“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to
do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
-
Red Adair
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Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Why is slate able to be recycled?
Take a look at this excerpt from Gordon Bock's article, "From Prosaic to Precious" in Period Homes magazine.
Slate Roofing Another recycled building material at home on period houses — and in the same league as tile — is slate. Whether new or used, the life expectancy of roofing slate is determined by the source from which it was quarried. According to Jack Jenkins at the Durable Slate Co., based in Rockville, MD, "Most of the slate we see is from the slate belts in Vermont and New York State, which last about 125 years." He explains that slates from Buckingham, VA, have a life of around 175 years, and Pennsylvania HardVein and Peach Bottom slates (which are no longer quarried) stand up for 100 and 200 years respectively.
"When we reclaim slate from a building, we research the slate type, as well as when it was quarried and installed," he says, "so we have a good idea of the kind of life that can be expected from a new installation." As an example, he says they usually do not even reclaim Pennsylvania blue-black SoftVein slate because its life of 60 years or more is comparatively short. "In fact, some of the high-end slates are hard to find because, having such extraordinary lifespans and durability, they do not come onto the recycled market."
According to Jenkins, the majority of the recycled slate market is for additions to existing slate roofs and major repairs, especially when a match in appearance and longevity is desired. "Slate is a rock, a very long-lived rock," he says and, echoing tile, "what typically fails on a roof is not the rock but the underlayment." However, he says that they also regularly sell recycled slate for entire new roofs." What drives the choice of recycled slate over and above aesthetics? The opportunity to keep the roofing out of a landfill is a factor for some clients but the bigger appeal is usually the bottom line. Installation labor is the lion's share of the cost of any slate roof, old or new, but Jenkins notes that using recycled slate can contribute a significant savings on materials — as much as 30% over new slate.
For all of the above reasons, Jenkins says, "There is a pretty strong market for recycled slate," with his company keeping an inventory of some 800,000 to a million pieces in stock. Also, he says they are tapped into a national network that makes it possible to source pretty much any slate desired, from graduated slate to green, purple and mottled slates and the always hard-to-find red.
In another bit of roofing déjá-vu, Jenkins adds that the recycling process is actually an advantage. "Because recycled slate is being handled quite a bit during the course of recovery, sorting and shipping, you are getting a pretty solid material by the time it arrives at a new installation site." As with any building material, when ordering new slate you have to factor in some overage for waste. "It's the same for recycled slate," he adds, "but maybe only by a couple of percentage points more."
When it comes to installations, Jenkins says that in the hands of an experienced roofer, there are no significant differences between installing recycled slate versus new slate. "However, we have been encouraging people to consider the hook system rather than using nails." As he explains, hooks have been used for generations in Ireland and Wales. "Typically, under-nailing or over-nailing is one of the major sources of problems in slate roofs," he says, either causing breakage of under-slates or punch-through on over-slates, "and the hook system eliminates that possibility."
For more information about this article please visit:
http://www.period-homes.com/3-salvaged-NOVEMBER2013.html
Slate Roofing Another recycled building material at home on period houses — and in the same league as tile — is slate. Whether new or used, the life expectancy of roofing slate is determined by the source from which it was quarried. According to Jack Jenkins at the Durable Slate Co., based in Rockville, MD, "Most of the slate we see is from the slate belts in Vermont and New York State, which last about 125 years." He explains that slates from Buckingham, VA, have a life of around 175 years, and Pennsylvania HardVein and Peach Bottom slates (which are no longer quarried) stand up for 100 and 200 years respectively.
"When we reclaim slate from a building, we research the slate type, as well as when it was quarried and installed," he says, "so we have a good idea of the kind of life that can be expected from a new installation." As an example, he says they usually do not even reclaim Pennsylvania blue-black SoftVein slate because its life of 60 years or more is comparatively short. "In fact, some of the high-end slates are hard to find because, having such extraordinary lifespans and durability, they do not come onto the recycled market."
According to Jenkins, the majority of the recycled slate market is for additions to existing slate roofs and major repairs, especially when a match in appearance and longevity is desired. "Slate is a rock, a very long-lived rock," he says and, echoing tile, "what typically fails on a roof is not the rock but the underlayment." However, he says that they also regularly sell recycled slate for entire new roofs." What drives the choice of recycled slate over and above aesthetics? The opportunity to keep the roofing out of a landfill is a factor for some clients but the bigger appeal is usually the bottom line. Installation labor is the lion's share of the cost of any slate roof, old or new, but Jenkins notes that using recycled slate can contribute a significant savings on materials — as much as 30% over new slate.
