I have an old house. It has a slate roof. The roof is about 75 years old.
I have decided to replace the old roof.

A roofer with good references has given me a price of $10,000 to replace the
old roof with an asphalt shingle roof. Now for the question:

Under the slate roof is boards. The boards are tight, as in they are
butted against each other. The roofer wants to put plywood over the boards
before applying the new roof. Is this necessary? At the price of plywood,
this is very expensive.

In other thoughts about taking off the old and putting on the new, please
post.

Thanks, Thomas

Depends a lot on the condition of the boards. Even though they may look and
feel really solid, the effects of being in contact with hot slate (the sun
can realy haet the shingles up) for 75 years hasprobably really dried out
the wood. this can make nailing into it fairly difficult - the wood will
splinter, crack, and break, especially when you need to nail close to the
edge. Of course, if there's rot anywhere, at least some of the boards may
need replacement.
By adding a plywood layer, the nailing problem goes away, and the number of
seams to worry about also goes down a lot.

I'd get estimates from at least 3 reputable roofers. I don't know how big or
complex your roof is, but 10K doesn't sound too unreasonable (at least for
New England), especially because your going to need to remove (and dispose
of) the old slate. Disposal is usually done by weight, and that slate is
heavy -especially if there is more than 1 layer (there may be as many as 3).

Something that may be worth looking into would be to see if a local
renovation/restoration/salvage company would be interested in trying to
salvage some of the slate. If they are, they may actaully pay you for it, or
may at least remove it and haul it away for free, leaving the roof ready for
the roofer to put a new layer of shingles.....

Another thing to keep in mind is that roof estimating is an art. Unless
your roof is in really bad shape, its impossible to give a solid estimate. A
roof that looks OK can end up needing a complete replacement of the sub
roof, and may even need some of the rafters replaced. Any roofing contractor
that doesn't explain this to you should be avoided.....

good luck
--JD





"TomCAt" wrote in message
...
I have an old house. It has a slate roof. The roof is about 75 years
old.
I have decided to replace the old roof.

A roofer with good references has given me a price of $10,000 to replace
the
old roof with an asphalt shingle roof. Now for the question:

Under the slate roof is boards. The boards are tight, as in they are
butted against each other. The roofer wants to put plywood over the
boards
before applying the new roof. Is this necessary? At the price of
plywood,
this is very expensive.

In other thoughts about taking off the old and putting on the new, please
post.

Thanks, Thomas

Depends on how bad the slate roof is right now. $10k can go a long way
to just fixing the existing slate roof, and you still have a slate roof
that will probably last another 75 years, as opposed to an asphalt
shingle roof that will ned to be replaced in another 25 years.

IMO, it should be a crime to tear off a slate roof. I would say try
harder to look into fixing the existing slates. Repairing slate roofs
is becoming a dying art because everybody just wants to rip off the old
slate and put on asphalt shingles that you can get at Home Depot, every
roofer knows how to do that.

Of course if the roof is too far gone, like a tree fell on it and took
out half the roof, then that is another story. But many slate roofs
are very repairable by a slate roof expert.

Ken

As Kin said, if you have not, you should consider keeping that slate
roof. It lasted 75 years. While different slate and weather conditions can
make a difference, that is about average for a slate roof. Put slate back
on and it will likely outlast you and maybe your children.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math
"TomCAt" wrote in message
...
I have an old house. It has a slate roof. The roof is about 75 years old.
I have decided to replace the old roof.

A roofer with good references has given me a price of $10,000 to replace
the old roof with an asphalt shingle roof. Now for the question:

Under the slate roof is boards. The boards are tight, as in they are
butted against each other. The roofer wants to put plywood over the
boards before applying the new roof. Is this necessary? At the price of
plywood, this is very expensive.

In other thoughts about taking off the old and putting on the new, please
post.

Thanks, Thomas

I have an old house. It has a slate roof.
I have decided to replace the old roof.

Why? Slate roofs are known to last for centuries. It doesnt make sense to
replace something of this quality with something that will have to be done over
every 15 years or so. With slate, the roof construction is quite robust, and if
in fact you did have deteriorating soft (Pennsylvania) slate it could be
replaced with Vermont slate, or a type of tile that would last far longer than
asphalt shingles. HTH

Joe

If I keep the slate roof, should I re-do the hips, valleys, etc?

Also, along the edge of the roof, would it be a good idea to take back a few
rows and apply ice and water shield?

It isn't that I am against the slate roof, it is cost. If I am going to
spend a huge amount to keep and old roof or spend the same and get a new
roof ...

Another question: When you take off an old roof, is it necessary to cover
the old roof with plywood before applying the new roof?

I just called Home Depot and the guy there said he didnt' think it was
necessary.

What is your opinion.

Thanks, Thomas



"Joe Bobst" wrote in message
...
I have an old house. It has a slate roof.
I have decided to replace the old roof.

Why? Slate roofs are known to last for centuries. It doesnt make sense to
replace something of this quality with something that will have to be done
over
every 15 years or so. With slate, the roof construction is quite robust,
and if
in fact you did have deteriorating soft (Pennsylvania) slate it could be
replaced with Vermont slate, or a type of tile that would last far longer
than
asphalt shingles. HTH

Joe

"TomCAt" wrote:

If I keep the slate roof, should I re-do the hips, valleys, etc?

I just called Home Depot and the guy there said he didnt' think it was
necessary.

What is your opinion.

Call a real roofer that is familiar with slate roofs, and listen to his
opinion. Every body else is just guessing, find someone in the business,
they depend on successful jobs for future referrals and business.

"TomCAt" wrote:

If I keep the slate roof, should I re-do the hips, valleys, etc?

I just called Home Depot and the guy there said he didnt' think it was
necessary.

What is your opinion.

And John wrote:Call a real roofer that is familiar with slate roofs, and
listen to his
opinion. Every body else is just guessing, find someone in the business,
they depend on successful jobs for future referrals and business.

AND, if you do decide to tear off, don't just toss it down, or throw it away,
or let anyone "take it off your hands". They have value. As an old roofer
myself, if the boards are in good shape, I'd forgo the plywood. Tom
Work at your leisure!

Just a follow-up. I had a contractor here this am. He said I didn't need
plywood to cover the old sheathing. As for the slate, well .. who knows.
We, the contractor and me, are going to discuss fixes, repairs, costs, and
also the cost of a new roof.

If you have any other thoughts, send them along.

Thanks, Thomas






"Tom" wrote in message
...
"TomCAt" wrote:

If I keep the slate roof, should I re-do the hips, valleys, etc?

I just called Home Depot and the guy there said he didnt' think it was
necessary.

What is your opinion.

And John wrote:Call a real roofer that is familiar with slate roofs, and
listen to his
opinion. Every body else is just guessing, find someone in the business,
they depend on successful jobs for future referrals and business.

AND, if you do decide to tear off, don't just toss it down, or throw it
away,
or let anyone "take it off your hands". They have value. As an old roofer
myself, if the boards are in good shape, I'd forgo the plywood. Tom
Work at your leisure!