[matthewcims]

Hello,

I'm here in the roofing section today to ask for your guys help/advice. I do 6-7 New residential roofs a year. Occasional am I ask for tear off/remodel. However Im up for the task, and think I can make this a very effective and cosmetically good looking roof.

Few information on job.. This job is close to a 12/12 roof slate tiles with 1x for roof decking. It looks as tho someone painted the slate tiles with some kind of grey, Tin roof sealer. I have came up with the numbers, and I know how to install everything on this roof.

My problem is Ive never removed slate tiles. How much longer/harder to do then regular asphalt shingled. I know its not going to be as fast, So i have upcharged for removal. As you see my info and picture below, Removing these slate be anything a normal crew of guys cant handle.? Also weight? what would be a good ratio to make sure I have enough dumbsters? (How many shingles weight=a slate tile weight?)

Not looking for a Price here just some suggestions.






If im over thinking this then please close thread. Thanks in advanced CT.

 

[PatChap]

Are they standard thickness slates(1/4"ish) or heavies? Standard slates here tend to be around 5-600lbs a sq, so 3-4x asphalt. They come off easy, little slower than shingles but no worse then twice as long. Bring lots of plywood for protecting windows/everything.
I hate tearing off slates, shame someone painted them might have been repairable.

 

[Tom M]

What are you planning a re sheathe?

The weight could easily be 10lbs a SF. I found they come off real fast, its a matter of cleaning up or controlling the fall because of the weight.

I worked for a commercial outfit that would purchase old slate roofs, we would sent a few guys to tear it off careffully and slide them down the roof to a guy on a Hi Lo where he would stack them.

I worked on residential where we set pump jacks up to slow down the tear off . Other times plywood protection against the house and let it rip.

 

[smalpierre]

They are HEAVY! So heavy that modern standard roof framing isn't up to the task for a traditional slate roof. Also usually it's skip decking underneath, not a full roof deck. You'll have to peel all that off and redeck.

Do you have a hook ladder? Might need one, or set up jack and boards with an extension ladder on it. Definitely fall protection time too. Jack and boards to slow down the falling debris AND plywood the windows.

Tear some off, slide it to the boards. When it builds up a bit, have a guy throw them off. Gloves - keep plenty on hand, the stuff is sharp when it fractures.

You're going to wear out the dumpster bill for sure.

 

[Mr Latone]

Nice looking house. It's a shame the slate was ruined with a coating.

The controlled method of removal is the safest. Even though it seems like it might be slow, it is very predictable and orderly. Clean up is mostly integral to the removal. Very low risk of collateral property damage.

Set roof jacks and planks from the bottom of the roof slope every 5 feet or so up to a point where you can reach the ridge. You can spike your roof jacks right through the slate.

They usually come off very easily. With a flat bar in one hand, pry under one side, pop the nail, slide the bar under while lifting the slate with the free hand and pop the other nail. As you have the slate in your hand flip it upside down and shake the nails out. Stack at your side and repeat.

Once you have stacked a bunch of slates you can grab them 6 or 8 at a time and throw them onto a tarp or directly into the dumpster. Much, much better if you can go directly into the dumpster.

The nails may be copper and might be $200 or $300 worth of salvage value. Try to incorporate collection of nails as you remove the slate.

The removal is typically very dusty. Get some nuisance dust masks. Not the cheapest ones you can find, they are almost worthless. Move up the chain a little and get the thicker, better quality kind....like 3 pack for $5 or so.

If you do not need to re-deck the roof, you can dry it in from the top down as you go......you already have the roof staged so you just back down as you go.

Anyway, this is how I typically approach this kind of removal.

 

[Stephen H]

We work almost exclusively on slate and ceramic tile roofs.
In my area it is VERY rare for a slate roof to be skip sheeted.

If the house was originally built in town, it will be solid decking.
Barns and houses built out in the country MAY be skip sheeted.

