Americus Roof & Leak
Leak repair

Slate roof repair

Slate lasts a century or more, and what fails first is almost always the fixings rather than the slate itself — nail sickness, where the fixings corrode and slates begin to slip, is the classic failure. Repair is specialised work: slates are refixed with hooks or tingles rather than simply nailed back, and walking the roof incorrectly breaks more than the original fault. Replacement is enormously expensive, so repair is nearly always the right call on a sound slate roof.

Call (229) 592-0097

What the job involves

  • Refixing of slipped slates using hooks or copper tingles
  • Replacement of broken slates with matched salvaged stock
  • Assessment of fixing condition across the roof
  • Check of lead work at valleys, hips and abutments
  • Access arrangements that avoid loading the slate directly

Signs you need it

  • Slates slipped out of position or missing
  • Slate fragments in gutters or on the ground
  • Several slips in a short period, suggesting nail failure

Where we cover

Each area has its own page for slate roof repair.

Questions

What is nail sickness?

Corrosion of the original fixings, so slates lose their hold and begin slipping one after another even though the slate itself is sound. A few slips in quick succession is the sign, and it means the roof needs assessing as a whole rather than slate by slate.

Is slate worth repairing rather than replacing?

Almost always. The material has decades of life left and replacement is extremely expensive. The constraint is finding someone who works on slate properly — bad access does more damage than the original fault.

Related work

Describe what you are seeing

South Georgia roofs take long-duration wind from tropical systems and then sit in heat and humidity the rest of the year. Water that gets in does not dry out on its own.

Call (229) 592-0097
Call (229) 592-0097