asphalt patch. A roof described as "shot" by a contractor who only installs asphalt is very often a roof that needs a few hundred slates and new valley metal. Get a second opinion from someone who actually works in slate before agreeing to a tear-off.
Freeze-thaw cycles delaminate slate that is already at the end of its life, ice dams overload valleys, and walking on a slate roof in cold weather breaks it. That last point is why storm inspections on slate should be done with roof ladders and hook boards, not by a crew tramping across the field.
Clay tile, concrete tile and historic metal appear on Pennsylvania churches, civic buildings and older homes, and all share the same principle: the material usually outlives its fasteners and flashings. Matching salvaged material matters as much as the workmanship.
Keystone Storm Roof Network is an independent directory and referral service. We do not perform this work — we connect you with independent Pennsylvania contractors who do.
Tell us what you need and we'll connect you with available local pros. Free, no obligation.
We're matching you with available pros now. Expect a call shortly — or reach us directly at (800) 555-0186.