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Thornbury Slate & Copper is a fictional business. A Live Industry Staging Model of the Finial architecture by DangUIUX.

ThornburySlate & Copper

Slate

Stone, split by hand and hung on copper.

A slate roof is chosen for the next century, not the next sale of the house.

Roof study

Choose the stone, the clay or the copper. See the roof before it is ordered.

I · Material
II · Color
III · Copper
IV · The house
RIDGE 38 FT PITCH 14:12 PLATE ISOUTH ELEVATION · SAMPLE ESTATE
Vermont slateUnfading gray
Service life
years
Typical range cited for the material; it depends on the quarry, the work and the flashings.
Weight
lb per square
Lead time
weeks
Ballpark
Sample figures for a fictional firm. Priced line by line after we measure.
Request a private roof study
  1. CENTER CRIMP16 OZ COPPEROPEN 5 INDETAIL 1 · SAMPLE

    I

    Open copper valley

    Slate stops short of the center, so water runs on copper, not under stone. The crimp breaks the flow from one slope crossing to the other.

  2. COPPER NAILHEADLAP 3 INDETAIL 2 · SAMPLE

    II

    Slate courses and copper nails

    Each slate covers the joint below and laps the course two below by the headlap. Two copper nails per slate, set so the slate hangs, not pinned tight.

  3. STANDING SEAMCLEATED SADDLEDETAIL 3 · SAMPLE

    III

    Copper ridge saddle

    A formed copper saddle over the last course, locked into a cleat, with a standing seam on top that sheds water both ways.

  4. HALF-ROUND, FORGED HANGERDOUBLED STARTERDETAIL 4 · SAMPLE

    IV

    Eave with a half-round gutter

    A doubled starter course at the eave, a copper drip, and a half-round gutter on forged hangers fixed to each rafter tail.

Questions about slate

Can my house carry slate or clay?

Many older Dallas houses were built for it; many newer ones were not. Slate and clay weigh three to five times a shingle roof, so a structural engineer reviews the framing before we order.

Do you repair old slate roofs?

Yes. A slate roof with broken pieces or failed flashings is often decades from replacement. We match slate from salvage or the original quarry when it is still running.

Why copper nails?

A slate can outlast a steel nail. When the nail goes, the slate slips. Copper lasts as long as the stone.

Will the copper turn green?

Bright copper goes brown within months and, in our climate, takes many years to show green. If you want the patina now, it can be ordered pre-patinated.

Private roof study

We begin with a walk of the roof and a measured drawing.

The visit
About two hours, on the roof and in the attic
You receive
Drawings, a material recommendation and a written price
By telephone
(214) 555-0163

DemoThis form works but sends nothing. Try it.

The house
The project
Is an architect involved?
The visit
Preferred time for a walk of the roof