# Natural Slate > Hand-dressed S1-grade slate from Vermont and Buckingham quarries. Roofs that last a hundred years. Canonical: https://donovanrc.com/slate-and-tile/slate/ ![A slater dressing a piece of natural slate on the deck](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/hero-slate-dressing.webp) [Back to Residential](/residential) Slate & Tile · 01 # Hand-dressed slate. Pulled from the same quarries that supplied this country's first courthouses. Sized on the deck. Holed by hand. Fastened with copper. The roof your great-grandchildren will tell their roofer not to touch. What it is ## A roof built one course at a time, by hand, the old way. Slate is natural stone, not a manufactured roofing product. Each piece is sorted, shaped, and installed by hand using traditional methods and copper fasteners. Nothing about the process is fast, but that is what makes a slate roof unlike anything else. It is crafted to perform beautifully for generations. Slate and tile roofing in St. Louis is a specialty trade, and it is the reason this side of the shop exists. QuarryVermont (S1 grade) · Buckingham Thickness1/4-3/8 in. standard · 3/8-1/2 heavy · to 1 in.+ estate Pitch range4:12 minimum FastenerCopper or stainless slating nails UnderlaymentHigh-temp, high-grade underlayment Service life100+ years on the standard grades ![Finished variegated slate slope with dormers on a St. Louis colonial](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/clark-variegated-slate-slope.webp) ![New slate field and three dormers over a copper-topped bay on a Westminster Place home](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/westminster-dormers-copper.webp) ![Overhead of a fresh gray slate roof and gabled dormers on a Central West End home](/wp-content/uploads/donovan/photos/slate/westminster-slate-overhead.webp) On film Slate and copper on Westminster Place Quarry ### We know the people behind our slate. Our slate comes from a select group of quarries we have worked with for years. When we need a specific color, thickness, or grade, we pick up the phone and speak directly with the people producing it. Method ### Holed and dressed on the deck. Slates are punched, fitted, and dressed by hand during installation. The variations that make a slate roof beautiful are the result of craftsmanship, not mass production. Detail ### Copper or stainless. Never galvanized. We use copper or stainless-steel fasteners because of their durability and long service life. While galvanized fasteners are less expensive, we believe premium slate deserves premium fastening systems. The composite alternatives ## When natural slate is not in the budget (or not allowed), we install Brava and DaVinci. ### Brava Composite Slate [Manufacturer](https://www.bravarooftile.com/roof-tiles/) The look of quarried slate at a fraction of the weight. Brava molds its composite slate from real quarried stone, so the face has the same irregular surface and color variance as the natural product, without the structural load. It carries through-body color, so a chip never shows a different shade underneath. On historic streets where the district allows a slate alternative, Brava is one of the two profiles we install that clears design review, and it goes on standard framing that could never carry the weight of natural slate. Fire ratingClass A (with the rated assembly) Impact ratingClass 4, the highest hail class WindWarranted to 130 mph, tested past 188 mph Warranty50-year limited, transferable ColorMolded through-body, UV-stable blends WeightA fraction of natural slate, no reframing ### DaVinci Roofscapes Slate [Manufacturer](https://www.westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com/roofing/davinci-roofscapes/slate-roofing-overview) Synthetic slate with authentic chisel marks, none of the weight. DaVinci casts its composite slate from a virgin-resin polymer modeled on real stone, down to the chisel marks and the non-repeating face that reads as a hand-laid roof. It carries the same Class 4 impact and Class A fire ratings as Brava and goes on standard framing that could never carry quarried slate. We install it in Province single-width for a uniform traditional look or Multi-Width for the greatest authenticity, with a near-limitless palette of custom color blends. On a restoration where design review allows a slate alternative, it is the second profile we offer that clears the board. MaterialVirgin-resin composite, fire retardant built in Impact ratingClass 4, the highest hail class Fire ratingClass A WindRated to 110 mph, tested to 180 mph ProfilesProvince single-width · Multi-Width WarrantyLifetime limited, residential ### Slate is the roof you commission once. If you are considering slate for a new build or a restoration, we want to see the drawings before the deck goes down. Bring us in early. [Request the visit](/contact) What homeowners are saying - > “Justin did a great job of communicating and was on the job site a lot.” Gerald K. · Google - > “Nick Mirth did an excellent job throughout the process our insurance claim!” Tim C. · Google - > “Great experience, very knowledgeable and customer friendly. I would highly Recommend.” Kathy O. · Google [See all reviews](/reviews)