Cedar shake to slate

Natural Slate Roofing transforms a residential roof

Located about 20 miles south of San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula is San Mateo, a suburban and economic hub in the San Francisco Bay area. Residents enjoy a moderate climate, but even the best weather will not stop the eventual degradation of a roof system.

The original cedarwood shakes on a residential roof in the San Mateo community were cracked, warped and splitting. NRCA member Natural Slate Roofing Inc., Belmont, Calif., was selected as the roofing contractor to transform the aging cedarwood roof into a durable slate roof system.

The new roof

Because the San Mateo region is prone to wildfires, the homeowners requested a Class A fire-classified roof assembly for safety and insurance purposes. The Natural Slate Roofing crew recommended North Country Slate’s Lightweight Roofing System.

Left and right: Cedar shakes were removed down to the plywood deck.

After incorporating fall-arrest systems, the six-person crew removed the wood shakes and galvanized gutters, downspouts and flashings from the 5,000-square-foot roof. Team members then applied Polyglass® Polystick XFR self-adhering dual-compound (polymer-modified bitumen and elastomeric) underlayment on the plywood roof deck.

Next, the team installed 12-inch-long North Country Slate® in Unfading Black. The team used copper nails to install the lightweight slate in varying widths with a 4-inch overlap throughout the roof. As part of the lightweight slate roof system, a course of 21-inch-wide high-density polyethylene interlayment was applied with each course of lightweight slate to provide three-layer coverage throughout the roof system. The lightweight slate weighs less than 6 pounds per square foot and did not require additional structural support.

The most rewarding part of the project was seeing how thrilled the homeowners were with their new roof

In addition, Natural Slate Roofing craftsmen custom-fabricated and installed new copper downspouts, gutters and flashings to complement the lightweight slate. Stone cladding at the base of the chimney was temporarily removed to install the flashings and then reinstalled.

Left and right: Before and after photos of the gazebo's new roof

A striking transformation

Thanks to Natural Slate Roofing’s attention to detail, the aging cedarwood shake roof on the San Mateo home was transformed into a slate roof masterpiece.

“The most rewarding part of the project was seeing how thrilled the homeowners were with their new roof,” says Allan Parker, president of Natural Slate Roofing.