Slate Roof vs Tiled Roof — Which Is Better for My Home?

Slate and tile are both good coverings and both will outlast most of the other decisions you make about a house. The useful question is not which is better in the abstract but which is better for this roof, on this building, at this budget.

Head to head

The question that usually settles it

When slate is the answer

• The roof is currently slated and the property is period.
• The house is listed, or in an area where an Article 4 direction applies.
• It is one of a terrace or a pair where the neighbours are slated.
• The roof structure was sized for slate and you would rather not add load.
• You want the longest life available and are prepared to pay for it.
• Appearance matters more than cost.

When tile is the answer

• The roof is currently tiled, which covers most post-war Cheshire housing.
• The budget is the binding constraint.
• The roof is a simple shape where interlocking tiles work efficiently.
• The pitch or the structure suits tile better.
• You want a wide choice of profile and colour to match neighbouring roofs.

The weight question, which is not a preference

This is the one place where the answer can be taken out of your hands. Concrete tile is heavier than natural slate. A roof structure built for slate was sized for slate, and putting concrete tile on it adds load the rafters were never designed to carry.

It does not mean it can never be done — it means it is a structural question answered by looking at the timbers, not a choice made from a brochure. Going the other way, from concrete tile to something lighter, is structurally straightforward.

The pitch question

Slate needs a reasonable pitch to shed water properly. Tiles vary, with some interlocking products rated for quite low pitches and plain tiles needing considerably more.

On a low-pitched roof the choice narrows, and the manufacturer's minimum pitch is the constraint rather than anyone's opinion. It is worth asking what the roof's actual pitch is and what that permits.

Cost over time rather than cost today

Slate costs more up front and lasts a very long time. Concrete tile costs less and also lasts a long time, though it will not look the same at thirty years as it did at three.

Across the life of a roof the gap narrows considerably. Across the years you personally will own the house, it may not narrow at all. Which of those two matters is a fair question to ask yourself before deciding — there is no wrong answer, but they point different ways.

What both have in common

• Both need new battens and underlay on a full re-roof.
• Both need the same insulation upgrade under building regulations — 0.16 W/(m²K) for an existing dwelling.
• Both need the same scaffolding.
• Both are like-for-like replacements needing no planning permission, provided the appearance is not materially changed.
• Both benefit from dry-fixed ridge and verge rather than mortar bedding.
• Both should end with a building control certificate, however the work is certified.

The honest summary

On a period property with a slate roof, slate. On post-war housing with a tiled roof, tile. Those two cases cover the large majority of Cheshire homes, and in both of them the existing covering is telling you what the building was designed for.

The interesting cases are the ones in between — a period property already changed to tile at some point, or a house where budget and appearance pull in different directions. Those are worth a conversation rather than a rule.

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