Arlington Heights, IL · Serving the North Shore
Synthetic Slate Roofing in Arlington Heights, IL
The slate profile on a house that was never framed to carry stone. Engineered polymer tile at roughly a quarter the weight — Class 4 impact, 50-year manufacturer warranty, no structural reinforcement required.
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Why Synthetic Slate
Engineered for Houses Slate Was Never Meant For.
Most homes on the northwest side were framed for asphalt shingles. They cannot carry quarried stone without structural work. Synthetic slate is how those houses get the slate look — and it is a genuinely different product, not a lesser one.
01
~200 lbs per square
Against 700–1,000 for quarried slate. It drops onto standard framing with no reinforcement and no engineer’s letter.
02
50-year warranty
A written manufacturer warranty on the tile. Quarried stone carries no such document — it just lasts.
03
Class 4 impact / Class A fire
The same top ratings as natural slate — the highest available, and preferred by insurers on luxury properties.
04
Uniform coursing
Natural or Synthetic?
We Install Both.
The right choice depends on your home’s structure and what you want the roof to do. We’ll tell you which fits your situation — honestly, including when the answer is the one we’re not selling you today.
Option 1
Natural Slate
Quarried stone. Each tile is unique. The oldest and most prestigious roofing material still in use — and found on North Shore homes since the 1920s.
Lifespan
75–150+ years
Weight
700–1,000 lbs/sq
Impact Rating
Class 4
Fire Rating
Class A
Structure
May need reinforcement
Best For
Historic & period homes
Option 2
Synthetic Slate
Lifespan
50+ years
Weight
~200 lbs/sq
Impact Rating
Class 4
Fire Rating
Class A
Structure
Standard framing
Best For
Renovations & upgrades
Installed by a Crew Based in Arlington Heights.
Our shop is at 221 W University Dr in Arlington Heights — where the copper gets fabricated and where Mike starts most mornings before heading out to a job.
Synthetic slate is unforgiving of a rushed install. The tiles are dimensionally exact, which means the coursing shows every shortcut, and the fastening has to follow the manufacturer’s pattern. A local crew that has to drive past your house every week installs it differently.
Want the Real Stone Instead?
If your home was framed for slate — and most pre-1960 North Shore houses were — quarried stone is still the better roof, and it will outlast this one by decades. That’s a different product with its own page.
What Clients Say
Real homeowners. Real completed projects. No paid ratings.
What is synthetic slate actually made of?
Engineered polymer — a moulded composite tile, not stone and not a coated shingle. It is manufactured to a fixed dimension and profile designed to replicate quarried slate.
Do I need to reinforce my roof structure for synthetic slate?
Is synthetic slate the same as composite slate?
How long does synthetic slate last compared to natural?
Can you put synthetic slate on a house that currently has asphalt shingles?
Do you install synthetic slate in Arlington Heights?
Yes — Arlington Heights is where we’re based, and it’s the kind of housing stock this product suits best. Most homes here went up after the war and were framed for asphalt, which rules out quarried stone but makes them an ideal candidate for synthetic slate.
The Slate Look, Without the Structural Work.
If your house was framed for asphalt and you want a slate roof, this is how it gets done — and we’ll tell you straight if quarried stone is the better call for your home. We work out of Arlington Heights and install synthetic slate across Northbrook, North Barrington, Hawthorn Woods, Lincolnshire, Gurnee, and the wider North Shore.
Contact Us
Phone
Hours
Mon–Fri 8am–5pm