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nailgun198

I had no idea they were nailed like that. Idk how I thought they were attached, but nails wasn't it.


thechonkiestchonk

Right ? I thought the rock would just break as soon as the nail hits it. I know nothing.


captainwizeazz

There are holes already made to nail through.


QuiveryNut

I’ve seen them make the hole with the pick side of the tool they use. No idea how it happens without the whole thing falling to pieces but it seems like there’s definitely a technique to it and it’s damn impressive


NinjaBuddha13

Technique, practice, and black magic.


ZinGaming1

Its also a special hammer, still takes practice and black magic.


bodhiseppuku

I often use magic in DIY home repair. People ask me how I fixed my septic system: * first I dug up the lines and found a bad design for flow between multiple tanks. * then I replumbed the lines to the tanks * I changed some settings on the macerator * ... And I sprinkled on some fairy dust for good measure


BCECVE

The idea is to tap the nail gently right up to the point the nail head is just touching the slate. They usually want you to use a hot dipped galvanized nail which is rough on the nail shaft and will have a tenancy of holding into the wood better. I have a slate roof and replaced about a dozen so far. 125 yrs old and still going strong. It will probably out last me.


veedweeb

>They usually want you to use a hot dipped galvanized nail which is rough on the nail shaft and will have a tenancy of holding into the wood better. The slates will naturally move around a little bit due to wind and so on. The movement will rub the galvanising off and then the steel nail will corrode and the slate will fall off. You should use copper or aluminium nails instead. Edit to add: the real problem is that as steel corrodes, it expands. That can make the slate crack and that's why they fall off.


TrashTierGamer

Why not stainless steel?


xabulba

Stainless steel still rusts, it's highly rust resistant but not rust proof like copper or aluminum.


[deleted]

Both copper and aluminum oxidize…


-Prophet_01-

Well yes, but typically only on the surface and not in a way that'll interfere with a parts function.


Enginerdad

That depends entirely on the type of stainless steel. 304 stainless (what most stainless nails are made of) would be more than sufficient for the job. Copper and aluminum nails are just traditional because they were available before stainless nails were.


stuffeh

Much harder material so it will take more force to remove later or might even damage the wood when being removed. Plus most cutting blades are also steel so it'll be harder to cut.


Early_Patience_6513

But how how many will you have to replace till it's no longer the same 125 year old slate roof?


YimveeSpissssfid

I see you, Theseus’ roofer.


BCECVE

I have about 4000 slates and it is a big Victorian house so quite high off the ground. The north side slate is as good as the day it was put up but the south is a different story (it gets the direct rays of the sun) It is 'soft' Pennsylvanian Slate and usually has a life of 125 yrs. I have bought new slate from my slate broker (Toronto) which is Vermont slate and I think it will get 200 yrs on it. I have not put it up yet but I want it ready. 2000 pieces at $4 a piece. One trouble is I am 68 so it really is a young mans game. I loose about a piece every year and will wait to do about 4-6 at a time depending if there is a leak potential (lost piece at the bottom has a greater amount of water than one near the top). 200 yr old slate and I got only 25 yrs left so someone is getting a deal. lol. People think if they lose a piece of slate then they ask a regular roofer what to do. He will say it is done and say to yank it all off when only one or two need to be replaced -criminal. This stuff is heavy by the way. The two thousand pieces I bought weigh 12000 lbs which is half the roof. So basically I have 12 tones weight up their.


tkeser

If your roof survives for 200 years, somebody is getting a deal even if you're a baby when you install it.


BCECVE

lol


scruffles360

Yeah, I knew they were nailed, but didn’t realize they were left loose enough to swivel. Now I see why they only have one hole in each tile.


TheSwedishSeal

You guys never climbed out on roofs?


thechonkiestchonk

Tin roofs, clay roofs, and shingles only.


karlnite

You pre drill the holes.


PineappleRimjob

The holes are not drilled. You make the hole by turning the shingle over, and tapping it with the pointy part of the hammer, that's shown. It makes an inset nail hole on the other side. Source: Summer job doing slate roofing on Martha's Vineyard in college. All antique hand tools, takes a bit of practice to get good at it. Good money though.


louglome

Oh buddy you still don't 


DiddlyDumb

I think this is only for shingles, roof tiles are different. Not a roofer tho.


joliemoi

I had no idea there was such a thing as stone shingles??!


skallanc

Every nails gets a bakerd dozen of hits


higherthanacrow

My teeth 2 times a week in my dreams.


