The Slate Roof Bible: Everything You Wanted to Know About Slate Roofs Including How to Keep Them Alive for Centuries by Joseph Jenkins

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The Slate Roof Bible: Everything You Wanted to Know About Slate Roofs Including How to Keep Them Alive for Centuries
by Joseph Jenkins

Paperback: 296 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.82 x 11.12 x 8.55
Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co; (July 1997)
ISBN: 0964425807

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Boston Sunday Globe: "Jenkins tells his tale with pizazz and rollicking humor, offering anecdote after anecdote about what people do, and do not do, to their slate roofs."

Fine Homebuilding, July 1998: "The Slate Roof Bible is a fine book, filled with fascinating information about slate: its history, the industry, and the way to work with it properly." "I've been working with slate for a long time; still, I learned from this book some valuable hints and techniques that I've been able to put into practice."

Doylestown Intelligencer Record [Philadelphia]: "Five years of meticulous research, thousands of miles traveled to slate quarries all over the world, particularly Wales, has produced The Slate Roof Bible - and a surprise. This book, potentially tedious reading, is instead a delight. Full of history, lore, and useful advice, Jenkins has written a fascinating book, spiced it with humor and warmed it with his own passion for the subject."

The Permaculture Magazine Information Service [England]: "The Slate Roof Bible gives a concise history of the slate industry on both sides of the Atlantic, and the types and colours of slates to be found. Although the author is American, he is descended from Welsh migrs who left with the collapse of the Welsh slate industry around the turn of the century, and this is reflected in the early chapters. The later chapters cover in some depth the design, installation, and maintenance of slate roofs. Also covered are tools, safe working practices, and important details on chimneys, flashings and gutters. This is well done, with clear illustrations and photos - an excellent example of how to produce a practical guide. The first book to be written on the subject of slate roofs since 1926.

Book Description: Published September 1, 1997, The Slate Roof Bible is the first comprehensive book on the topic of slate roofs since 1926. It contains 200 photos, some in color, and an additional 175 black and white drawings. This two-part book tells you why older slate roofs should be preserved, if they can (and how to determine that), and how to identify the various types of roof slate. It details the history of the slate roofing industry in the United States and in Wales (the Welsh started virtually all the slate quarries in the United States), and explains how the finished roof slates were made. The second half of the book is a detailed, step-by-step repair manual, indicating what tools to use, where to get them, and how to use them. It describes what goes wrong with older slate roofs and how to remedy the problems, and includes chapters on how to safely work on slate roofs, plus complete flashing details, chimney repair and rebuilding, how to install and recycle slate roofs, and more. Written in simple, easy to understand laypersons' terms, this is one book no slate roof owner, architect, historian or contractor should be without.

From the Publisher: Jenkins Publishing is proud to announce that The Slate Roof Bible was presented with the prestigious National Roofing Contractors Association 2001 GOLD CIRCLE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ROOFING INDUSTRY. One such award is given annually within the 4,700-member international trade association in the "SERVICE TO THE INDUSTRY" category.

From the Back Cover: Interest in slate roofs is increasing as people recognize their historic value as well as their beauty and practical durability, yet books on the subject are rare. The author's expertise in slate roof restoration provides us with a detailed and authoritative work. Beautifully illustrated and written in layperson's term, the Slate Roof Bible reveals hard-to-find information about every aspect of slate roofs, from their historical beginnings to modern slate-roof-restoration trade secrets. Complete with historical data, dialogues, anecdotes, and how-to information, this is an invaluable resource for slate roof owners, architects, historians, contractors, do-it-your-selfers, builders, restoration buffs, and others interested in one of America's most overlooked treasures - slate roofs.

About the Author: Joseph Jenkins taps into his Welsh ancestry and his 30 years of slate roof restoration experience to bring us the most up-to-date and comprehensive book about slate roofs available today. By drawing our attention to a neglected segment of American architecture, he is helping us to preserve our slate roofs. Jenkins is also the author of The Humanure Handbook. He divides his time between slate roof restoration and his publishing business.

Excerpted from The Slate Roof Bible: Everything You Wanted to Know About Slate Roofs Including How to Keep Them Alive for Centuries by Joseph Jenkins. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

The Slate Roof Bible, Chapter One - (Page one only) "Why You Should Keep Your Slate Roof"

The telephone rang. I picked it up.

"Hello," a lady answered, "Are you the guy who buys used roof slate?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have enough for a whole roof, and you can have it all if you want them."

"Where are they?"

"They're on my house!"

"They're still on your roof?"

"Yes! And you can have them for nothing if you'll take them off."

