Slate Roofing · Winnetka, IL

Slate Roofing in
Winnetka, IL

Natural and synthetic slate, slate repair and restoration, and the in-house copper flashing and valleys that actually keep a slate roof watertight — installed by an Arlington Heights owner who’s on every job. Serving Winnetka’s lakefront homes since 2007.

What We Do

Slate Roofing We Install & Repair

A slate roof is the longest-lived roof you can put on a home — natural slate routinely lasts 75–150 years — but only when the underlayment, fastening, and flashing are done right. We install, repair, and restore both natural and synthetic slate, and fabricate the copper details that make them last.

New natural slate roofs

Synthetic / composite slate (lighter, lower-cost alternative)

Slate repair & selective tile replacement

Restoration of historic slate roofs

Copper flashing, valleys & snow guards (fabricated in-house)

Full tear-off, deck inspection & underlayment for slate

Local Context

Why Winnetka Homes Choose Slate

Winnetka is one of the North Shore’s architectural showcases — lakefront and ravine-lot homes designed by name architects, with steep, ornate rooflines where slate has always been the period-correct material. On houses built to last generations, natural slate matches both the architecture and the expectation: a roof measured in lifetimes, not decades. But slate only performs as well as its flashing, valleys, and fastening — and those steep, detailed Winnetka rooflines have a lot of both. That detail work is exactly what we fabricate and install in-house.

Why Black Square

Why Winnetka Homeowners Choose Black Square for Slate

We Fabricate the Copper Flashing In-House

Slate roofs almost never fail at the tile — they fail at the flashing and valleys. We form those copper details in our own shop to fit your roof, where off-the-shelf parts leak.

Slate Done Right

Proper underlayment, fastening, and headlap — the difference between a slate roof that lasts a century and one that fails in fifteen years. Slate is unforgiving of shortcuts; we don’t take them.

Workmanship Warranty

Beyond slate’s own generations-long life, our installation is backed by a workmanship warranty, in writing.

Owner on Every Job

Mark is on-site overseeing the work — not managing from an office.

FAQ

Common Questions

How long does a slate roof last in Winnetka?

Natural slate routinely lasts 75–150 years — often longer than the building itself — which is why it’s the classic roof on Winnetka’s estate and architect-designed homes. Synthetic slate typically carries a 40–50 year warranty at a lower cost and weight.

Natural slate or synthetic — which is right for my home?

It depends on budget, the look you want, and whether your roof structure can carry natural slate’s weight. We’ll walk you through the trade-offs honestly: natural slate for longevity and authenticity, synthetic for a lighter, lower-cost roof that still reads as slate.

Can you repair or restore my existing slate roof?

Often, yes. If the slate itself is sound, we can replace cracked or slipped tiles, rebuild failed flashing and valleys, and restore the roof rather than replacing it — matching the existing slate as closely as possible.

Is my Winnetka home strong enough for a natural slate roof?

Natural slate is heavy, so the structure has to support it. We assess that up front and tell you honestly — if your home isn’t built for natural slate, synthetic slate gives you the look at a fraction of the weight.

Do you fabricate the flashing yourselves?

Yes. We form the copper flashing, valleys, and snow guards in-house and cut them to your roofline. On Winnetka’s steep, multi-valley roofs the metalwork is where leaks start — so we don’t subcontract it.

Plan Your Winnetka Slate Roof

No pressure — just an honest assessment of the work, your options, and what it takes to do slate right, from an owner who’s been doing this since 2007.

Winnetka

Kenilworth

Glencoe

Northfield

Wilmette

Glenview

Northbrook

Highland Park