Slate Shingles
The shape and size of actual slate is estimated by the slope and design of a roof and the situation of battens is to which the roof slates nail. On each and every roof, however, three other sizes are currently used.
The Massachusetts roofs slates along the underside of a projecting roof (eaves) and on the line of the junction of the two surfaces that are sloping upwards towards each other i.e.
Ridge are of equal width as of those that are used upon the main parts of the terrace, but there is a problem that they are shorter.
A 3rd type of roof slate is called tile and a half of it is just half as wide as the main slate and are employed at the end of alternate row.
Some of the roofs have a very narrow slate that are called verge slate or creasing at end of the each course that is on the gable end. It is actually laid beneath the important slates and will tilt the edges of the terrace upwards to prevent the rain water to run off the end of the terrace, down to the end of the wall.
The top most courses and eaves courses of the slates are held with the two nails along the top of the edge. The actual slates could be fixed in the similar way or they could be nailed down halfway. If a roof constituting of slates needs repair, then the new slates should actually be fixed in the way that was used earlier.
You should initially lock at all the battens before the lading of the secure old ones or the new slates. Rotten pieces should be cut and should replace where it should be done.