The edge of slate is VERY sharp
it tears of fast- but clean-up is difficult

Tear off a slate roof and you will look like you spent the day in a coal mine

today we are re-flashing(copper) an 18 foot valley on a sea-green and purple vermont slate roof on a Brick Tudor. Typical job for us.
Stephen

 

[smalpierre]

We work almost exclusively on slate and ceramic tile roofs.
In my area it is VERY rare for a slate roof to be skip sheeted.

If the house was originally built in town, it will be solid decking.
Barns and houses built out in the country MAY be skip sheeted.

The edge of slate is VERY sharp
it tears of fast- but clean-up is difficult

Tear off a slate roof and you will look like you spent the day in a coal mine

today we are re-flashing(copper) an 18 foot valley on a sea-green and purple vermont slate roof on a Brick Tudor. Typical job for us.
Stephen

There aren't many newish traditional slate roofs around here. The one I've been on was indeed decked, and was a green vermont slate too.

Most of the slate roofs around here are over 100 years old and skip decked. We've put on slate a few times, but it was GAF truslate. Real slates, but the headlap difference means you use a lot less slate so it's light enough to put on a modern structure without reinforcement.

 

[matthewcims]

I do not plan to resheath anything but rotted boards. these 1x's are not spaced apart. Im grateful for the responses.

I am going to set up pumpjack/ladder jacks. Roof jacks whole thing. Time confusing but safer, way im used to. Not really a fan of a lift due to messing entire yard up. Im thinking I will playwood windows so no damage like stated. Then treat it like a normal tear off. straight to dump trailer. Ply wood on sides make for easier clean up.

Again i feel much better with just the responses you guys have stated. Thanks hopefully I get the job and pictures will be posted. :thumbup:

 

[Stephen H]

There aren't many newish traditional slate roofs around here. The one I've been on was indeed decked, and was a green vermont slate too.

Most of the slate roofs around here are over 100 years old and skip decked. We've put on slate a few times, but it was GAF truslate. Real slates, but the headlap difference means you use a lot less slate so it's light enough to put on a modern structure without reinforcement.

Very few NEW slate roofs here,as well. A few ,but not many.
almost all of our work is repair/restoration.

Current project is replacing valley on an 18/12 pitch roof.- valley is 16 feet long. We opened that up yesterday, repaired the decking, dried in the valley, installed the copper and l re-layed one side of the valley. We will have the other side re-laid before lunch today, then we will take down pipe staging and move it around to the other side of the house to do the same thing on a second valley. We have already replaced 59 misc. slates in scattered locations about the house with probably another 50 yet to go. plus we have about a $600 soil stack flashing job to do.
we will be on this job for about 6 days total. It's about 60/40 vermont sea green to purple.

most of our slate projects are from the 1920's. Our oldest one goes back to about 1860's. that one had 14-18 inch decking.

Between you and me, I doubt very much if GAF truslate will even be on the market in 10 years.

Stephen

 

[smalpierre]

Very few NEW slate roofs here,as well. A few ,but not many.
almost all of our work is repair/restoration.

Current project is replacing valley on an 18/12 pitch roof.- valley is 16 feet long. We opened that up yesterday, repaired the decking, dried in the valley, installed the copper and l re-layed one side of the valley. We will have the other side re-laid before lunch today, then we will take down pipe staging and move it around to the other side of the house to do the same thing on a second valley. We have already replaced 59 misc. slates in scattered locations about the house with probably another 50 yet to go. plus we have about a $600 soil stack flashing job to do.
we will be on this job for about 6 days total. It's about 60/40 vermont sea green to purple.

most of our slate projects are from the 1920's. Our oldest one goes back to about 1860's. that one had 14-18 inch decking.

Between you and me, I doubt very much if GAF truslate will even be on the market in 10 years.

Stephen

I've always liked the traditional methods personally. I was working for one of my friends on the truslate jobs. If I had a customer that wanted slate, that's the guy I'd call next for sure.