When you build a roof for a house or a building, you might have heard of slates. A slate is a flat stone, and it’s used for building roofs and floors. Roofs and floors made from slates are durable, but they can be pricey. That’s why some people want to make their own rooftops out of recycled materials like plastic bottles or aluminum cans.
Today we’re going to talk about how you can make a new roof using slate-like tiles for an eco-friendly house or building.
Slating is basically the process of installing slates on a roof. It’s a method used to make roofs flat and durable for big buildings like houses. Slate tiles are often made from natural materials like stone, slate, or even granite. In some cases, they’re also made from artificial materials that look almost exactly the same as the real thing, such as concrete or plastic.

The Slating Process
In most cases, professional slaters do the work for you because it can be a very dangerous job if you don’t know what you’re doing. They’ll assess your roof first to determine if there’s any damage or weak points in your current rooftop. If there is, they’ll repair it before moving on to install new tiles on top of them.
On average, it usually takes about a day or two to finish installing new tiles on a rooftop.
Slating Tips and Tricks
It’s important not to make any changes to your roof if you don’t have the proper knowledge and experience. Installing slates over a weak roof, for example, can lead to instant flooding in your house!
Make sure that you hire a professional if you ever decide to replace your old tiles with something else that looks similar. In most cases, it’s recommended not to mix different kinds of tiles together unless they’re from the same building materials because mismatched materials may cause problems when installed next to each other.
Here are some tips in slating:
- Make sure to mix the mortar in a large enough container.
- Make sure that you keep your tools wet at all times because dry tools can shatter when they hit the tiles.
- Mix the mortar for longer than you normally would, and make it thicker than usual.
- Work fast before the cement dries up! It’s always better to work faster instead of slowing down and making mistakes during slating!
- You need something that can smooth out imperfections and cracks if any appear in between tiles. A slate setter or an awl is recommended for this job; just make sure that its blade has been sharpened beforehand! Having a well-sharpened tool makes the whole process much easier and faster, and it also reduces the risk of cracking or chipping your tiles.
- Work from the bottom up when you’re working on a sloped rooftop. This way, you won’t have to push down so hard when installing tiles because gravity will naturally do that for you. Otherwise, you’ll just waste all your time and effort pushing down with too much force and pressure on one spot.
Also, be careful not to drop anything on the edge of your roof because it might fall off and land right in front of someone’s feet! If this ever does happen, make sure not to lose focus or else there’s a chance you might slip and fall down too!
Slate vs Tile: What is the difference?

The main difference between tiles and slates is that tiles are baked while slates are not. Slate has also been crushed into smaller pieces than tile, which makes it easier to handle when you’re installing them on your project.
Also, slate has many different colors whereas tile only comes in white, which makes it a lot easier to mix and match with roof trims and surrounding areas. In most cases, slates come in grey or black but you can also find them in green, brown, pink, yellow, blue, purple, orange and other unique colors too!
What are Slate Tiles?
Slate tiles are basically smaller versions of slate that you can use on your home or building’s rooftop. They’re more affordable than full-sized slates because they’re small enough for you to handle them by yourself (and they’re more durable too).
If you like DIY projects where you get to do stuff yourself then this is the perfect option for you since it’s very easy to install! You don’t even need a lot of experience to put them on your rooftop either.
Slate tiles are actually a more popular choice than slates because of their affordable prices and durability. Everyone from amateurs to professional roofers use these slates for exterior roofs. It’s easy to install them yourself so you can save a lot of money without having to hire a contractor or a construction worker!
Read on if you want to know more about slate tiles:
- They’re porous too, which means that they’re bound to absorb moisture on the roof surface. That’s why it’s important not to over-install them since you might end up with water damage as a result!
However, there are some people who maintain that having multiple layers of puddles on a roof is actually fine since it adds insulation to your home, which can save you a lot of money in the long run.
But other people disagree with this theory because although roofs with multiple layers of tiles might be more insulated compared to other types of roofs, they’re also quite heavy and will add extra stress on damaged or weak rooftops. - They’re harder than concrete and therefore, they’re sturdier and stronger than that material. Concrete can crack easily when it’s still wet since it’s not as durable.
If you live in areas where there are huge temperature differences then choose slate instead because concrete can shatter upon impact during wintertime when the ground has already been frozen solid. That said, both materials need constant maintenance.
Conclusion
Slates are a great material to use on homes and buildings’ rooftops because they’re durable and heavy to withstand harsh weather.
They also come in different colors so you can match them to trims and other surrounding areas if you want a more uniform-looking rooftop! Tiles are small enough for you to handle by yourself so there’s no need for professional contractors or construction workers.
Just make sure not to over-install them since multiple layers of tiles can add insulation but might also damage your roof.