You may not hear about slate roofs that often when compared to its contemporaries such as tiled and metal roofs, but this natural roofing material is a great choice for many homeowners.

In today's blog, we'll be discussing some the key benefits that come with investing in a slate roof, from its aesthetic appeal to how it can boost your home's value.

Key perks of a slate roof

The way it looks

As slate roof tiles are a natural material (they're made from metamorphic rock), they come with a natural look and feel that other types of roofing material simply can't achieve in the same way. Another great aspect of its aesthetic appeal is that slate comes in a range of colours, all of which are also achieved naturally. These can include green, grey, purple, black, red, and some slates that are a combination of these colours.

A long life

If you're familiar with slate roofs, you've likely heard the statement that they're the '100-year' roof. It's hard to deny that compared to any other type of roofing material, slate promises one of the longest lifes out there. In fact, it's not just that it can last up to 100 years, it's often the fact that it can hit that lifespan with relative ease. Certain slate roof manufacturers offer 100-year warranties, which illustrates the confidence in the material itself.

Of course, it's still important to have roofers who specialise in slate roofing to inspect it from time to time. Like any roof, extenuating circumstances may cause damage that will warrant repairs/replacement. Still, the general lifespan of a slate roof is impressive and one of the most enduring of any out there.

It's durable

As slate is a natural stone, it tends to be more durable than any man-made roofing material. The denser the slate, the more water resistant it is. When it's at a particular density, it becomes waterproof. Of course, it can also be sealed for this protection, as well. Being made of stone, fire poses no threat to a slate roof.

Another perk of slate's resistance to temperature fluctuations and varying weather conditions is that it can handle almost all types of weather, be it heavy rain, snow or strong windows. When there is intense sunlight and heat, slate is perfectly capable of handling this and helps insulate your home. Finally, issues of fungus and/or mould are essentially non-existent with a slate roof, which helps keep the need for maintenance and repairs at a minimum.

It's a good option for the environmentally-conscious

Given slate's long lifespan, it means this type of roofing is replaced less frequently than other materials out there. For those roof materials that are replaced every 10 to 20 years, they account for approximately 5% of construction waste that often needs to be placed in landfills. With a slate roof, you're highly unlikely to require such frequent replacements and, by extension, are contributing less to landfill growth.

It can help with your home's resale value

While there are several important factors that go in to determining a home's resale value, a nice roof doesn't hurt. Along with its aesthetic qualities, prospective buyers will be more likely to take on buying a home that they know has a roof that's in good condition and is unlikely to require any repairs in the near-future. In this way, a slate roof is a great option if you know you will be selling your home one day. Even if you don't intend to, it could be worth the investment just in case.

Keep in mind...

One important thing to be mindful of with slate roofs is weight. While they can be made to varying densities, slate roofs are still comparably heavy to a lot of other materials. So if you are interested in having one, you will first need to have a professional assess whether or not your home will be capable of supporting the weight. Changes could be made to your roof frame to allow it to carry more weight, but you also need to consider how it could affect every part of your home - will the extra weight create too much force on the ceiling, for example?

So before committing to a slate roof, ensure you know that your home will be able to support it or can be reinforced to handle the extra weight without any issues of structural damage occurring.

SEE ALSO: Roof damage: 6 known culprits.

Want to learn more about slate roofs and how they could work for your home or business property? Give Roo Roofing a call on 1300 734 148.