The Hundred Year Roof

Good news!  The roof didn't collapse under the weight of 20,000 pounds (9072 kg) of slate!  

Of course we still have to see what happens when the first snow falls!

If everything holds up, this roof should last at least 100 years.  I have personally seen slate roofs in England, and Italy that have been in operation for even longer than that.

The slate is from China, and is nominally 10 mm thick, thicker than typical American slate that you see sometime in the Eastern U.S. The color is called Forest Green.  We used copper flashing and copper nails, at the urging of the roofer, since it holds up the longest and resists corrosion better that other materials.

There are actually four roof sections, the main roof and smaller roof sections over the dining room pop-out, the front porch, and the balcony.  Here are some pictures:

Ronnie Sensiba holding a roof slate in the left hand and a floor slate in the right hand.

The front porch roof.

Note copper in the valleys where the main roof and dormers come together.

Front door with porch.

Roof over dining room pop-out

Shining in the rain

You may be thinking it's crazy to spend that much money on a roof; however, if you consider the cost over the entire life-span of the roof, slate is actually more economical in the long run.   

I hope that's true.  I'll be very disappointed if this roof doesn't last 100 years!