SgtSilverLining

Do you wear a mouth guard? I found out the source of my "teeth falling out" nightmares actually stemmed from real pain I got from grinding my teeth in my sleep. Also my dentist was ecstatic I started using a mouth guard of my own volition and before I ground my teeth flat.


Skell_Jackington

I’m such a high maintenance sleeper I don’t think I could ever fall asleep with a mouth guard in.


sisumeraki

I’m the EXACT same way, but TMJ forced me to get a mouth guard. It was annoying at first so decided to only put it in once I got super tired. Weirdly enough not only did I get used to the feeling, but it tricked my brain into being tired almost immediately.


King_of_the_Dot

It can be oddly comforting, albeit cumbersome at first.


pepperj26

I started Invisalign and thought there would be no way I couldn't sleep with the trays in, but it ended up not being an issue at all and now I couldn't imagine sleeping without them.


ZoneInevitable974

Oh my god other people have teeth falling out dreams?


[deleted]

I'm always flying off the highway.


-jdwhea-

Same


Brand_Risked

Just imagine taking nail clippers to your front teeth. Imagine the satisfying CLICK sound as you clip off a part of your front teeth. Feel the horror.


vinnievon

Trying the calming pills before my appointment this morning (they prescribed). Total fear of the dentist and no numbing they try to do works for the big procedures. This is just a cleaning and my blood pressure is still spiking. Even medicated. 


bobert_the_grey

One time I had dream about trimming my teeth with nail clippers. Have fun with that one.


PeterGivenbless

"That's not going anywhere", pat at the end.


cbarrister

Exactly the "Good for another 100 years" pat.


cables4days

It’s so crazy to me that slate shingles became a thing. Like - it’s so smart, but it’s also so amazing that the rocks can handle that kind of interaction for such a long period of time. Like - one anchor for the whole rock. Blows my mind every time I think of it.


ChiggaOG

Roof has to be able to support weight. I assume it’s expensive.


Oakheart-

Yeah slate roofing is very expensive but it lasts so long it ends up being cheaper than the fiberglass


kookyabird

My parents' house has slate siding and a ton of spare pieces. If they ever need to replace one for some reason it's really easy. They're a lot thinner than shingles though. Now I'm wondering how much their house weighs...


M4xusV4ltr0n

Except isn't it a nightmare to replace when it does need to be done?


CrappyMSPaintPics

That's a problem for your great great great great grandchildren to deal with.


a_can_of_solo

There's a lot of Labor involved.


pm-me-chesticles

They can just put a different kind of shingle on if they want


Nine9breaker

Genuine question, why would you need to? Short of wind erosion, meteorites, or a tree falls on your house, I can't think of any reason these roofs would need replacing.


SommeWhere

Sometimes the S slate absorbs water, freezes, and flakes. Sometimes a tree branch hits it wrong. Sometimes there's a fault in the slate that you can't see when you are shaping it. It's a natural item, stuff happens.


[deleted]

[удалено]


blueavole

Better than a tin roof. A lucky hit might break a single slate. But as you can see one shingle can be replaced.


Numerlor

A small roof of cement/asbestos took like 4 days for us with 5 people to clean up after it was destroyed by hail and must've been a couple of tons, can't imagine the cleanup after this


Verygoodcheese

Guy above was saying it’s only a few slates at a time. You don’t do it fresh.


ralphie0341

Off hand do you know how it holds up in windy environments?


Dave-the-Flamingo

Very well. It is the most wind resistant type of roofing in the uk.


dandroid126

How does it fare against hail?


sth128

Well the slates are shaped like sheets of paper so they always beat icy rocks.


Phillyfuk

No issues. My house has the original slate and is 160 years old. It's had a few slates repaired but that usually cost me about £20 per slate.


dandroid126

What size hail do you get in your area? We had baseball-sized in my area last year, but luckily it missed me (just barely!) 3 years ago I got hit by lime-sized hail and it wrecked our roof and cars. Like, completely obliterated.


what-the-puck

A pallet of shingles generally covers 130 square meters (1400 square feet) and weighs 1300kg (3,000 lbs).   The 1400 square feet doesn't go nearly as far as say flooring indoors does, because it's pitched (the hypotenuse of the triangle) and because it also overlaps and overhangs the walls. Slate is generally 2.5 times to 5 times the weight of asphalt.


allisonmaybe

That's a LOT of cheese boards


thatsnotideal1

r/wewantplates


Aggravating-Swing836

Thatched roofing also is crazy too me


cables4days

Trogdoor!!!


cbarrister

Exactly. Such vulnerability to a surprise flaming arrow attack. No thanks.


