| Author | Message | ||
     John_chan (John_chan) Member Username: John_chan Post Number: 21 Registered: 08-2006 |
From what I understand, there were 3 distinctly different areas in the Peach Bottom Slate region: Cardiff, Whiteford, and Delta. The quality of slate differed quite a bit between the 3 areas. Some peach bottom appears to be very similar in characteristics to Buckingham. There's another peach bottom area slate that turns slightly greenish, and a third one that turns slightly greenish and flakes. | ||
| Kwhord (Kwhord) Senior Member Username: Kwhord Post Number: 206 Registered: 10-2006 |
These are definitely soft all the way through on the top. Also, I've found a lot of slates with cracks that appear to be "rusted" on the inside. I'm guessing this is just natural imperfections and the roofers who laid the slate didn't cull them before they installed them. The slates are very good on the exposed areas. If you break off the soft top, they ring true just like any other peach I've ever encountered. | ||
| Joe (Joe) Senior Member Username: Joe Post Number: 393 Registered: 07-2006 |
Interesting. However, like all quarry areas, the slate quality varied from pit to pit. I have seen some Peach Bottom slates similar to what you describe - flaking, mostly on the back. When you scrape the flaking stuff off, though, it's still hard underneath. Could be just the quarry source that determined the quality of the stone. | ||
| Kwhord (Kwhord) Senior Member Username: Kwhord Post Number: 205 Registered: 10-2006 |
I'm currently working on a slate roof that was installed in the 20's on a "modern" house. They were experimenting with a lot of new construction techniques. For instance the walls are veneer brick instead of a 2 wythe. On the roof they installed 12x24 peach bottom roof. The roof is a 5/12 pitch with 3 inch headlap. Before they slated the roof they installed what appears to be asphalt roll roofing. In addition to this, there are no vents in the soffit to move air through the attic. The slates are in bad shape. Most of the exposed faces are still sound and very hard, but the tops and especially the backs are soft and chalky, and behave more like a black penn slate than a peach. We have cannibalized one whole side of a hip roof in the rear of the house to use for visible repairs in the front. Of the 2 squares we removed about half of the slates had to be tossed when culling them. The problem is always the top or the underside of the slate. I know these slates shouldn't be deteriorating this fast. I've worked on much much older peach bottom roofs that are in better shape. They had a standard felt underlayment that deteriorated quickly allowing the roof to "breathe". What do others think about the underlayment as a cause of deterioration? I'm going to bring a sample of these slates to Frankfort for people to inspect, I'd like to know what others think about this. Thanks. |
