Home
About Us
Slate
Metal
Tile
Copper
Questions
Free Quote
Contact Us

Slate Roof Repairs & Re-Roofing

When it comes to having a roof over your head there is almost nothing quite as aesthetic or long-lasting as a new slate roof - and its totally natural. Installed correctly with copper nails, and using heritage quality slate, a new slate roof can be reasonably expected to last in excess of one hundred years.

Trinity slate from Newfoundland, Canada and Penhryn slate from Wales are both considered to be heritage quality, are similiar in colour (a reddish-purple or bluish-purple) and both have been installed on heritage and National Trust listed buildings in Sydney by All-Dry Roofing. Both Trinity and Penhryn slate are manufactured from Cambrian slate deposits dating back over 500 million years which were subjected to the greatest metamorphic compression. As a result the slate is the hardest and most durable in the world. Today we are still using slate as the Europeans have done for hundreds of years. The slate is split using a combination of hand splitting and semi-automated machines, ensuring consistent tolerances for thickness and quality.

Correctly installed by All-Dry Roofing's experienced and qualified tradesmen, a new slate roof will increase the value of the house in excess of the cost of installation. Re-roofing a faulty slate roof using salvaged good quality second-hand Welsh slate will prevent internal leaks and dampness and when correctly installed can last in excess of 40 years. And, like any investment, it needs to be well cared for. Some questions you could ask regarding your own slate roof are:

  1. Are slates slipping? Is the bottom of each row of slates in a uniform line?
  2. Are any of the slates obviously broken, cracked or missing?
  3. If you have terracotta cappings on the roof is the concrete crumbling or missing?
  4. Is the metal in the valleys between roof faces, rusting out?
  5. Are there water stains on the ceiling above the chimney inside the house, or on other ceiling areas?

All-Dry Roofing will give a free, no-obligation quote to repair or replace your slate roof and can supply different types of slate, cappings, etc.
 

All Saints Grammar School
This roof had a number of leaks, with the original galvanised nails fixing the slate to the battens having rusted away over time. This was causing an on-going problem of slate slipping down and off the roof due to the slate no longer being securely fixed to the timber battens. The work was carried out over the Christmas school holiday period and involved the removal of the original slate, battens, cappings and valleys and the installation of new battens and sarking. Colorbond cappings and valleys were installed and new heritage-quality Canadian Trinity slate secured to the new battens with copper clouts. The new roof will last in excess of 100 years before replacement is necessary.
Click images to enlarge:
After Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration   Testimonial
 

Sydney Residence - Spanish
This roof was badly damaged in the hailstorm which hit Sydney in April, 1999. The owner specified the slate that he wanted, which All-Dry Roofing supplied. The decorative pattern on the front roof face is composed of Welsh purple slate cut into a scalloped design. The roof was re-roofed with new battens and sarking. Spanish slate was secured with copper nails with the original terracotta cappings reinstalled. The two chimneys on the left hand side roof face also had new heavy-gauge lead trays installed with lead soaker flashings.
Click images to enlarge:
After Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration    
 

Clarence St Sydney
This is a four storey building in the city that had a deteriorated terracotta shingle facade at the top. Due to its height and difficult access from below it was decided to replace this roof section from above. Wearing protective safety harnesses, All-Dry Roofing tradesmen removed the original shingles, cappings, top rusted capping and old lead flashings. They then installed new battens and sarking, new Welsh heritage-quality slate secured with copper clouts and new copper decorative roll capping on the two small hips on either side. A new Colorbond capping was installed at the top to complete the work.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration    
 

Sydney Residence
This roof was also badly damaged in the 1999 hailstorm. It was beyond the point of repair with many slates holed, broken or punctured by the hail. It was replaced with new Canadian Trinity heritage slate secured with copper clouts to new battens with sarking. New terracotta cappings were installed as well as new Colorbond valleys and new flashings for the chimney. A diamond pattern was inserted into the front roof face to match the original pattern.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration    
 

St Brendans Catholic Church

The church had a 92 year old roof with many slates slipping off the roof due to the original galvanized fixings having deteriorated over time and no longer securely holding the slate to the battens. The church is classified in the State Heritage Register as a "Landmark structure associated with ridge top development" and an "important community focal point and meeting place". It is also listed on the National Trust as having "architectural, aesthetic, townscape, cultural, social and landmark significance". Due to the significance of this building All-Dry Roofing consulted with the Parish and Leichhardt Council concerning the roof replacement.

All-Dry Roofing fully scaffolded the building and replaced the deteriorated slate roof with new battens and sarking, new Canadian Trinity heritage-quality slate secured to the battens with copper clouts. All-Dry Roofing also installed new copper valleys and a curved copper ridge as well as new heavy-gauge lead box gutters and flashings.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration   Testimonial
 

Private Residence - Clifton Gardens
This was a large roof of over 500 square meters with an original slate roof. Many slates were slipping free of the battens due to the original galvanized fixings having deteriorated. The original valleys were badly rusted and the terracotta cappings had decayed due to the salt-laden air (the house is close to the harbour). All-Dry roofing installed new battens and sarking and new heritage-quality Canadian Trinity slate secured with copper clouts. New "Colorbond Ultra" valleys were installed and new terracotta cappings with new terracotta fineals sourced to match the originals. While carrying out the roof replacement All-Dry Roofing also cleaned and painted the chimneys on the roof with colour-matched Emerclad waterproofing membrane. Decayed timber eaves lining boards were also replaced with new tongue and groove boards to match the originals, which we primed and painted.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration   Testimonial
 

St Josephs Catholic Church
The original roof had had many repairs over the years, but the slates were now at the end of their useful life, with many slate cracked or slipping from the battens. On liaison with a heritage architect and Leichhardt Council, the roof was fully scaffolded and then the roof replaced with new battens, sarking and new heritage-quality Canadian Trinity slate secured with copper clouts. New curved copper ridge was installed at the apex, secured with traditional brass screws imported from England. New copper guttering with hand-fashioned decorative ends were supplied and installed by our copper craftsmen. The parapet wall on the left-hand side was coated with a sealer and multiple coats of coloured Emerclad waterproofing membrane. Deteriorated eaves lining boards were also removed, replaced, primed and painted while carrying out the work.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration   Testimonial
 

Private Residence : Nugal Hall - Randwick ("A" Class National Trust Property)

The roof was badly damaged by the 1999 hailstorm. The owners decided to replace the existing tile roof with a new slate roof to bring the building back to its original grandeur. The property was scaffolded and the tiles replaced with new battens, sarking, heritage-quality Canadian Trinity slate secured with copper clouts and new copper valleys and curved copper ridge. Deteriorated guttering at the front was replaced with new copper guttering with hand-fashioned copper ends. The property also has a rectangular metal roof and box gutter system between the steeper roof faces in the centre. The box gutter was deepened and the metal roof given a different pitch so that in the future there would be no blockage of the box gutter if another hailstorm were to hit Sydney. Original skylights were replaced with new Velux skylights, and a curved timber shingle roof section below the main copper spire was replaced with new timber shingles.
Click images to enlarge:
Before Restoration   After Restoration   After Restoration   Testimonial
 
Click here for frequently asked questions about slate roof repairs and re-roofing.

Don’t Wait for a Roof Leak. We can give you a free quote now to guarantee you peace of mind!

Lic #: 77904C A Division of J.E.Turner Pty Ltd.