Woodbury Traditional — Natural Slate Install

Woodbury has grown fast over the past 20 years — mostly 2000s and 2010s suburban construction on the east side of Washington County. But this block near Bailey Road is older, early 1990s builds with stone-accent facades and the kind of substantial footprints that attract buyers who want to stay long-term. The homeowners had bought the property in 2008 and were on their second planned upgrade cycle.

They wanted natural slate, which is a conversation we have carefully before a deposit changes hands. Slate adds approximately 9 to 12 pounds per square foot to the roof system — a full order of magnitude more than asphalt shingles. The first thing we do is a structural assessment. In this case, we brought in a structural engineer to verify the rafter and truss system before signing anything. The existing structure was built to conventional residential loads, but the attic was partially finished, which meant the ceiling joists were already carrying live load. The engineer specified sister-rafters at 24-inch intervals across the main field before the slate went on.

The sistering ran three days ahead of the roofing crew. Once the structure was confirmed, the job moved as a standard steep-slope slate install: new skip sheathing where needed, 30-pound felt underlayment, copper valleys and step flashing at the two dormers, random-width grey-purple Vermont slate in diminishing courses from eave to ridge. Copper saddle at the stone chimney.

The 10/12 pitch sheds snow cleanly — we don't anticipate any ice dam risk at this pitch with the ridge ventilation profile the house has. Warranty: slate carries no manufacturer warranty (it's a quarried stone), but the installation carries a 5-year workmanship warranty and the material itself is rated for 75 to 150 years under normal conditions. The owners' grandchildren will likely be the ones deciding what to do with it next.