How to Maintain and Clean a Slate Roof – Family Roofing

Posted on by David Reid

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How to Maintain and Clean a Slate Roof

Slate roofs are known as “hundred year roofs” and can outlive their owners if they are appropriately installed and maintained.  Despite having the potential to last a very long time, your slate roof is also very fragile.  Understanding the dichotomy of your slate roofs toughness and fragility is the key to knowing how to care for it.

Maintaining Slate Roof

One of the first steps in maintaining your slate roof is having it inspected every year after the winter.  This yearly inspection will help you catch problems early to avoid big repair bills in the future.  The last thing you are going to want to do is to get up on a ladder and try to inspect your roof by yourself.  When a slate roof is damaged, most of the time, you won’t even know what to look for on the surface of the roof and will only know it is in need of repair because you will have a leak into your house.  The best thing for you and your slate roof is to hire a Pro that specializes in caring for slate roofs.  Have them come out and take a look after each winter and especially harsh rain or wind.  Take photos and write notes about the damage so that you’ll have a log to reference about the history of the roof.

Cleaning Slate Roof

When cleaning your roof, be gentle and use a medium roughness brush, with regular household cleaner and make sure to wash away the soapy water when you are done.  Do not use a pressure cleaner or any harsh industrial cleaners because they can damage the slate.  It is also important to remember that walking on a slate roof can damage it.  If it is absolutely necessary for someone to walk on the roof, insist that they wear soft soled shoes.

If you follow these maintenance and cleaning tips, you should be able to enjoy your slate roof for many years