Three Reasons For A Natural Red Slate Roof

Foundations, Stonebridge Published April 10, 2026

“David explained that without slates on the roof, the rain would get in. In their way, they were just as important as walls. Dr. Moberley asked David if he was afraid of the rain getting in. David told him that he didn’t like getting wet. It wasn’t so bad outside, especially if you were dressed for it, but most people didn’t dress for rain indoors.” – John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things #1

The conversation above does not say the slates were red, but our red slate roof does a great job of keeping out the rain!  It is a special roof.  When:

  • it rains, the sound produced is unique; more like a waterfall over rock than drops on tarmac.
  • the wind blows, the roof plays a melody of chimes as the slates gently rise and fall
  • the sun shines in summer, it reflects the heat into the sky; in winter, it absorbs heat into the attic space.

It almost feels alive.

Notoriety Of A Red Slate Roof

The red slate roof on our home is one of the reasons it is listed on the State Register of Historic Places.  To our knowledge, it is the only red slate-roofed house in the state, certainly in our county.  We are about to replace the roof, valleys, and downspouts.
A partial repair was done over thirty years ago when we also redid the chimneys and soffits.  However, we reused much of the original slate installed in 1888, and after 140 years, even slate needs to be replaced.  Kansas weather is not kind to roofs of any kind, but this red slate roof has fared well for almost a century and a half.
So, other than preserving the historic designation, why bother with slate? Here are three reasons:

Slate Is Natural And Eco-Friendly

Red Slate RoofI’ve lived under the shelter of this red slate roof since 1988.  It has kept us safe and dry.  I knew that it originated in a quarry somewhere in the upper northeast.  However, what exactly is this substance?
Slate is a rock.  A search summarised it this way:  “Red slate forms from the metamorphism(1) of mudstone or shale under low-temperature, low-pressure conditions, where iron oxide minerals like hematite give it its red color. This process involves the alignment of clay minerals into foliation planes, resulting in the characteristic slaty cleavage.”
The only source of red slate in the United States is from quarries in upper state New York.  We are working with North Country Slate, headquartered in Ontario, Canada.  As this is being written, the 3,000 square of red slate is being quarried and cut.  North Country, the distributor will bevel the edges, then all 30,000 lbs will ship to us.

Slate Is Energy Efficient

The green slate has been certified with an Energy Star rating.  We are pursuing the same for the unfading red slate.  The testing must be done on the exact material used in the roof, so that testing will take place once our slate has arrived.
There are plans to capture the natural heat produced in winter and the heat reflective properties in summer.  I say plans, but it is more of a concept to be developed as we finish out the attic.  Time will tell whether the idea produces results.

Our Red Slate Roof Is Really Pretty!

And it will be stunning after this redo.  In fact, we were entered into “The Pretty Roofs” contest by our contractor, Precision Construction and Roofing, whose brand states “we build pretty roofs”.  Results are not yet in, but this I know: we had the most global votes.  Votes came in from Sri Lanka, Belgium, Norway, and at least ten of these United States.  Voters also included descendants of the family Stackman-Steinbuchel clan for whom the house is named.

Bonus Reason:  Slate Is Versatile

The National Slate Association exists to promote the use of slate.  It is not only used on roofs.  In fact, we plan to repurpose much of the slate that comes off the roof into other uses on the property.  It may appear as paving, a fence, or as part of a water feature….

Do you have any questions?  I would enjoy hearing what they are!  Respond below or, even better, email me at: Nhcullen@cfaith.com

 

(1) metamorphism /mĕt″ə-môr′fĭz″əm/     noun

  1. The process by which rocks are altered in composition, texture, or internal structure by extreme heat, pressure, and the introduction of new chemical substances.
  2. The state or quality of being metamorphic; the process by which the material of rock masses has been more or less recrystallized by heat, pressure, etc., as in the change of sedimentary limestone to marble.
  3. The process by which rocks are changed into other forms by the application of heat and/or pressure.
  4. The process by which insects develop through life stages — as, for example, those of embryo, larva, pupa and imago. The life cycle of the butterfly is one of complete metamorphosis, in which the embryo grows within the egg, hatches into the larval stage caterpillar, enters the pupal stage within its chrysalis, and finally emerges as an adult butterfly imago.
  5. Change in the structure of rock by natural agencies such as pressure or heat, or introduction of new chemical substances.

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