**If you’re having problems with your slate roof and live around the Hawthorn, Kew or surrounding areas we’re always available to help.**

Here’s a quick list of our services for slate roofing in Hawthorn

Broken or cracked slates removed and replaced
Leaking boxgutters and valleys renewed
Remortaring of terra-cotta capping, pickett ridges and decorative finials
Leaking skylights repaired
Slipping and dislodged slates reinstalled
Full roof restorations using new or reclaimed roofing slate
Slate roof replacements using new or reclaimed slate
New home slate roof installations

**Our roof slating services takes us all around Melbourne’s suburbs but we’re always in and around the inner Eastern suburbs of Melbourne every week.**

Here’s a recent Hawthorn slate roof repair that we carried out. The roof had a few minor leaking issues that had caused some dampness problems inside the home.

The biggest problem on this roof was the solar pool heating. It had been attached directly to the roof slates with no gap at all for the rainwater to pass under it. This way of installing solar tubing to slate roofs is wrong. The flat profile of slate doesn’t allow the water to flow quickly enough in even moderate rain. The leaks caused by the tubing sitting directly on the slates, are not big in the beginning but over a few years it gets worse. What usually happens is that a build up of leaves and other debris caught above and under the tubing eventually seals the small gaps between the slates that do let the rainwater pass. When the tubing is completely sealed to the roof, all it takes is a big downpour and their is major leaking. For this home the owners wanted the tubing removed completely. If tubing is going to be installed on a slate roof it’s a very good idea to install it on a frame that sits at least 50 – 75 mm above the slate… no impeding water and easy to clean out any debris.

The other problem on this slate roof was the fairly typical slipping slates and also a couple of broken ones. This roof hadn’t had any maintenance checks for quite a few years. When that happens, usually the first sign that alerts homeowners to have the roof checked, is suddenly noticing staining and plaster damage high up on walls and ceilings.