Roofing Slate Standards: A Critical Review

A peer-reviewed review, published in Construction and Building Materials, of the standards that govern roofing slate — European, North American and elsewhere — and where those standards disagree. Cárdenes and colleagues examine the petrographic and durability tests behind the specifications and argue that the criteria in use do not consistently predict how a slate performs on a roof.

Why a contractor cares. Slate is sold on grade and warranty language that ultimately traces to these standards. Knowing where they are weak tells you which claims about service life are supportable.

Why a public adjuster cares. On a slate loss the fight is usually over whether damaged units can be matched or whether the standard permits a substitution. This is the underlying technical literature on what the standards actually establish.