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Very Specialized Profession: Slate Roofing Contractor

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009    Subscribe To Our Feed

Slate roofing contractors are the most specialized and difficult to find since slate roofs only compose about five percent of total new roofing projects today. As opposed to flat roofing contractors who mainly work on commercial projects, slate roofing contractors mainly work on residential buildings. Slate roofs are very long lasting, even though the slate itself can be very brittle to work with, thus requiring special care when installing it.

Slate Roofs

Slate roofing material is the most expensive on the market which makes it even more important to find a slate roofing contractor who is specialized in that type of installation. That way the roofing material is not wasted through careless breakage of the brittle slate. Slate roofing material costs from six hundred to one thousand dollars per square, which is about ten times the cost of composite roofing materials.

Slate roofing material, when properly installed by a slate roofing contractor, can last one hundred years or more with very little maintenance in between. The long life of the roof is part of what adds to the price of the materials. The installation price is also more expensive by the slate roofing contractor, which makes it even more important to be sure that the contractor is well qualified and has plenty of hands on experience with slate roofs.

Slate roofing contractors, in addition to their state license and being bonded by a surety company, should have a membership to a professional slate roofing organization. This type of organization provides education on all the latest slate products and techniques, and also provides assurance to individuals looking for a slate roofing contractor that the contractor has this education and can sometimes also provide references for the contractor. If the professional organization cannot provide references, the slate roofing contractor should be able to furnish a list for the individual to contact in order to see if they were satisfied with the cost, materials and workmanship of the roofing project.

In addition to these qualities, a slate roofing contractor should also have proof of insurance that an individual can examine to see if all workers for the duration of the project are covered by workman’s compensation should anything happen during the project. The contractor should also provide safety and educational training to his workman and an individual is wise to see how often that is done. There should also be on-site supervision during the duration of the project so that less skilled workers have oversight.

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