Sources of Roofing Slate, Slate Alternatives, Slate Tools, Slate Suppliers
Do manufactured / synthetic slates contain asbestos?

POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about buying roofing slate & slate roofing tools

Where to buy roofing slate or slate roofing tools:

This article describes slate sources and where to buy slate roofing materials and slate roofing tools and products.

This is a detailed article describing procedures for evaluating the condition of slate roofing. How to inspect, identify defects, and estimate remaining life of slate roofs are addressed. The article also references slate repair procedures, repair slate sources, and slate quarries.

We discuss: Slate hammers, slate hooks and other special slate roofing tools are sold by several specialized distributors listed here. Slates of varying grades, colors, and applications as roofing slate or slates for steep or vertical slopes such as steeples, mansard roofs, walls, are available from a number of quarries and distributors listed here.

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Slate Roof Replacement & Repair Sources

If less than 25% of the slates on a roof are damaged or sliding down from worn out nails, slate repairs are in order. Luckily replacement slates are available from a variety of slate quarries, slate suppliers, and slate roofing companies.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Slate "look alike" products are also available using cementious materials. If the building owner cannot afford to repair a slate roof where most slates are intact, then

SLATE ROOF TEMPORARY REPAIRS should be followed, such as simply sliding metal flashing up under broken or missing slates on the roof.

We purchased this slate removing tool (also useful for removing other types of roof shingles where careful work is needed) at Davies Hardware, on Main Street in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Slate roof tool manufacturer comments:

(Feb 13, 2013) Tom Stortz said:

The ripper shown here is a lower cost, welded construction slate ripper. If it's too thick, it will break more slates than it will fix. Try a Stortz ripper for the best slate tools on the market.
www.stortz.com/catalog.asp?prodid=681091

Roofing & Slating Tool Suppliers

John Stortz & Son Inc, 210 Vine St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. Website: www.stortz.com, Tel: 888-847-3456 or 215-627-3855. Stortz has been producing and selling hand tools since 1953. The company's slate roofing tools include slate cutters, hammers,slate rippers (similar to our blue ripper shown above), slaters stakes, slate hooks, a power slate cutter, and other tools.
See also our article on SLATE ROOF REPAIRS

Roofing Slate Suppliers

Canadian Slate Roofing Suppliers

Canadian roofing slate sold in Canada & in the U.S. by North Country Slate, 880 Milner Avenue Unit B Toronto, Ontario Canada M1B 5N7 Email: info@ncslate.com Tel: 1-800-975-2835
Canadian roofing slate sold in Canada by Edco Products (quarry source not stated), EDCO Corporate Headquarters Administrative, IT and engineering questions. 8700 Excelsior Blvd. Hopkins, MN 55353 Phone: 952.938.6313 Toll Free: 800.333.2580 Email: sales@edcoproducts.com
Grist Slate and Tile Roofing, Inc., 141 Kamloops Ave, Victoria, BC, V8Z 1W4 Canada; Ph: 250-727-3611; Fax: 250-727-3612; Contact Person: Korby Grist; Email
North Country Slate, 880 Milner Ave, Unit B, Toronto, ON M1B 5N7; Contact: David Large; Ph 800-975-2835; Cell 416-587-6070; Fax: 416-724-2807; Email: info@ncslate.com.
Cullen, Mary, SLATE ROOFING in CANADA [PDF] (1990) Environment Canada, Parks Service, retrieved 2018/08/27, original source: http://parkscanadahistory.com/series/saah/slateroofing.pdf

U.K. Slate Roofing Suppliers

Image: Glendyen Welsh slate, cited just below.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Cembrit Slates, Cembrit Ltd. Units 54-60 Milford Commercial Estate, Milford Road Reading, Berkshire. RG1 8LJ UK, other depots in South Wales and West Yorkshire. Tel: 0203 372 2300 Glendyne slate
Excerpt:

Glendyne slate is approved for use in the Snowdonia National Park, home of the Welsh slate industry. It is often used for projects where there are planning restrictions requiring top quality, regular blue-grey slates.

