Most significant is the environment with the two main factors being exposure to wind and rain.
Slate roof headlap.
Furthermore you want to make sure the slates are manufactured with the nail holes in the right place.
The primary aspects to be considered are.
Generally speaking 20degrees is the lowest advisable pitch for a slate roof depending on the size of the slates and how much that the roof is exposed to moderate weather conditions.
Laying slate with appropriate headlap and offset helps to accommodate wind driven rain and the lateral movement of water below the slate shingles to prevent infiltration through the nail holes and side joints.
For example a 10 inch by 20 inch slate requires 170 slates per square a square is 100 square feet of roof coverage when installed with a 3 inch headlap but requires 180 slates per square when installed with a 4 inch headlap.
Headlap and exposure are related to each other and the starting point for determining both is roof slope.
When slating with a shallow pitch a wide slate is highly recommended for maximum side lap or lateral lap side overlaps.
Headlap exposure and offset.
Minimum headlap for fixing slates with nails or hooks the installation of a slate roof involves a number of aspects that must be considered in the design process.
It describes not only the means of installing slates nailing or hook fixings but also the headlaps or lap required to ensure that the roof remains watertight even at pitches as low as 20 degrees.
According to an identification guide on the slate roof central website some of the hardest heartiest types are purple slate non fading green slate and grayish black buckingham slate which can.