I get the appeal of synthetic, especially with older framing, but I’ve seen some brands fade or crack after a few years in direct sun. Real slate’s expensive, sure, but it does last forever if you can swing the upfront cost. Just something to weigh.
Weight’s a big plus for synthetic, especially if you’re dealing with an old roof structure that can’t handle the load of real slate. But I’ve seen some synthetic products get brittle or lose their color after just a few summers—UV exposure really does a number on some brands. Have you looked into whether your area gets enough sun to make that a real concern? Sometimes folks don’t realize how much direct sunlight their roof actually gets until it’s too late.
UV is definitely the silent killer for some of these synthetics. I always tell folks to check the warranty details—some brands have better UV resistance baked in, but others, not so much. If your roof faces south or west, you’re gonna want to double-check that spec sheet. Seen a few jobs where the color faded way faster than anyone expected... not fun to fix.
I get where you’re coming from on the UV thing, but honestly, I’ve seen some of these newer synthetics hold up better than expected, even on roofs catching full sun all day. Had a client with a west-facing roof—figured we’d be back in five years for color issues, but it’s been almost eight and still looks sharp. Maybe it’s hit or miss depending on the brand or batch? Still, I do agree, always worth checking that warranty fine print... some of them sneak in exclusions that’ll bite you later.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with some of these synthetics—my neighbor put one on his shed about six years ago, and it’s still holding color way better than I expected. But I’ve also seen a few spots where the edges faded weirdly, almost like it was a different batch or something. I’m always a little suspicious of warranties too... they look good on paper until you actually need them. Guess it really does come down to brand and maybe even installer? Hard to know until you’ve lived with it for a while.