| Author | Message | ||
     John T. Reed |
Inspired by Joseph Jenkins' book, my wife and I just had a slate roof installed. However, part does not look right to me. I am hoping to get some expert opinion before insisting it be corrected. I have taken photos with my cell phone camera but am not sure how to make them available. I can email them. The main house roof apppears to be fine, but the attached garage has a number of shingles that are about two or three inches wide. The roofers admitted these are attached by only one nail. On the street side of the garage, there are several that are the first shingle against the copper flashing where the garage roof attaches to the two-story house wall. On the back side of the garage, they are the next-to-last shingle before the outer edge of the roof. That is, the final shingle on the outer edge of the roof is normal, but the next one in is two or three inches wide--again attached with only one nail. These occur every other horizontal row of shingles from the bottom of the roof to the top. In number of cases, the seams between normal and skinny shingles that overlap are only one or two inches apart. There were two guys who installed the roof. I have the impression that the more friendly one installed no skinny shingles and seemed embarrassed about them. The other, sullen guy appears to have worked on the skinny-shingle parts of the roof. My layman suspicion is that normal-size shingles should have been trimmed a little if necessary to make the skinny shingles unnecessary. I would appreciate learning whether I am within my rights to insist that only more-or-less normal-size shingles with two nails be used on the roof or if there is some other remedy. Thanks, John T. Reed | ||
| admin |
You should post some photos on the web so we can look at them and comment on them. Joe Jenkins | ||
| Walter Musson |
There are times when the spacing isn't established properly during the layout phase and you must adjust the slates somewhat-but using 2" spacers is ugly and wrong. Usually you would buy some wider slates during the ordering process for use at rake edges ,valley areas,and bay sections.Then you can vary the last slate or two to havepieces large enough so that these small ,poorly held pieces are not needed. You might want to still buy some wider ones and have those rakes redone now-it's obvious that you're not satisfied with the aesthetics and the poor fastening of these pieces. HAVE THEM REDO IT AT THEIR EXPENSE. | ||
| Leo Glenn |
John, For free image web hosting, try photobucket.com It's pretty easy to do. When you have uploaded your photos, just copy and paste the link into your text on this message board. There are a lot of others out there, too. A Google search should yield many. Leo Glenn | ||
| Joe Jenkins (Admin) |
To avoid having to use a spacer, a slater will measure ahead as he lays the slates to see where the last piece will fall. If it's 2" short, then you would start about 16 slates back (for example) and add 1/8" between the slates. By the time you get to the end, you have made up the 2" difference and no pieces are required (and no one notices the 1/8" spaces). Sounds like your guy wasn't aware of this trick. Joe | ||
| johntreed |
I found a way to get the slate roof pictures on line. They are at my web site at URLs www.johntreed.com/slateroof1.jpg and www.johntreed.com/slateroof2.jpg Thanks again for any help. John T. Reed | ||
| Walter Musson |
A very poor install-cuts made from front side so chamfer is on back,laid loosely with narrow fillers. Have them procure wider slates and redo the areas that are not correct-or get someone who will do it the way you want and backcharge the first contractor. | ||
| John T Reed |
Thank you, Mr. Musson. What does your phrase, "Cuts made from front side so chamfer is on back" mean? John T. Reed | ||
| Walter Musson |
Normally when you cut slate you mark and cut from the backside so that the front has a rippled or champhered edge-similar to the look from the quarry. Your slaters cut from the front leaving a straight edge showing-not the prefered look.They're pieces don't fit tight to each other leaving the small pieces to be more apt to be blown around since only one nail is holding each one.If they fit tight to each other side pressure helps keep them positioned. Those small pieces shouldn't even be there,their layout was faulty.With some slates of wider size you can redo the rakes and have an acceptable job which will be more aesthetically correct. | ||
| Steve T |
John, What kind of slate is it and where did it come from??? | ||
| john T Reed |
The slate is Emerald Green from China. It was supplied by Echeguren Slate, Inc. of San Francisco. It came in crates apparently from China, that is, it does not appear to have been recycled. It was supposed to be two different widths and the upper roof appears to be two widths, but except for the edges, the lower garage and porch roof appears to be all one width: about 9 7/8". John T. Reed | ||
| Walter Musson |
If you have any wider ones left over from the job then you can rectify this problem. If not how far away is the supplier?They should be able to provide some more for you if you were the purchaser. Has the owner of the company seen the workmanship put out under his name?You would think he would want to make it right by you-not leave you dissatisfied. | ||
| John T. Reed |
I live about 30 miles from the slate company. The contractor ordered the slate. Although we visited the slate company before we awarded the contract. Our last email to the company requested that an executive come to our house to see the various problems which also include broken slates whose visible surfaces were "glued" back together with some whitish caulk that stands out like a sore thumb, a broken slate that was just slipped under (no nails) the one above on the edge where I easily pulled it out because it looked suspicious, and courses that stop several inches from the vertical wall the roof attaches to. The copper flashing reaches under those non-abutting shingles, but I wonder if it reaches far enough under. John T. Reed | ||
| Walter Musson |
Doesn't sound as though you received the quality of install that you assumed you were paying for. I hope you can get someone in the company you hired to make it right by you. All of the issues you've pointed out are ones you should expect to have corrected at their expense. |