Free from oxidising metallic inclusions, clays, carbonates or weaker seams the natural strength of Glendyne is enhanced by selection techniques that choose the best quality rock to produce finest most durable roofing slates which is why Glendyne slates are now guaranteed for 75 years.

Glendyne is used around the world on prestigious buildings and monuments. Produced from deposits laid down in the Ordovician era some 500 million years ago, this quarry was first opened by British slate quarrymen in the early part of the 20th century.

% Roofs with Glendyne slate can still be seen today around the area of the quarries, some 90 years later. Natural slates are a high quality natural roofing material used for centuries.
John Williams and Company, Stone St, Lympne, Hythe CT21 4LD UK Tel: 01303 265198 Website: http://www.johnwilliamsroofing.co.uk/ provides a "Slate Manual" found at http://www.johnwilliamsroofing.co.uk/
Excerpt:

Today, roofing slate is imported from various countries around the World, noticeably China, Spain and Canada as the economics of slate production in the UK has meant that ‘local’ slate from Wales or Cumbria is now far more expensive than an imported alternative.

Imported slate is often a much cheaper solution but the quality of the slate itself can be inconsistent. We still regard Welsh slate as the pinnacle of the industry.
U.K. Slate Association: SSQ UK LTD, 301 Elveden Road, London, Park Royal NW10 7SS, UK; Cell contact number: (011 44) 7739-237-045; Ph: (011 44) 20 8961 7725; Email: murad@ssq.co.uk

Image: Welsh Slate, cited just below

WELSH SLATE [PDF] Welsh Slate Penrhyn Quarry Bethesda Bangor Gwynedd LL57 4YG United Kingdom (UK) Email: enquiries@welshslate.com Tel: +44 (0) 1248 600 656 Website: http://www.welshslate.com - retrieved 2018/08/27, original source: http://www.welshslate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/roofing_brochure_Jan13.pdf

Excerpts: Welsh Slate Ltd own and operate the famous Penrhyn and Cwt-y-Bugail quarries in North Wales. The quality of Welsh slate roofing is such that even after 100 years of use at least 50% of Welsh slate is typically re-used.

There are buildings around the world which have Welsh slate roofing tiles which are several hundred years old.

There is no other roofing material which has demonstrated this extraordinary durability.

The result of this longevity is that Welsh slate is a very cost effective roofing material as it is less costly to maintain and has a lower frequency of re-roofing.

In addition a second hand Welsh slate has a typical value of 60% of a new slate.
MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & RESToRATION of SLATE ROOFS in the UK [PDF] City of Bradford, Britannia House, Hall Ings, Bradford BD1 1HX UK, retrieved 2018/08/27, original source: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/media/2254/slateroofs.pdf

Excerpt:
The three main types of roofing slate used in the district are Welsh (a blue/grey colour), Westmorland (green/grey), and Burlington (grey). Slate is still quarried in Britain and remains a commonly available roofing material.

U.S. Slate Roofing Suppliers

Buckingham Slate Co., 4110 Fitzhugh Ave., Richmond, VA 23230; 805/355-4351 (VA Buckingham Grey)
Canadian Slate Sources for U.S. customers - see Canadian slate above.
Evergreen Slate Co., 68 Potter Ave., Granville, NY 12832; 518/642-2530. Vermont slates in 10 colors.
GAF TruSlate, Website: www.truslate.com

TruSlate (at GAF) field slate is a natural slate material. Some roofers describe TruSlate as "true actual slate" but with low headlap - a possible roof durability and leak-resistance concern. SeeTruSlate® Install Instructions - English (RESTS112) (8/15) available at http://www.gaf.com/Residential_Roofing/Slate_Roofing/TruSlate_Genuine_Slate_Roofing/TruSlate_Installation_Instructions.pdf?CBViewer=none
Hilltop Slate Co., Middle Granville, NY 12849; 518/642-2270 (all VT colors plus imported Spanish Black)
Rising & Nelson Slate Co., West Pawlet, VT 05775; 802/645-0150 (all VT colors plus Buckingham Gray from VA and blacks from PA
Structural Slate Co., Pen Argyl, PA 18072; 215/863-4145 (PA black)
Vermont Structural Slate Co., PO Box 98 Fair Haven, VT 05743 802/265-4933 802/265-3865 FAX (Green, purple, unfading red, and Spanish imported black.)