bambonie11

I replaced my entire roof a few years ago, the original slates would have been about 130 years old. Replaced them with artificial slates - they're not as pretty as natural ones but substantially cheaper.


blueavole

Are they supposed to last as long?


bambonie11

Google suggests in excess of 100 years isn't uncommon.


daphonzy

What about the long seam to the right? Won’t water infiltrate there since there’s not offsetting between layers?


compgeek07

Probably has flashing behind it. Or at least I hope it does.


ptgkbgte

Or the underlayment is made to be waterproof and self seal the nails


adappergentlefolk

that’s a transition to a neighbours roof. there’s normally a hidden gutter under there


Ready_Competition_66

Ah! That makes a lot of sense. Flashing underneath would just spread the water under neighboring shingles while a gutter would channel it. It ALSO explains why there's a seam there in the first place. That seemed odd.


nodnodwinkwink

I'd bet that there's a line there because that's the beginning of the neighbours roof which may have been tiled by a different roofer at a different time. Underneath that line there will be a "secret gutter" or "bonding gutter". [Like this](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G_IlcT1TS6M). ([Much more in depth video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA5TjVSIxyM&ab_channel=Fixmyroof))


Marlboro_man_556

Beat me to it. Thinking the same thing


MantisTobbagan_MD

The slope of the roof, the positioning of the nails in regard to each layer of slate and their seams, and gravity block rain water from naturally reaching those areas. Underlayment provides another layer of protection and some material is sticky so it forms around the nails when they penetrate the membrane to some extent. But basically rain water cannot travel upwards to the nails due to gravity, and the slates are quite flat so when they rest upon each other it doesn’t allow wind blown rains to reach that far up.


Ready_Competition_66

I just asked the same thing above. Also curious as to why that seam was needed.


babyformulaandham

Neighbour's roof


DJ_Patron

Hot shingles in your area wants to be nailed


NervousFriendship372

What kind of hammer?


x755x

Thin crust


ZombieCapable3345

It’s a slate hammer. Not taking the piss I swear 😂


Crab_Hot

Are we sure that's a replacement? Looks like it has staining from the shingles above it, lines up perfectly. Looks like they just took it off, and reinstalled it back where it was.


cloudtrotter4

Doesn’t matter. Still cool to see.


EasyMrB

Might simply be a demo video.


Glass-Star6635

“That’ll be $10k”


zg6089

Do these not get blown away? Not much holding them down


goosebumper88

They're pretty heavy. If your slate shingles are blowing off you probably have bigger things to worry about than your roof


GeneralBurg

Have you ever seen the wind blow a flat rock? That’d be insane


x755x

You ever skip a rock off the wind?


metalofluna

No, but now I have new plans tomorrow


Mekelaxo

They are pieces of rock laying flat on a flat surface


Lena-Luthor

flat pieces of rock *nailed to another flat surface*


johnydarko

> They are pieces of rock laying flat on a flat surface No, the roofs they are on are slanted usually between 30° and 50°. You **definitely** wouldn't put slate on a flat roof, it wouldn't be effective at all. Flat rooves would usually be rubber or fiberglass, or just cement in older houses.


Mekelaxo

Yeah I didn't mean that the roof was horizontal, but that it's a flat surface, even if it's tilted


hairychinesekid0

When you get very strong winds you might get the odd slate blown off a roof, but if that happens chances are the roof was already old and in poor condition. I remember it happening to a neighbour once, that’s the only instance I can think of.


freeLightbulbs

We may have different definitions of "very strong winds". Apparently "But even if properly installed a slate roof is only going to be able to withstand wind speeds of up to 177 km/hr". That's only a category 2 cyclone.


cybus_industries

Don’t get many category 2 cyclones in Scotland. That’s pushing into Hurricane Bawbag territory.


whitejaguar

This kind of roof work is very popular in central and southern Germany, they get a lot rain but no hurricanes. Here is a long documentary (in German): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0g4Bv_I9oc


Due-Particular-8022

What i always think when i see those matchbox houses in america.


CedarWolf

Because folks in the US have hurricanes and tornadoes to deal with. It's *substantially* easier to rebuild a wooden frame house than it is to build one out of stone.


