How-To Slate Roofing Videos

Slate is proven to be one of the finest roofing materials through hundreds of years of nature testing its durability. Slaters know they are installing a roof that will keep those underneath it safe for generations. These videos are a few examples of the tools that are used when working with slate.

Slate Roof Installation 101

Dom from ACG Roofing uses his extensive experience installing slate on a building at the University of Pennsylvania.

Installing Slate On A Turret

Watch Tim Underhill use a power slate cutter to trim slate and install on a turret.

How to Make a Valley Cut with Slate

Dom from ACG Slate is making a cut using a slate hammer and stake to fit into a valley.

Repairing Slate Fast

Chris Paulin from Paulin Slate shows how to use a ripper and repair a piece of slate quickly.

Cutting a Hole to Match a Vent Pipe

Tony cuts a hole into a piece of slate using the point of a slate hammer. Once the hole is formed, he smooths out the hole with the shank of the slate hammer to fit the pipe.

Cutting Slate With No Clean Up On Roof

Dom uses his handy stake and box to catch any excess slate that falls from the cutting process. The box makes clean up easy and does no damage to the gutters.

Edma Handheld Slate Cutter

Here is the EDMA Handheld slate cutter in use to cut some Vermont Red Slate. The thickness is around 3/16″.

Hanging a Slate Around a Barrel Dormer

Rob is hanging a piece of slate around a barrel dormer so he isn’t nailing through the copper flashing.

How to Punch a Hole in Slate

Tony shows how to punch a proper hole in slate using the 95-A Slate Cutter, the 83-B Slate Hammer and a punch. Technique and helpful tips are given throughout.

How to Use Slate Cutters

Tony gives a look at how to use the Stortz 95-A Slate Cutter and Stortz 51-C Genuine Slate Cutter. How to properly cut slate is the primary focus of this video.

Installing a Snow Guard on a Slate Roof

This video shows the use of an 84-A Durable Slate Ripper removing nails from a piece of slate. A snow guard is then installed and a slate hook added to hold the new slate.

Professional Cutting of a Valley Slate

Dom uses his slate hammer to cut a piece of slate to fit into a valley. He creates the outline of his cut by using the point of his slate hammer to weaken the slate. Upon completion, he knocks off the waste and then trims a straight cut with the beveled section of the slate hammer. The stake inside the box is 24” inches which accommodates the longer slates.

Slate Hook Installation

Here Casey is is adding pieces of slate to existing courses. He uses a Stortz 83-B slate hammer to create the nail holes in the slate and then hammers them into the decking. Notice the roof bracket(s) in place with a wood plank between to create an area to stand on.

Trimming a Narrow Piece of Slate

Using a hammer and stake, Tony displays how to trim a small piece of slate.