Slate roofs have been installed on buildings for more than a thousand years. This practice was brought to the New World by European settlers. Nothing else quite matched the durability, aesthetics, and fireproof qualities that were available with slate. This same quality remains today. As the country's foremost slate roof service provider, The Durable Slate Company can handle any type of slate roof on any kind of building. With one of the largest stocks of reclaimed slate in the country, we can match many slate roofs when original looking aesthetics are important in a historic restoration or a new addition to a historical building.

The Durable Slate Company is proud to employ some of the best slate roofers and foremen in the country. Our craftsmen have been awarded the National Roofing Contractor Association (NRCA) National MVP Award multiple times for craftsmanship, leadership, and work ethic, as well as being the only American company to receive the International Federation for the Roofing Trade (IFD) award for Excellence, in honor of Steeple Square's magnificent new copper spire.

The Durable Slate Company installs and restores all types of clay tile roofs. However, our specialty is restoration requiring tile to be relaid with new felts. The repair and restoration of old clay tile roofs should only be done by a roofing contractor with such expertise. Much of this type of clay roof restoration today is being carried out by contractors who lack in-depth knowledge and skill in this area, resulting in many ruined clay tile roofs.

The Durable Slate Company also carries one of the largest inventories of re-claimed clay tiles in the country and can match many types, sizes, and colors of old clay tiles no longer manufactured. Whether the need is repair due to storm or fire damage, or leakage due to worn out felts and/or flashings, or a new addition that needs to match existing clay tile, Durable Slate is a leading contractor in clay tile roofing.

Metal roofing has a history that extends many centuries. In the early part of this country’s history, many important buildings were roofed with lead, copper, and tin (tin-plated iron). 

Today, the options for metal roofing for historical buildings include similar choices. Lead is still used, though mostly in Europe. Copper has stood the test of time and is workable in many different applications. Freedom Grey can be used where corrosion or run-off of copper might be a concern. 

With proper fastening, skilled handling of joints, and adequate consideration for thermal and building movement, a well-installed metal roof can last many decades with little or no maintenance.

Many of the historical buildings in this country were built in architectural periods where the aesthetics of the roof was an important element of the overall aesthetics. Though slate and metal roofs have much intrinsic beauty, patterns in the roof and ornamental elements such as finials, collector heads, and other fancy metal roof protrusions added another aspect of beauty to the exterior fabric. These items can also uniquely customize new roof installations.

A well-designed and properly installed gutter system is a very important element of the roof. In particular, leaks in built-in gutters, such as box gutters, yankee gutters, pole gutters, etc., can cause extensive interior damage, and, if not properly repaired, may result in structural damage.

Properly built box gutters with pre-tinned, well-soldered joints and well-scheduled control joints can last many decades with minimal maintenance. An improperly built gutter structure or poorly installed liner can fail within just a few freeze-thaw cycles. Thus, this work done right is critical to the long-term water tightness of the exterior envelope.

Steeple Square, Dubuque, IA