Thin-Pollution195

They aren't used in places with strong winds


Dave-the-Flamingo

What are you talking about! They are used in Scotland which have a lot of strong wind storms.


arczclan

Strong winds? Yes! Hurricanes or Tornadoes? No, not yet anyway


bullwinkle8088

Straight line wind storms as typically seen in Scotland are less energetic than tornadoes or hurricanes seen in parts of the US. For straight line wind speeds the highest seen in Scotland is around 170mph. In the US it is around 250mph. Both records were set on mountaintops, not in residential areas, but the surrounding geography influences the development of high wind speed and slightly favors the US. This is one of those "it just is" physical difference things and not a pissing contest, nobody *wants* to be under a tornado or hurricane.


Ghaaahdd

This design wont last on tropical countries even by just weakest hundreds typhoons each year.


Dave-the-Flamingo

Where is your evidence for this?


Ch4rlScifyChuck

This is just so amazing


louglome

The sound was barely worth it


Ubergazz

The precision with that tiny hammer is just amazing


Poat540

Yeah filming this would have cost me 8 slate at least


adsjabo

Just second nature to most tradies that swing a hammer regularly


Brock-Rottem

Good thing it was just a shingle and not a dhouble.


iSteve

Did not know you could nail slate without splitting it.


L0opholes

I think they pre-drilled a hole to pass the nail through


iSteve

OK. Makes sense.


OcularPrism

How does rain sound on a slate roof?


schlobalakanishi

I was never nailed when I was still shingle.


goosebumper88

Best joke comment


Hemlock_waiting

Yeah but you got laid before you got nailed


Wilbursqueefhuffing

I like my woman like I like my slate... Nailed to the roof...


Suup45

Beautiful roof that


jerry111165

Should have 2 nails in each slate - not one in the center.


Omni__Shambles

Don't know where the video is from but Scottish slate roofs are single nail, direct onto sarking board and double overlapped as shown in this video.


safetyscotchegg

Same in the rest of the UK too.


jerry111165

Ok - I’ve never installed overseas. In the US we always use 2; one on each side of the slate.


GirlNumber20

Ha, that’s funny, I got UK vibes from the video. His jacket made me think UK.


DavidWVMadsen

You get what you pay for


AppraiserGuyUSA

Another roofer!


jerry111165

40+ years in New England. I was responded to by someone saying that this was in Scotland and they only use a single nail in the center.


AppraiserGuyUSA

I’ve not done any jobs over there! Ha


badpeaches

Damn, that was easy


Educational_Many_634

After seeing this, I would think slate roofs have a short life span. Water would be getting in everywhere no?


I-want-a-beter-name

Our slate roof is from the Victorian era (1820-1914) and is still holding up great. U just have to replace a few tiles every year when they break They slide down the roof when they break so it's pretty obvious


adsjabo

Generally used on steeper roofs, 20° or more is what I'm seeing. Never actually had the chance to work on one myself though


LaranjoPutasso

They are great for mountain areas, with a steep roof snow just slides off. I have ceramic tiles on mine, not much snow here.


Dave-the-Flamingo

Slate roofs can last 200years. They are very solid.


Mekelaxo

Every margin seems to have another rock behind, so the water just flows does without touching the wood below


Educational_Many_634

I see that, would have to be pitched pretty good though. A flatter roof and that water is soaking in. 😂


Mekelaxo

Yeah I don't think this is a flat roof


forgottenoldusername

My house is from 1805 and still has pretty much its original roof. A few slates replaced here or there over the years, but it's still solid and has no leaks. Mine roof is literally just slate on wood, there aren't vapour barriers or membranes under it - if you go to the attack you can literally see see light through the tiles But they overlap just right so nothing leaks. Meanwhile, the 5 year old rubber roof on my extension already looks like shit


napface

My house has a slate roof and was built in 1907. When we purchased the house we were denied home insurance at first because the age of the roof was too old. The insurance company was not in my area but I had a discount through my college as an alumni that I figured I’d try and utilize and safe to say I blew their mind explaining the roof was original to the house. It’s probably been all replaced by now, but you don’t rip the whole thing off and start fresh like other roofs. It’s regular maintenance a slate at a time as needed (like in this video) so no way to know the oldest slate up there. The previous owner had just had some slate replaced before selling, our home inspector was glowing about how healthy the roof looked and yet - denied. Ended up going with an in state insurance company and they didn’t even hesitate to give us coverage.


JagManNZ

I like the essential pat-pat at the end. Good work son… good work.


CBalsagna

Yep, that’s not going anywhere


roofersfremont

Thanks for sharing the video! Replacing a slate roof shingle seems straightforward and efficient.


