# Plastic slate roofing



## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Does anyone here install the plastic roofing tiles that look like slate? I looked at a display a few weeks ago and it looked like slate from a distance. Just wondering if they hold up or if the heat distorts them.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

I've seen some rubber slates going on. You cannot tell the difference. The one's I saw had a 50 year warranty. Never saw plastic one's.


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

I should remove my mention of plastic, "fake slate" sounds better.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

There's an awful lot of real slate roof in my area. Real high-dollar stuff. I've heard numbers around 1,000 - 1,5000 dollars a square. Copper or lead flashing, normally. This is mostly on commercial buildings or high-end older Victorian type homes. The fake product is welcomed by folks of lesser means, even if it's not 100% identical. I can see it being less desirable outside of the northeast. Slate roofs are mostly a northeast phenomenon, so it would seem.


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## red_cedar (Mar 30, 2005)

Only time will tell how they hold up. Its not to my knowledge a proven product other then what the manufacturers say. 
I read the warranty on one a while back and it didnt realy seem all that great.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Real slate is one of the few 100-year roofs, is it not? How long do tile roofs normally last?


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

I am not sure how they have tested the product but if you can get over 50 years it might be worth while. The dark colors and the uv rays just don't get along that well.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

mdshunk said:


> I've seen some rubber slates going on. You cannot tell the difference. The one's I saw had a 50 year warranty. Never saw plastic one's.



There is a senior citizen women in my town whos husband passed away he was loaded finanically. She has a old victorian she keeps in presteen condition. Last year she had a beautiful rubber slate roof put on it with all the bells and whistles it is SHARP.:thumbsup:


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

I don't really know if these products are true rubber, such as EPDM roofing materials or not. I prefer to see a test of time before installing a new and improved product on a home where I take on any liability.

I used a new product back in 1993, called American Cemwood, which was a compressed fiberboard coated with a slurry coat of cement and textured to provide different appealing looks to the product.

It efforvescensed (sp), and it allowed moisture intrusion into the fiberboard core and swelled up and cracked, primarily upon the 1st winter season. At firsst, the HO only had qualms regarding the discoloration issues, but then it turned into a lawsuit for the liability of the product installed. ( He is the one who specified it from seeing it at a home show too. But, he was an attorney. Enough said about that. )

It cost me $ 18,000.00 out of my pocket to reimburse him for the partial cost of a new roof, plus about $ 8,000.00 in my own legal fees.

I will not be anyone elses guinee pig ever again.

Potential problems I see are; Embrittlement, cracking, and significant bowing or curling. What about the significant expansion and contraction rate on EPDM and how that will relate to fastener integrity down the line. (Anyone who has had to let a sheet of EPDM relax prior to installation knoes what I mean and also how either wrinkled or snare drum tight the sheet is depending on the exterior temperatures.)

Let me know how they are surviving 10 years from now and I will possibly consider the option.

Ed

Ed


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Ed, do you feel comfortable with these "accelerated testing " results that some of the manufactures rave about? They take a product a in a week/month/year test how it will survive in 10/50/100 years.


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## Ed the Roofer (Dec 12, 2006)

The "accelerated testing" chamber for the one single ply membrane roof system I took a tour of, Duro-Last, was basically an intense heat lamp inside of a micro wave oven cabinet. I'm sure there was much more to it than that, but that is not real life conditions with thermal schock and expansion and contraction occurring. 

Are the test results done from an independant, unbiased testing facility?

Or, are they either done "in house" or by a labratory on their payroll?

Real life longetivity is the only way to see the products long term life cycle. Even after a modicum of years, aging effects could be observed.

So basically, NO, I am not comfortable with unknown testing parameters providing manufacturer dictated results.

Ed


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## EcoWise inc. (Jul 25, 2006)

*Synthetic Slate*

We use some of these products & customers love them so far.

Authentic 2000 is the oldest brand, I think, it's a Canadian company. They have some roofs over 20 years old now. They offer 50 yr warranties.

EcoStar has one too, also with a 50 year warranty. They have a big name owner so the warranty shouldn't be an issue, but they are pricey.

A new one is RPM, they are new to the market, don't have a very good warranty, but they are about 1/2 the price of the others.

Authentic 2000 & EcoStar both offer upscale shapes, like mitered & beaver-tail, they look very impressive in a nice design.

Our oldest installation is only about 5 years old now, but it still looks great.

Dan Merrill
EcoWise inc.


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## dougchips (Apr 23, 2006)

Eco, could you either start a new thread in the green area of the site or PM me some details. My 1/3/5/10 year plan is to promote green products and I view this product as one. 

I visited a booth at a show last week that was promoting green building and inviting them to this site. Green is a foreign word in the mind of my clients.


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## tinner666 (Nov 3, 2004)

MD--Slate should last hundreds of years. Not 100. But, around here I often see 'roofers' putting them on with temporary nails. I assume they're planning on coming back in a few weeks to put real nails in after removing the temporary nails.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

mdshunk said:


> How long do tile roofs normally last?


Tile (really concrete) should last 50 years. Good luck with that. After 20 years it can start deteriorating. Leaves really ugly color streaks. 

Lots of tile out here (Albuquerque) and I think it's ugly. People seem to like it because it's "Southwestern". It's not, it's Mediteranian. Seems to bulky, making the house look top heavy. My opinion anyway.

Regarding th life of other roofs, exposure is everything. We have high UV here (we're a mile above sea level) and that can be hell on all oil products. The intense sun and heat can be hell on concrete products. You'll see a north face or east face that looks fine and a south or west face that looks as though it should have been replaced 10 years ago.


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## EcoWise inc. (Jul 25, 2006)

*Slate*



tinner666 said:


> MD--Slate should last hundreds of years. Not 100. But, around here I often see 'roofers' putting them on with temporary nails. I assume they're planning on coming back in a few weeks to put real nails in after removing the temporary nails.


Sorry to disagree, but this is a common misconception. The type of slate & where it is mined from determines the usable life of the slate. Some slate gets soft & aged beyond use in as little as 40-50 years, some ages so long, that we do not really know how long it will last. Some really old installations are several centuries old & still going strong.
Joseph Jenkins wrote a book called the Slate Roof Bible that documents all the issues with slate, the "issues" are almost always faulty installations like you said. His book is available on Amazon, he also has a website & periodical on historical roofing.

We are in the process of tearing off a state roof, correcting mistakes & reinstalling it. The roof is only a couple months old.... The installer left out roughly 90% of the necessary flashings (??). But he did use Copper nails at least.... 

Dan Merrill
EcoWise inc.


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## BDA4Life (Jul 26, 2006)

I think this roof was same rubber slate looking tiles that's on this Tea House i stained a while back.What suprised me that they weren't hot in the summer sun.


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## red_cedar (Mar 30, 2005)

Changed my mind on my post.
Thanks.


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## RooferJim (Mar 6, 2006)

the warranties mean nothing when these companies change names. that said we did install our first "fake slate" roof recentley. Davinci was the product, It look good, and went on fast.

RooferJim
www.jbennetteroofing.com


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## kylemfk (Nov 1, 2006)

My company now puts out Inspire roofing by Tapco. I am very confident in the product and it has gone up with great results. However, the company's service and "lead times" leave much to be desired.


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## Fordmanroofer (Apr 12, 2007)

I have used the rubber slate or fake slate and it turns out great. U have to mix the bundels together when your laying down on the roof. it has like a 50yr warranty. i recomend it. its easier than the real slate cause you don't have to worry about it cracking or breacking when you walk on it.


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