Slate Roof Sources for Argentina, China, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Spain Sweden

Slate sources in other countries: the SRCA named at SLATE ROOFING ASSOCIATIONS lists slate roof sources for Canada, the U.K., the U.S.A., as well as sources in Argentina, China, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden
Spain: Quarry Armadilla. Benuza (León) Spain.
New Zealand:

Macmillan Slaters & Tilers, PO Box 28-292 Remuera, Auckland 1541 New Zealand Website: http://macmillanslaters.co.nz/
Excerpt:
... clay and slate roof tiles from Europe, England & America. Home to the largest range of new and recycled roof tiles with accessories, both Imported along with NZ made tiles,

Natural Roofing Products Ltd., 1513 East Coast Rd Albany Auckland 0794 - New Zealand Tel: +64 9 473 2908 Website: https://naturalroofingproducts.co.nz/ Email: np1513@gmail.com

Providing Spanish slate: 501mm x 252mm, smooth surface split to an average thickness of 5 mm. from the Quarry Armadilla. Benuza (León) Spain. Operating since 1968.

Slate Roofing Associations are additional sources of slate products & slate roofing contractors

U.K. Slate Association: SSQ UK LTD, 301 Elveden Road, London, Park Royal NW10 7SS, UK; Cell contact number: (011 44) 7739-237-045; Ph: (011 44) 20 8961 7725; Email: murad@ssq.co.uk
US Slate Associations
- National Slate Association, [USA] P.O. Box 172 Poultney, VT 05764 Email: mail@slateassociation.org, Tel: (866) 256-2111 Website: http://slateassociation.org - Industry association.
- Slate Roofing Contractos Association [USA], SRCA, 143 Forest Lane, Grove City, PA 16127 USA: Ph: 814-786-7015; Fax: 814-786-8209

Natural Slate Substitutes & Alternatives: man made or synthetic slate sources

Image: excerpted from a Dura Slate product brouchure (cited below) illustrates a polymer roofing slate that has a layered-look at the edge of this manfuactured product.

In addition to these slate sources there are several slate look-alike substitutes. While the application techniques, flashing and nailing concerns are similar, the wear characteristics of these materials may be quite different and were not evaluated for this paper. This paper is not an endorsement, nor a critique of any of these materials.

Atlas International Building Products, 5600 Hochelaga St., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1N 1W1. Reinforced-cement shingles which "look like slate but are lighter and one-third the cost" are available from [$180/square loose or $400./sq. installed, 30-year guarantee.]
Authentic Roof, 385 Dundas St. N Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5R1 Canada Tel: 1-519-621-4425 Website: http://www.authenticroof.com/

Slates provided in six colors: Bavarian black, Virginia dark gray, Galveston light grey, COlorado Green, Plumb/Bangor, and Walnut Brown.

Excerpts:
Still today, nearly 30 years since its inception the Authentic Roof product leads the industry it pioneered. Its unrivaled quality and superior durability make it the most sound roofing choice on the planet. With color and style, the old world charm of real slate continues to best be embodied through arguably the world’s most superior roofing material: the “Original” Authentic Roof Synthetic Slates.

General Authentic Roof ™ slates are made of a proprietary thermo-polymer olefin compound, developed by A2Z for the exclusive use in synthetic roofing slates. The weight per square will be determined by the exposure used; the slate dimensions are 12” (30.5 cm) wide, 18” (45.75 cm) long and weigh 1.65 lbs. (750 g) each.

Brava Roof Tile, 1100 E 7th St. Washington IA 52353 USA, Tel: 877-785-6316, Website: www.bravarooftile.com composite slate roofing products - Brava Roof Tile products are available throughout the United States of America & Canada
BritSlate North America, Inc., 647 West Boylston St., Worcester, MA 01606 508/852-4888 508/852-7224 FAX 2/90.