I paused for a moment, then asked, "Why do you want your slate roof taken off?"

"Because it leaks. We've already bought fiberglass shingles to replace the roof; they're sitting in the driveway. We just need somebody to take the old roof off."

"Well ma'am, the reason I buy roof slate is because I repair and restore slate roofs for a living. Maybe I should have a look at your roof before you take it off." There was a pause at the other end of the line. I could almost hear the thoughts racing through the lady's head: What? I can repair my slate roof?

"But we already bought the shingles."

"You can return them and get your money back if you don't need them, which you may not. What kind of slates do you have on your roof?

"What kind? I didn't know there were different kinds."

"Slates generally fall into two categories - hard and soft. If you have hard slates, they should last the life of your house and you won't need to replace them. If you have soft slates, then you probably don't have a choice, you'll have to replace the roof. I can tell at a glance what kind of slate you have."

The next day I stopped to look at the roof. The slates were hard Vermont "sea green" slate with a life expectancy of 150 - 200 years. The house was about eighty years old. There was one slate missing from the roof - one slate! - and the roof had a little leak at the spot where the slate had broken off. Otherwise, the roof was beautiful. So I offered to repair the roof for a small fee, explaining that the roof should never have to be replaced in her lifetime.

The lady accepted, I did the hour-long repair job, she saved both her roof and several thousand dollars, and I haven't seen her since. This is a true and typical story.

I can go on and on with these kinds of stories. One young lady who had a beautiful old Victorian house with a hard, Vermont slate roof in very good condition told me she also was considering having the slate taken off the roof.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well I thought you were just supposed to replace slate roofs when they got old," she replied.

Customer Reviews
A tremendous contribution to the preserving of slate roofs, November 27, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Cortland, NY USA
"I own a Victorian house, built in 1890, which has a slate roof. Some of the slates were broken, some had loosened and slipped a quarter turn, mostly along the eaves, near the bottom of the valleys, some along the rakes and a few in the middle. I had several roofing contractors look at the roof. Most wanted to tear off the slate and replace it with asphalt shingles. Having owned and renovated several buildings and having purchased and read the "Slate Roof Bible," I was certain my roof was repairable. I had a roofer doing another job replacing asphalt shingles on a house we have for sale. I asked him several times to look at the slate roof. He kept telling me he never worked on slate and didn't know what to do or how to go about it. My being familiar with the book, I was sure with some instruction he could do the job. I already owned all the necessary tools including a ripper, slate hammer, stake, cutter, copper nails, and stainless steel slate hooks. I also had in storage several pieces of slate salvaged from another house. I showed the roofer the illustrations from the book and encouraged him to give it a try. I assured him I would take responsibility for any errors or problems.

He and his helper did most of the work from ladders except for a few places. I warned him about the potential of bees as the book advised, and of the temperature of the slates on a hot day (August). Sure enough there were a lot of bees, but we were prepared for them, and by using a set of binoculars we could see where most of them were from the ground and were sure to avoid them during the busy time, and spray for them at dusk. This worked out well and nobody got stung. The roofer and his helper caught on really fast and did a wonderful job of replacing about 75 slates. The cost was about 1/20 th the cost of doing a tear off and replacing with asphalt. I am pretty certain the slate will last maybe another 100 years if they are properly maintained. The Slate Roof Bible was a tremendous asset and reference to have and I certainly recommend it to anyone who has even a mild interest in building, construction, restoration, preservation, or anything to do with buildings in general. This book has made a tremendous contribution to the preserving of slate roofs, educating people about all facets of slate roofs, and is an absolutely beautiful publication. I just can't say enough good about the book."

Warning: Joe Jenkins' love of slate is contagious!, November 15, 2000
Reviewer: Dean Bredenbeck from Cleveland, Ohio
This book is a tremendous resource on the benefits of slate and why it creates a beautiful roof. The color photographs alone make it clear why all hard slate roofs should be maintained as local/regional treasures. After reading "The Slate Roof Bible" the roof moves to the foreground whenever evaluating a building's appearance. Unfortunately too few understand the long-term asthetic and function of slate roofs, and many beautiful older homes have been downgraded with installation of asphalt roofs. This fine book not only covers all aspects of slate roof installation and maintenance, but also provides help on other projects (gutters, chimneys, etc) while you're up there :-) Read this book and discover the "secret" of slate...

