Why lightweight composite slate is good for your roof

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Many people love the appearance of natural slate on a roof. But did you ever consider that real slate tiles is very heavy — and can be bad for the structural framework of a home?

One piece of natural slate roofing tile can weigh upwards of five pounds. Added together on a roof, that means a great deal of weight on the top of a house. The same sized piece of composite slate will weigh about 1.5 pounds. Multiply those numbers by the coverage of a roof, and it’s easy to see that durable composite roofing tiles have a “weighty” advantage over their heavier counterparts. In this article from the experts at DaVinci Roofscapes, learn more about your composite options.

“From a structural perspective, a real slate roof requires at least threefold more reinforcements as opposed to a lower weight composite slate roof system,” says Amy Hendel, principal of Hendel Homes in Minnesota. “To handle all that weight there must be an increase in the dead load of the roof (and the beams/headers supporting the roof) plus the framing components to what’s necessary for a specified natural slate selection. Then there’s also the increase in the roof sheathing thickness.”

Lightweight and easy to work

One custom builder in Massachusetts who has just completed a Tudor style home with a composite slate roof faced the decision or working with real slate or the alternative synthetic slate. Nick Schiffer chose a composite slate from DaVinci Roofscapes. It gave his team the flexibility to attain the distinctive finish they wanted on the home.

“The composite product was lightweight to work with in the many different areas of this roof,” says Schiffer. “This allowed us to create the custom look we wanted on the home design. We were able to achieve the aesthetics to complement the home design while also adding a very durable roof. This experience has greatly influenced the way we’ll bring composite roofing into other home projects in the future.”

Switching to synthetics

In Illinois, designer Amy Storm agrees. Now in the process of creating her family’s home in the “Shelter for the Storms” series, she chose a DaVinci composite roof with the look and feel of a natural slate roof. “Because of the weight and the extra structural elements required, natural slate simply would not work for our home design,” says Storm. “DaVinci was a smart choice. It’s lightweight, yet extremely durable. I’m confident it will stand up to the weather and look great for decades to come. And best of all, people have a hard time telling the difference between natural slate and our beautiful composite roof.”

In addition to the synthetic slate roof’s aesthetic appeal, Storm relates that practical matters also influenced their decision. “My husband Josh is excited about the durability,” says Storm. “And that we won’t have to worry about storm and insect damage, like we have had to with a lesser roof, as in the past.”

The Class A fire and Class 4 impact resistant roofing from DaVinci selected by the Storms resists algae and mold growth, along with cracking and rotting. Made of virgin resins, UV and thermal stabilizers as well as a highly-specialized fire retardant, the synthetic slate tiles are backed by a Lifetime Limited Material Warranty.

Learn more about DaVinci Roofscapes here.