For all of the above reasons, Jenkins says, "There is a pretty strong market for recycled slate," with his company keeping an inventory of some 800,000 to a million pieces in stock. Also, he says they are tapped into a national network that makes it possible to source pretty much any slate desired, from graduated slate to green, purple and mottled slates and the always hard-to-find red.
In another bit of roofing déjá-vu, Jenkins adds that the recycling process is actually an advantage. "Because recycled slate is being handled quite a bit during the course of recovery, sorting and shipping, you are getting a pretty solid material by the time it arrives at a new installation site." As with any building material, when ordering new slate you have to factor in some overage for waste. "It's the same for recycled slate," he adds, "but maybe only by a couple of percentage points more."
When it comes to installations, Jenkins says that in the hands of an experienced roofer, there are no significant differences between installing recycled slate versus new slate. "However, we have been encouraging people to consider the hook system rather than using nails." As he explains, hooks have been used for generations in Ireland and Wales. "Typically, under-nailing or over-nailing is one of the major sources of problems in slate roofs," he says, either causing breakage of under-slates or punch-through on over-slates, "and the hook system eliminates that possibility."
For more information about this article please visit:
http://www.period-homes.com/3-salvaged-NOVEMBER2013.html
Friday, December 6, 2013
Knowledge is Power!
Many slate roof owners have a lot of questions and concerns regarding their roofs. With this comes many misconceptions, but it's not your fault! Informing yourself is the best way to know what is true and is the only way to ensure your roof lasts as long as possible.
Check out the article below by William Kibbel III for some great info!
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For more on this and other information regarding your home please visit:
Friday, October 18, 2013
What makes a business successful?
There are many ways this question could be answered; hard work, a great vision, experience. The list could go on and on.
One answer that has resonated here at Durable Slate and has proven to hold true is taking the time to thoroughly train our employees. We believe that the more tools and opportunities we give our staff to succeed the better the chances are that they will.
Our apprenticeship program ranges anywhere from slate and tile work, flashings, gutters, brick work, stone work, pointing and plaster. Check out the link to our Facebook page below of Brydie Wines-Godsil working on her metal work training.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Durable-Restoration-Company/466161863427438#!/photo.php?fbid=384247911675523&set=a.310853332348315.59667.302625496504432&type=1&theater
Our employees taking the time to go thru this training has made many happy customers. Check out the link to our Facebook page of our most recent testimonial proving just that. Great job Bob Lynch and Jason Murphy!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Durable-Restoration-Company/466161863427438#!/photo.php?fbid=419405948159719&set=a.310853332348315.59667.302625496504432&type=1&theater
One answer that has resonated here at Durable Slate and has proven to hold true is taking the time to thoroughly train our employees. We believe that the more tools and opportunities we give our staff to succeed the better the chances are that they will.
Our apprenticeship program ranges anywhere from slate and tile work, flashings, gutters, brick work, stone work, pointing and plaster. Check out the link to our Facebook page below of Brydie Wines-Godsil working on her metal work training.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Durable-Restoration-Company/466161863427438#!/photo.php?fbid=384247911675523&set=a.310853332348315.59667.302625496504432&type=1&theater
Our employees taking the time to go thru this training has made many happy customers. Check out the link to our Facebook page of our most recent testimonial proving just that. Great job Bob Lynch and Jason Murphy!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Durable-Restoration-Company/466161863427438#!/photo.php?fbid=419405948159719&set=a.310853332348315.59667.302625496504432&type=1&theater
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| Shane Day leading the way in our training room! |
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
New Website
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| Trinity UMC in Upper Arlington, OH is seen on our homepage in "Featured Projects". |
Today marks the first official day of the launch of our new website. We made changes from the old site to help you navigate easier and become more aware of all of the great work we do all over the nation. We will be updating the site frequently to make sure that everyone of you are up-to-date on our latest projects and everything else that is going on within The Durable Slate Company.
Click the link below to check it out!
http://www.durableslate.com/
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Slate Repair
We specialize in repairs on slate and tile roofs. We have done many big jobs that involve repair, along with smaller repair jobs in all of our markets. Durable Slate works with the best materials possible; with the most knowledgeable and efficient craftsman.
One of those guys here at Durable Slate is Raymond Jeffries who is an expert in the field of slate and tile repair. Don't take my word for it, check out the picture below! This is Ray installing beautiful French tile onto a roof in St. Paris, Ohio.
One of those guys here at Durable Slate is Raymond Jeffries who is an expert in the field of slate and tile repair. Don't take my word for it, check out the picture below! This is Ray installing beautiful French tile onto a roof in St. Paris, Ohio.
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