Savage, Minnesota
Straightforward Slate Roofing in Savage, MN
The roofs went up in the 1990s and early 2000s, so a slate job in Savage begins with the frame, not with history. These are two story houses above the river valley with cut up rooflines, upper gables shedding straight onto lower planes and short valleys everywhere. Stone can go on them, and it looks right, but only after somebody has done the arithmetic in the attic.
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Weight and valleys decide a Savage slate roof
The frames on these houses were engineered for three tab asphalt, so the first thing we do is get into the attic and look at truss spacing, web bracing and the span of the top chord. Slate is heavy, and a roof that shrugs it off in the drawing can still sag at a long unsupported run. Some houses need sistering or a structural engineer before a single course goes down, and we will say so. After that it is the roofline itself. Upper gables that dump straight onto a lower plane put a lot of water through a short valley, and a slate valley in that spot has to be open, wide, and lined in copper, not woven and not tarred. Owners weighing a whole new roof against targeted work usually start with a certified roof assessment, and we build the estimate from what it turns up.
Slate Roofing in Savage
What slate does for a Savage roofline
Truss capacity checked, not assumed
These houses were framed for asphalt. Before we quote stone we get into the attic, look at truss spacing, webs and top chord spans, and bring in an engineer when the answer is not obvious.
Open copper valleys, not woven
Where an upper gable sheds straight onto a lower plane, the water funnels through a short valley. We line those in copper, run them open, and keep the slate cut back so debris washes through.
Bluff top plats detailed for wind
The river valley runs west-southwest past Savage, so a west wind rides that corridor and hits the plats on the hundred foot bluff above Highway 13 harder than the inland streets. Those roofs get tighter rake and edge detail.
Broken slate kept off the low ground
Lots at the north edge drop steeply toward the Savage Fen, and slate breaks into sharp pieces. We tarp the slope, catch debris at the dumpster, and sweep the fall line before we leave.
Sidewall flashing where planes die into walls
Two story fronts are full of roof planes that end at a wall. Those get step flashing behind the siding and a kickout at the bottom, which is where most of the rot starts.
Hips and ridges capped in stone
A cut up roof has a lot of hip and ridge to close. We cap it in slate, bedded and fastened, rather than a strip of metal that dates the whole roof from the street.
How we handle slate above the river valley
Storm and insurance work
Wind is what usually starts these calls. We document what the storm did, write it up for the claim, and repair the roof rather than sell you a new one you do not need.
We bring in an engineer
If the framing is a question, we would rather have a structural engineer answer it than guess with a ton of stone sitting on a truss roof.
Roof, siding and windows together
We do siding and windows too, so the second story walls, the kickouts and the trim get sorted in the same visit instead of two trades blaming each other later.
We water test the flashings
Before the staging comes down we run a hose on the valleys and sidewalls and watch the attic. Finding a leak with a hose beats finding it with a west wind behind rain.
We open only what we can close
On the bluff top we tear off in sections and dry in the same day. An open deck and a west wind running the valley is how a slate job turns into an interior repair.
What people near Savage say
Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasStorm damage repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement Orange Exteriors did an excellent job with my new roofing install. Very professional, on time and hard working crew. Completed the job in one day.
Dick JohnsonRoof installation
Slate questions from Savage homeowners
What people in Savage ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Can a 1990s Savage house hold a slate roof?
Often, but not always, and nobody can tell you from the curb. Natural slate weighs several times what asphalt does. We look at truss spacing, span and bracing in your attic, and if it is close we have an engineer put numbers to it. Some houses need reinforcement first, and a few are better off with something lighter.
My roof has short valleys everywhere. Does that rule slate out?
No, but it sets the work. Every valley is copper, every hip and ridge has to be capped, and the cut pieces at the returns take time. A cut up roofline drives a slate estimate more than square footage does. It also means careless work shows up fast, usually as a stain on a second floor ceiling.
We are on the lots above the fen. Does that change how you work?
Yes, mostly in staging and cleanup. Those lots drop hard toward the low ground at the north edge of town, so we set the dumpster where broken slate cannot walk downhill, tarp the slope, and sweep the fall line. We also check with the city on access and staging before we schedule the tear off.
Find out if your frame takes slate
Send us the address and we will get in the attic, look at the roofline, and tell you whether stone belongs on that house. No obligation either way.
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Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
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