Slate Roof
(c) 2001 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc. (fair use policy)
This chapel at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California, is a modern example of slate roofing, a material with a long and rich history.
Slate is readily split into tough, thin tiles that can endure the rugged conditions of a rooftop for many years. And a slate roof endures with style, providing a pleasant appearance while needing little maintenance. What makes a slate roof expensive is its initial cost, in terms of both labor and skill.
Less than a century ago, slate was always the material of choice for a fine building, but today there are more and cheaper products to choose from. At the same time, excellent stone can be imported from far-away quarries to produce a desired effect. The result is that the unique look of a traditional town, roofed with local stone, is at risk of vanishing as the old buildings are rehabilitated or modernized. For more information, visit jenkinsslate.com in America or the Stone Roofing Association in the UK.
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