Cedar shake roof damaged by hail is replaced with Greenstone Slate® genuine slate roof

This 1929 Minneapolis home’s aging cedar shake roof was damaged beyond repair. When the homeowners and Minnesota contractor Highmark were considering replacement options, Greenstone’s natural slate® stood out as the best product for the job.

Choosing Greenstone’s Heavy Grade slate for its Class 4 hail impact resistance rating•—and otherwise excellent protection against the harshest weather conditions including hurricane-force winds and temperature extremes gave the homeowners the protection they sought for their home. To address any concerns with roof weight, they installed the Greenstone heavy-grade slate using the SlateTec™ cutting-edge installation method, which results in up to 40% reduced roof weight through its highly efficient use of slate.

A genuine slate roof’s 100-year-plus lifespan far exceeds that of cedar shakes and has significantly lower maintenance requirements.  All the added benefits plus slate can be installed at a competitive cost to a cedar shake roof when using the SlateTec lightweight installation method.

Material selection

Greenstone’s Vermont Clear Gray 12″ heavy-grade slate (1/2″ x 3/4″ thickness) was installed in a random-width design across the large roof. The copper gutters, flashing and the rugged-textured slate give the roof plenty of visual interest.

Contractor: Restorations by Highmark, Savage, Minnesota
Slate Quarrier / Manufacturer: Greenstone Slate Co., Vermont
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

*Class 4 is the highest impact rating given any roofing material, technically able to withstand independent laboratory testing with 2″ ice balls traveling at 76 mph. View the National Slate Association slate testing video.