Should have been chiseled on slate., October 16, 2000
Reviewer: Charles Gyecsek from Whitehouse Station, NJ USA
This is a treatise on slate roofing, it covers geology, history of the industry, ownership, repair, and current sources. The author's expertise in the subject matter is apparent from the start. It is a true handbook for anyone who owns or works with slate roofs. It is very comprehensive for all audiences, old roofers to new home-owners and covers a very wide breadth of topics. The book is richly illustrated with diagrams, photographs, and informative graphs/tables. Every building that has a slate roof should have a copy nailed to the rafters.

Joe Jenkins takes the mystery out of slate, October 9, 2000
Reviewer: Joe Trost from Pittsburgh Pa USA
During the 1990's, I purchased an old house in Pittsburgh Pa. It has the original slate roof from the 1920's. I was new to slate roof ownership but knew that they were of higher quality and much more durable than the common asphalt roofs preferred by most roofing contractors. For the most part, my roof was in good condition and had been maintained over the years. It was now up to me to maintain this beautiful old roof. But slate roof maintenance isn't a do-it-yourself type job. I talked to a couple of contractors and they all had different opinions on what I should do with this old roof. At that point, I decided that I needed to do some research on slate roofs. I went online and read all about slate. It was here that I stumbled on Joe's book. I ordered a copy and read it cover to cover in a couple of days. After reading the book, I had a couple of questions. I emailed them to Joe and he provided a quick reply. The book is now a valuable title in my home reference library. After reading the book, I was much better prepared to evaluate the recommendations of my local roofing contractors and have found a roofer who has the skills to maintain this exceptional old roof. You really need to be able to "talk slate" with a contractor if you want the maintenance done right. Were it not for Joe's book, I would have probably torn the slate off and installed a 10 yr asphalt roof. I am also in the process of building a new house. I hope to put a slate roof on the new house using the guidelines from the "Slate Roof Bible".

Thank you Mr Jenkins!, October 6, 2000
Reviewer: turn@erols.com from Washington DC, USA
I enjoyed very much reading this book which is crammed with interesting and useful information. Being the owner of a 65 year old slate roof I am particularly concerned about being armed with sufficient information, to evaluate roofer's work or contracts, when repairs are needed to my Buckingham slate roof. This book has provided that and much more.

slate roof: how do you decide?, October 6, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from southwestern usa
we found this book quite useful and informative as we tried to decide if a slate roof was for us. probably the most helpful component, apart from the history lesson and calculations, were the examples of different application patterns and approaches. it allowed us to converse more intelligently with roofing contractors experience with slate---who, by the way, are quite an excentric group. we would higly recommened this book to anyone concidering a slate roof for their private home.

The One to Own, October 6, 2000
Reviewer: roofer1 from Napa, CA USA
This book is a comprehensive compilation of slate roof information. It provides a great synopsis on the history of slate roofing as well as ideal information on the preservation, repair, and application of slate roofs. After reading just about everything out there on slate roofing, this is my favorite because it not only provides excellent information on what to do, it also tells you what NOT to do and why. -E.J. Sandquist, RoofHelp.com

Absolutely indispensible!, October 6, 2000
Reviewer: Susan Laun from Erie, PA USA
This book is truly the Bible for anyone living under a slate roof. Joe Jenkins covers all aspects of maintenance and repair in a manner that even the most novice slater... with the correct tools and a little skill... can correctly (and safely) repair his or her own roof. The reading is kept interesting by his use of anecdotes from his own experience. An excellent reference, right down to what size nails to use. The historical knowledge presented in the book increases one's admiration of the slate roof, while the technical information is a "must" for anyone attempting their own repairs, or wanting to converse intelligently with their roofer.

exceptional, April 2, 2000
Reviewer: Aaron Szymanski from bristol, Connecticut
I think this book may have saved my slate roof because so many contractors were wanting to put asphalt shingles up and tear down our purple slates but this book talked me out of it. I am even thinking of doing it myself.

Should be required reading for anyone with an old home., August 1, 1999
Reviewer: gdrent@bellsouth.net from New Orleans, LA
Joseph Jenkins writes about the history, installation and repair of slate roofs with a hands on approach. The sources for tools and slate listed in the reference section alone is worth the price of the book. Where asphalt and fiberglass shingles will possibly last 20-25 yrs., the ability of a slate roof to last 75-100 plus is a worthy investment, and can only add to the value of any home. This book should be required reading for home remodelers, contractors, builders, and historic preservationist.

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The Slate Roof Bible: Everything You Wanted to Know About Slate Roofs Including How to Keep Them Alive for Centuries
by Joseph Jenkins
Paperback: 296 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.82 x 11.12 x 8.55
Publisher: Chelsea Green Pub Co; (July 1997)
ISBN: 0964425807