BritSlate^TMare made from 100% quarried slate particles combined with an adhesive (epoxy?) and no fillers with no questionable side effects according to the manufacturer.

According to the manufacturer, they can be cut, drilled, etc. and come with a 50-year guarantee. They're less prone to breakage than slate, fireproof, and do not absorb water (like natural slate), and do not encourage organic growth (moss and lichens) because they are not porous.

Cembrit Slates, Cembrit Ltd. Units 54-60 Milford Commercial Estate, Milford Road Reading, Berkshire. RG1 8LJ UK, other depots in South Wales and West Yorkshire. Tel: 0203 372 2300 Cembrit fibre cement slates
DaVinci Composite Slate, DaVinci Roofscapes, LLC 13890 W. 101st Street, Lenexa, KS 66215 USA 800-328-4624
DuraSlate™ ROOFING SYSTEMS [PDF], Royal Building Products, Website: www.royalbuildingproducts.com using a proprietary "... Roytech Polymer Compound and Dura Technology™ process.

Notice that the DuraSlate brochure includes a photo in which the edge of the polymer DuraSlate looks layered like natural slate.
Eternit, Inc., rigid fiber reinforced cement roofing slates (and board products. Village Center Drive, Reading, PA 19607 800/233-3155
Iko Slate, IKO PLC (Head Office) Appley Lane North Appley Bridge Wigan WN6 9AB UK Tel: 01257 255 771 Email: info@ikogroup.co.uk Website: https://www.ikogroup.co.uk/product/ikoslate/

IKO SLATE PRODUCT BROCHURE [PDF] op. cit.
MarleyEternit ME, Lichfield Road, Branston, Burtonupon T4rent DE`14 3HD, UK, Fiber cvement roofing, cladding, Tel: 01283 722588 Email: info@marleyeternitco.ykj Website: https://www.marleyeternit.co.uk/Roofing/Slates.aspx

The company describes their product as fibre cement slate.The brochures below give some information including indicating that the slate has a acrylic coating and a wax coating on the slate underside (2018/08/27)

MARLEY ETERNIT FIBRE CEMENT SLATES BROCHURE [PDF] (2014) retrieved 2018/08/27, original source https://www.marleyeternit.co.uk/~/media/Files/Product-Files/Roofing/Brochure-Request/Fibre-Cement-Slates.pdf

Excerpts: Fibre cement slates are manufactured in accordance with a quality management system registered by BSI to BS EN ISO 9001 ‘Quality Management Systems requirements’ for products manufactured to BS EN 492 ‘Fibre cement slates and fittings – Product specification and test methods’. Fibre cement slates are also designed to meet the relevant performance requirements of BS 5534 ‘Code of practice for slating and tiling (including shingles)’.

MARLEY ETERNIT SLATE, FIBRE CEMENT ROOFING SPECIFICATION [PDF] retrieved 2018/08/27, original source https://www.marleyeternit.co.uk/~/media/Roofing-Specification/pdfs/Roofing-Specification-Guide---Slate.pdf

Excerpt giving the composition and manufacture of these fibre cement slates:

Fibre cement slates are manufactured from cement, water, selected cellulose and polymeric fibres, sheet formers and fillers which are all bonded together using the Hatschek rotational cylinder process.

Slates are cut from formed base sheets, pressed and cured and in a separate process, cured slates are sealed on the reverse, sprayed with an acrylic coating, cooled and stacked.
Supra-Slate "looks like slate and is manufactured in colors of real quarry slate." Tegusol is a double interlocking clay roof tile. Available from: Supradur Manufacturing Corporation, PO Box 908, Rye, NY 10580 800/223-1948 or 914/967-8230. or 122 East 42nd St., NY, NY 10168 212/697-1160
Lifetile® Boral Concrete Products, Inc., produces high density extruded concrete roofing tiles meeting Class "A" requirements. Dallas, TX 214/544-2227
Also see PLASTIC ROOFING TYPES
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Is There Asbestos in Manufactured / Synthetic Roofing Slate?

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Sources of Roofing Slate, Slate Alternatives, Slate Tools, Slate Suppliers
Do manufactured / synthetic slates contain asbestos?