Hardware used on slate roofs: slate spaces, slate repair hooks, snow guards.
Here are photos and notes about hardware commonly found on slate roofs, such as snow guards and snow hooks. We show traditional steel, galvanized, and modern copper snow guards installed on slate roofs in several style . Slate hooks and other special slating tools used to repair slate are discussed at slate repairs in our main article
This slate roofing photo library shows various kinds of roofing slate, slate roof colors, slate
roof patterns, and roofing slate defects. This photographic dictionary of roofing slates is a supplement
to our detailed article (links at the ARTICLE INDEX the bottom of this article ) describing procedures for evaluating the condition of slate roofing.
The main article reviews
types of slate, common defects, inspection topics, and some repair
tips.
InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
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Photographs of & Sources for Slate Roof Hardware, Snow Guards, Snow Hooks
Snow guards and a bit of their history are discussed in NPS "From Asbestos to Zinc" from which we quote:
Snow guards or snow brakes, as they are sometimes called, began appearing on slate and metal roofs of New England in the late 1800s.
The tremendous quantities of snow and ice that accumulated on these roofs made the wood or metal diverter, typically attached above the front entry, an ineffective tool in preventing the snow from sliding down the roof.
With snow guards in place, the snow would eventually blow away or remain until it melted.
Not only was the risk of damage to objects and persons below avoided, but the banking of snow and ice at the eaves was prevented, thus eliminating the chances of backwater and consequent leaks, as well as a straining of the gutter structure.
Below we include our own photographs of snow brakes, snow guards, snow hooks, and other on-roof devices to control against snow damage and hazards, including snow guard examples and materials from the 1800's up to 2010.
Snow Guard Hooks, and heat tapes - suspect ice dam leaks or ice falling at building entry
Snow Hooks (shown above in wire style) use on a roof with generally good slates, note bleed out from a few slates with mineral inclusions
Above we show new copper snow guards being installed on a slate roof that was also being replaced/repaired on the Wimpfheimer Nursery building on the Vassar College Campus, Poughkeepsie, NY - March 2010.
This photo of snow brakes on a standing seam metal roof demonstrates that snow guards or snow hooks were widely used on metal roofs too, not just on slate roofs.
SLATE ROOF HARDWARE at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.
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Citations & References
In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
Mark Cramer Inspection Services Mark Cramer, Tampa Florida, Mr. Cramer is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors and is a Florida home inspector and home inspection educator. Mr. Cramer serves on the ASHI Home Inspection Standards. Contact Mark Cramer at: 727-595-4211 mark@BestTampaInspector.com
John Cranor [Website: /www.house-whisperer.com ] is an ASHI member and a home inspector (The House Whisperer) is located in Glen Allen, VA 23060. He is also a contributor to InspectApedia.com in several technical areas such as plumbing and appliances (dryer vents). Contact Mr. Cranor at 804-873-8534 or by Email: johncranor@verizon.net
"From Asbestos to Zinc, Gutters", Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, web search 9./29.10, original source: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/roofingexhibit/gutters.htm
Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
Slate Roofs , Steven Trapasso, presentation to NY Metro
ASHI, Inc. chapter seminar, November 1990.
The Old-House Journal , Special Roof Issue , April
1983, The Old-House Journal, PO Box 50214, Boulder, CO 80321-0214
National Slate Technology courses for architects, builders, etc.
Slate Roofing Contractors Association [Website: www.slateroofers.org ] of North America
Architectural elements: the technological revolution: Galvanized iron roof plates and corrugated sheets; cast iron facades, columns, door and window caps, ... (American historical catalog collection), Diana S Waite, available used out of Amazon.
Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724
ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1405161035
ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
Handbook of Building Crafts in Conservation, Jack Bower, Ed.,
Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY 1981 ISBN 0-442-2135-3 Library of
Congress Catalog Card Nr. 81-50643.
Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0471788368
ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
Historic Slate Roofs : With How-to Info and Specifications, Tina Skinner (Ed), Schiffer Publishing, 2008, ISBN-10: 0764330012
, ISBN-13: 978-0764330018
Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
Roofing The Right Way, Steven Bolt, McGraw-Hill Professional; 3rd Ed (1996), ISBN-10: 0070066507, ISBN-13: 978-0070066502
Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977
by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It
has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
Roof Tiling & Slating, a Practical Guide, Kevin Taylor, Crowood Press (2008), ISBN 978-1847970237, If you have never fixed a roof tile or slate before but have wondered how to go about repairing or replacing them, then this is the book for you. Many of the technical books about roof tiling and slating are rather vague and conveniently ignore some of the trickier problems and how they can be resolved. In Roof Tiling and Slating, the author rejects this cautious approach. Kevin Taylor uses both his extensive knowledge of the trade and his ability to explain the subject in easily understandable terms, to demonstrate how to carry out the work safely to a high standard, using tried and tested methods. This clay roof tile guide considers the various types of tiles, slates, and roofing materials on the market as well as their uses, how to estimate the required quantities, and where to buy them. It also discusses how to check and assess a roof and how to identify and rectify problems; describes how to efficiently "set out" roofs from small, simple jobs to larger and more complicated projects, thus making the work quicker, simpler, and neater; examines the correct and the incorrect ways of installing background materials such as underlay, battens, and valley liners; explains how to install interlocking tiles, plain tiles, and artificial and natural slates; covers both modern and traditional methods and skills, including cutting materials by hand without the assistance of power tools; and provides invaluable guidance on repairs and maintenance issues, and highlights common mistakes and how they can be avoided.
The author, Kevin Taylor, works for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors as a technical manager presenting technical advice and providing education and training for young roofers.
The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com,
143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.