DIY Roofing Project

Question: Here’s my story: My house needs a new roof. I live in an historic district where there is a lot of slate. Even though I built houses summers in high school and through college, that was, well I won’t tell you how old I am but it was college. Job, kids, I can’t tear the roof off my house. BUT I CAN DO MY GARAGE! Game on, people, daddy still has it.

OK circling back to reality, even though I live in an historic district I can’t afford slate. And to help bring down the cost I want to do the garage myself. Question is, what are my options if I don’t go with real slate AND want to do some of this myself?

Answer: I love the DIY mojo. Nice hustle. Before getting into it, it sounds like you know your way around a jobsite, but safety is the main concern. If your garage roof is too steep to walk (steeper than an 8 pitch) then I’d leave this to the pros because you’ll need all kinds of roof brackets and ladder hooks to move around, which is both expensive and dangerous.

If you’re an 8 pitch or less, this is a doable project for someone who knows which end of a hammer to hit with.

As for making the historic district happy, you are right not to cross swords with them. They are typically passionate people who take their job seriously and go a long way to protecting a golden age in America’s housing styles.

So for a product that I think will work for them—and for your budget—I’d look at DaVinci Rofscapes’ Bellaforte Slate roofing tiles. These are polymer tiles whose authenticity fools professional builders all the time. “Hey look at those slates.” They’re not slate; they’re polymer.

You can also get them in different color blends like Cambridge, Sedona, or Verde so you can match the look of your ‘hood. While these are still more expensive than a high-end asphalt they are not much more expensive—and they are waaaaay cheaper than slate. Bellaforte slates are uber durable and come with a 50 year warranty.

What’s more the DaVinci Bellaforte is an interlocking slate that goes on quickly and accurately, ideal for someone whose job and kids might compete for time reliving the glory days on the roof.

Go get ‘em!

Mark & Theresa Clement host MyFixItUpLife and are HGTVPro’s home and how-to aces.