How To Start Laying A Slate Roof

The reason the starter course is laid face down is because the drip edge of the starter slate then merges flush with the drip edge of the first course of slate see photo below.

How to start laying a slate roof.

Roof pitch the angle of a roof not only determines what slates to use but the amount of overlap that the slate roof needs to remain waterproof. Working on a roof involves working at height even on a bungalow so always use scaffolding or other stable platform never use just ladders. All other slates on the roof are installed with the face up in order to expose the beveled edges of the slate the face of the slate is the side that shows the beveled edge the back doesn t. Read about how to install starter courses take a look at common contractor errors watch some video clips read about drip edges and cant strips if necessary look at some of the nuances that may be pertinent to your installation such as cleats on aprons cleats on.

Secure the underlayment with nails that are at least 2 inches from the edge of the roof. You need to ensure that you take the necessary precaution in order to protect the materials when laying slates on a new roof or replacing a slate on an old roof. Start from the bottom of the roof and work your way up staggering the joints between courses by a minimum of 1 inches. Starting a slate roof the right way is the key to installing a good looking and long lasting slate roof and there are a number of steps that you should follow.

All roof coverings should be treated with care. Roofing with slates. Install the underlayment for the new roof tile next working with 10 foot sections at a time. When you are working on a roof you must ensure that there is sufficient protection around the roof such as scaffolding.

Much like laying a course of bricks or building a foundation any errors that you make in begining will be magnified by the time you get to the end of the project. To install slate roof tiles correctly you ll need to stagger each course so the proper headlap which should be at least 3 inches for moisture protection is established. 3 before you start do your homework. Slating terms and phrases if you are not a seasoned roofer some of the terms used for slates batten spacing or overlapping of the slates can add to the confusion.

Positioning the battens laying the slates cutting fixing verges ridges illustration. To begin remove the old roof tile.