Tru-Slate by GAF ????

So what is this stuff? It sure looks pretty on the back cover of Professional Roofing.

Mike,

I think we did a total 4 projects, (in Denver, Co), with it, 7 or 8 years ago....Before GAF bought it....it's still on and is performing fine....Although, I wouldn't put it on my house, or a house I was building to sell....The slate came mostly from China, (not that there's anything wrong with that). It is slate; The "savings" is that your using 1/2 the slater you typically would use, amd substituting the balance with a polypropelene liner....it may just work out fine. Time will tell....For the money, I don't think it's worth the risk in the long-term. It's not cheap.....By the time you fiddle with the SS hooks, liner, etc....For us, the labor actually came out more than if we had installed a regular/authentic slate system.

Oh yeah, the best part; The importer/manuf., had pumped us all full of BS, that we would be some sort of exclusive rep/distributor, only to sell it to any whore that came along....Apparently GAF bit.....

It has been awhile since I looked over the TruSlate info and I'm too lazy today to do it now, but I would guess there is a headlap in that system, just not a headlap with stone in it. I put together a bid for this system a year ago, per request of owner as directed through architect and then builder. It was one of three alternates requested. At the last minute I balked. Submitted prices for the three alternates with the caveat I would not install the TruSlate, even as bid. Quite strange I suppose, but in the end they went for one of the other proposals. I don't mind labor savings, but it doesn't save any labor when you are waking up in the middle of the night logging hour after unbillable hour of tossing and turning time. It would probably be a viable system in my weather zone and no doubt look good, be easy to repair, but I just don't want to bite.

If it tells you how good they are doing, They are one of G-Tapes accounts. G-Tape made a special tape for their layout. They used to make a 5-10 case order per quarter for the last 2-3 years, last year they made none. This year they haven't made one either. As far as I know, they still have the tapes in all the installation pics. I just don't think they are selling it.

Jed,

Headlap would be the lap under the third course above.

A 24" tall slate would have an 10 1/2" exposure with 3" headlap.

Tru slate has for example a 12" tall slate with 10" exposure. There's the savings.

I was right there with Dennis...What "headlap?" but then I realized Dennis is the kind of guy who likes a slate the size of a table top and weighing in at three hundred pounds, one that you have to split yourself out of native rock laying out in the woods nearby, so there's not likely to be any way to please him with a product like this.

What headlap???

That stuff is not even a single coverage system without the plastic between courses.

Ridiculous!

The accessories will cost more than the slate.

That's why I was curious enough to ask. The pic sure looked real, and I couldn't figure out how you could get a real slate look at a low price. McMansion mania, folks will try anything seams to have the surf-n-turf style at a po'boy price.

Whoa!!! sounds like a real doozy of a product.

I was just curious. It's not my market. I wondered if they took thin slate strips and bonded it to a shingle. What y'all are describing sounds a whole lot worse.

JWilliams, Not since November. Will be down in a week or two, perhaps right after the NRCA show in NO. I've got a question for you, so if you wouldn't mind e-mailing me at MikeAtHRI@aol.com , I'd appreciate it.

The GAF rep has been here trying to convince me that this is a wonderful product that is better than full-sized slate because of the fastening system.

He was unable to convince me that wind-driven rain will not get up under the underlayment. I watch rain blow from the gutter to the peak on the building across the street from my house. There is only 2" of lap on these things, it would not take a lot to blow back under them and that is only the rain. Looking at the ice damming that we are seeing here right now, these so-called slate would be popping off like tiddly-winks!

I don't like them but then again, I am only one hard-headed, opinionated person!

Slate remnants too small for anything else. Use a strap of hooks to hang them on, lay them down, then lay plastic across the tops to simulate what would be the upper half of a slate,( or shingle).

Did you see that 1/2 shingle at a trade show about 20 years back? Used fabric for it's upper half. They claim it will last 50-100 years, but I can't find any old building with them to see how well they did for their first 100 years or so. Till then, the jury's still out.

never installed it so i wouldnt know..mike been back down to st. joe recently?