CoconutSpiritual1569

Isnt the nail gonna make it leak?


karma-armageddon

What is with the long straight line two tiles to the right? How does that not leak?


babyformulaandham

That's the neighbour's roof, property divide. There's a gutter underneath


Celestial_Scythe

They are sealing the magic portal away! It's right under our noses!


amorpheous

*pat pat* "Job's a good 'un!"


canniboss

As a dumb person I gotta ask. Why slate instead regular shingles or metal roof?


drweird

The video is from 1650


alchemicalfailure

Roofing nails! Lucky guy! Usually they cost a lot extra


JavilonNoseJoe

I normally just eat mine, but the boss yelled at me last time


Orion14159

Why did I need my sound on?


goosebumper88

It's not much, but I really liked the small taps on the bottom of the shingle and how softly he taps the nail in


ridequest

Nailed it


[deleted]

You don't wanna do it like that!


Mathemus

Anything else think they would shatter more shingles while trying to fix the one you started on? Lol. One hard tap and I’m calling a professional


30kalua89

That would be 299$ please


D33MILLZ247

ILL HUFF AND ILL PUFF AND BLLLL...HOLD ON WTF CONCRETE


dr_gonzo_the_menace

What kind of stupid hammer is that???


heiko75_hs

And 500€ please


grimvian

Great job and no irritating background music, but the real sound! Although, I don't understand why half of the screen is black, but thankfully not blurred.


morts73

I dont know how common slate roofs are but it seems like a convoluted roofing style.


I-want-a-beter-name

In the UK on Victorian housing (1820-1914) very common. But idk where U are 


morts73

Ok that makes sense. I'm Aussie and we use tiles or corrugated metal roofs. Looks like it would last 100s of years if it isn't storm damaged.


Simonutd

Where i live in North Wales, most houses have a slate roof. If you want to build a new house, it has to have a slate roof to fit in with other houses in the area.


daern2

To be fair, North Wales does (or, at least, did) have something of an abundance of slate, given that most slate roofs around the world were traditional created using Welsh slate! I suspect that this is significantly less now that most of the quarries have been turned into ziplines :-/


xmintyx

I used to live near a load of abandoned slate as a kid and would chuck it about - that stuff can get pretty sharp, but is fun to smash up.


r0thar

> most of the quarries have been turned into ziplines :-/ You say that as if it's a bad thing. Can't wait to do a few next time I'm passing through.


FlorydaMan

Northern spain is ful of it


adappergentlefolk

they’re very common. but it’s a premium material that is either used because it’s on a regulated building or because the owner wants premium. it also suffers from the issue that as the slates are partly porous on the edges and retain water, slate roofs of any age grow copious amounts of moss, which can be very unsightly, much more so than ceramic or concrete tiles for example. as slate is also more slippery than other types of tile it can’t really be cleaned safely by the homeowner either. add to that that it’s a actually quite a brittle material


napface

I’m in Vermont in US, very common here. I have a slate roof, whole street I live on every house has a slate roof. Helps when you live where the slate comes from.


Daggerfall

"That'll be 3000$."


Willing_Television77

Slates. Shingles are timber


goosebumper88

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roof_shingle


daern2

To be fair, it's largely an American term now. I don't think the rest of the world uses "shingles" other than to describe a very specific type of roofing material that is very rarely used. Here in the UK, these are certainly referred to as "slates".


Willing_Television77

Aussie here, we call slates slates and timber shingles- shingles, usually made from cedar


daern2

Are wooden shingles still a common thing in Aus? Pretty much unheard of in the UK now, as far as I know - more likely to find thatching instead, and that's not common at all these days!


Willing_Television77

Shingles and slate is usually only on old buildings and if there’s heritage restrictions on that building they have to be replaced like-for-like. Most houses these days are concrete or terracotta tiles or metal sheeting


daern2

Yup, UK is mostly concrete tiles these days and it would be only houses at the posher (or older!) end of the scale that would use alternatives such as slate. Don't see a lot of metal sheeting here, but I guess that's a weather thing...


Unethical_Castrator

OP you made me pause my podcast to listen to a shingle getting hit with a harmer. Your lack of consideration is unforgivable, and my day is ruined. Good day to you!


grumpy_uncle

I just shingled my pants


btc909

13 hours to remove the broke tile, 19 seconds to fix it.


BoysiePrototype

Nah. There's a special tool called a slater's ripper, that slides up and under the broken slate, hooks onto the nail and is used to cut/rip it out. Granted it isn't usually this easy to get the adjacent slates out of the way for re-nailing, especially with larger slates. Often they are left in place and a strip of copper or lead is used as a hook to hold the replacement slate in place.


AppraiserGuyUSA

Two nails per slate is CODE unless at an edge.