Valley repair
Worn or rusted valley metal is replaced where many slate leaks begin.
Slate Roofing
Slate Roof Repair Hillside, NJ
A roofer in Hillside can repair a slate roof by replacing broken slates, rehanging slipped ones on copper hooks and renewing the flashing and valleys where most slate leaks start. Dial (908) 562-6893 to talk with a local roofer about the repair.
Natural slate can last a century or more, so most slate repairs deal with what holds it on and what seals it. Original iron or steel nails rust through, flashing corrodes and valley metal wears thin, and slates then slip, crack or let water past. When nails rust through, slates slide out of place and leave gaps, a problem sometimes called nail sickness.
Repairing slate the right way uses tools and materials made for it. Roofers cut the hidden nails with a slate ripper, set a matching slate and fasten it with a hook or a covered copper nail. Coating slate with tar or roof cement only hides problems and stains the stone.
Stay off the roof yourself. Slate cracks under foot, especially older slate, and it is slick when wet or icy, so roofers work from ladders hooked over the ridge and roof brackets rather than walking on the stone. From the ground, binoculars show slipped slates, missing pieces and rusted flashing well enough to describe on the phone.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Hillside roofer may also recommend slate roof replacement or slate roof installation.
Dealing with this in Hillside, NJ right now? Call (908) 562-6893 and describe the problem to a roofer who works in Hillside.
Call nowThe process
The slate roof repair process
Here is how a slate roofer usually handles a repair.
Rig the roof
The roofer sets a hook ladder over the ridge or installs roof brackets, so weight stays off the slate. Work only happens when the roof is dry, since wet slate is slick.
Trace the leak
The source is pinned down first, since a slate problem and a flashing problem are fixed very differently. If many slates are slipping, it tells the roofer the nails are failing roof wide.
Pull damaged slates
With a slate ripper, the roofer cuts the nails holding the broken slate and draws it out. The slates above stay in place the whole time.
Set new slate
A replacement slate matched in size, thickness and color is slid up into place and held with a copper or stainless slate hook. Salvaged slate of the same type and color often gives the closest match.
Repair the flashing
Corroded valley metal, step flashing and counter flashing at chimneys and walls are replaced, usually in copper, by lifting and resetting the slates around them. Copper flashing is common on slate because its service life comes close to that of the stone.
What is included
Common slate roof repairs
Flashing repair
Wall and chimney flashing is rebuilt instead of being covered with tar.
Tar cleanup
Old tar and roof cement patches are removed where possible to stop trapped moisture.
Slate replacement
Broken slates are cut out and new ones hung in their place without disturbing the slates around them.
Slipped slate rehanging
Loose slates are rehung on copper hooks before they fall and break.
Related service
Slate Roof Inspection Hillside, NJ
Before repairs, an inspection sorts out whether the slate itself is sound or nearing the end. It covers slate condition, nail failure, valley metal, chimney and wall flashing and any old tar repairs. Hard slate in good condition rings when tapped, while worn soft slate sounds dull and breaks easily.
In Hillside, a slate roof inspection is done mostly from ladders and with a drone so the inspector does not crack the slate checking it. Inside, the attic shows where water has gotten through and whether the board sheathing is sound. You should come away knowing whether the roof needs a repair, a section relaid or a long term replacement plan.
Related service
Slate Roofing Company Hillside, NJ
Slate is a specialty, and a slate roofing company should show it knows the trade. Ask whether the crew uses a slate ripper, slate hooks or copper nails with bibs, hook ladders instead of walking the roof and long life flashing metal. Be wary of anyone who wants to tar the roof or tear off a roof with mostly sound slate at the first visit.
A slate roofing company that works in Hillside should be able to describe recent slate repairs and where it sources matching slate. Matching size, thickness and color is what makes a repair disappear into the roof. Call (908) 562-6893 to talk with a roofer who works on slate.
Local help
Slate Roof Repair Near Me
Around Hillside, most slate roofs date back decades, and many still have plenty of good slate left. On older slate roofs in Hillside and nearby towns like Union, Elizabeth, Roselle Park and Vauxhall, the most common repairs are slipped slates from rusted nails and leaking valleys or chimney flashing, so steady repairs can keep a slate roof going for many more decades.
For slate roof repair in Hillside, NJ or nearby towns like Union, Elizabeth, Roselle Park and Vauxhall, call (908) 562-6893 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Hillside
Cold winters bring snow, ice and a long stretch of freezing nights. When warm attic air melts the snow, the meltwater runs down and freezes again at the eaves, building ice dams that push water up under the shingles. Coastal storms and heavy spring rain drive water sideways into flashing, valleys and old chimneys. Most homeowners in Hillside, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why fix it now
Smaller repairs
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Roofers who know Hillside
Roofers in Hillside know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Slate Roof Repair questions
How long does a slate roof last?
Depending on the type of slate, a roof can last anywhere from several decades to well over a hundred years. The nails and flashing need attention long before the slate does. Kept up with repairs, a slate roof can serve for generations.
Why are slates sliding off my roof?
The nails holding each slate are the usual culprit. Older slate roofs were often hung with iron or steel nails that rust through long before the slate wears out, letting slates slide down and fall. Each slipped slate is rehung with a slate hook or covered copper nail, and if slipping is widespread, the roof may need to be stripped and relaid with new nails.
Can a slate roof be repaired instead of replaced?
Repair is the right call when most of the slate is solid and the problems are nails, flashing or a few broken pieces. It is when the slate is delaminating widely, or slipping everywhere, that a full strip and relay becomes the better plan. An inspection tells you which way your roof leans.
Can tar be used to repair slate?
Tar and roof cement are poor fixes for slate. They crack as they age, trap water against the stone and stain it, and they have to be scraped off before a proper repair can be done. A real repair uses new slate and new flashing instead.
Can I walk on my slate roof?
Walking on slate is best avoided. Slate breaks easily underfoot and becomes dangerous when wet. Professionals work from ladders hooked over the ridge for this reason, and homeowners are safer looking from the ground.
More questions? Call (908) 562-6893
Other services that may help
Slate Roof Replacement
Slate roof replacement that strips the roof, sorts reusable slate and rebuilds the deck, underlayment and copper flashing, planned around the weight and look of the home.
Learn moreSlate Roof Installation
New slate roofs planned around the slate grade, the framing and the details that let stone last a century, built to match the life of the stone.
Learn moreFlashing Repair
Fixing the metal flashing at walls, dormers, valleys and roof edges, with new metal instead of another layer of caulk.
Learn moreRoof Leak Repair
Stopping water at the pipe boots, flashing, valleys and nail holes where roofs actually leak, before wet decking and insulation turn into rot.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet slate roof repair help in Hillside
Call (908) 562-6893 to talk to a roofer serving Hillside, NJ.