The Slate Roof Bible: Understanding, Installing and Restoring the World's Finest Roof (The Slate Roof Bible, 2nd Edition)

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Summary: More than you ever wanted to know about Slate Roofing
Review: That says it all. Very comprehensive. Graphics need updating, the pages look "messy" but it's jam packed with info and has that laid-back hippy tree-hugger feel so that you don't mind the advertisements in the package. Informationally, a 5+ stars, graphically and overall, a 4 for me.

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Summary: Packed with over three hundred color photos
Review: The somewhat hefty price tag of this newly updated and expanded second edition of this "how-to" guide may limit The Slate Roof Bible: Understanding, Installing And Restoring The World's Finest Roof to professional architects, constractors, and roofers, but it definitely a not-to-be-missed specialized reference. Packed with over three hundred color photos, The Slate Roof Bible is the core reference of the slate roof industry, covering everything to know about installing, restoring and maintaining a slate roof. Highly recommended.

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Summary: Extraordinary document on the fine art of poetic roofing.
Review: This book by Joe Jenkins is one of a kind. It's a comprehensive, kalidoscopic, multi-faceted tome that everyone interested in architecture, construction, or design must read. One is duly impressed by the encyclopedic knowledge and obvious love and care Mr. Jenkins has brought to his subject. The photos are outstanding and lead you to the conclusion that slate roofs are truely a work of art. This book not only explains the history of slate (as if that weren't enough), but it also devotes the last half to giving practical instructions on how to preserve slate roofs. It argues convincingly that the loss of slate roofs in favor of inferior materials reflects a lowering of aesthetic (and economic) values. After reading this book, you'll want one yourself, and if you already have one, you'll know how to preserve it. The writing is folksy, down home, and humorous, as if Jenkins were pontificating to you from the top of a cathedral as he's replacing a tile. As an example of Jenkins' elevated taste, he opens the book with a phenomenal poem that encapsulates in musical language the poetry of slate. Leaving no slate unturned, the poem artfully recreates the spiritual and aesthetic resonances that slate suggests. The poem is worth the price of the book itself, as is the creative cover by Tom Griffith. All in all, no house with a roof should be without it.

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Summary: Get the Second Edition!!
Review: This book has been replaced by the second edition (ISBN 0964425815): The Slate Roof Bible, 2nd edition, Understanding, Installing and Restoring the World's Finest Roof. It's in full color, 316 pages, greatly expanded, and only $40. That's the book you should be looking for!

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Summary: Fabulous resource
Review: This book is (surprisingly) beautifully written, has helpful illustrations and photographs, and has a wealth of useful information. The book is written so that average people without any particular knowledge about roofs (like me) will find it very helpful and interesting, and I also believe that it would educate even those who are more experienced on the topic. I cannot say enough good things about this book -- it is the best money I have spent on a non-fiction book in a long time.

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Summary: The One to Own
Review: This book is a comprehensive compilation of slate roof information. It provides a great synopsis on the history of slate roofing as well as ideal information on the preservation, repair, and application of slate roofs. After reading just about everything out there on slate roofing, this is my favorite because it not only provides excellent information on what to do, it also tells you what NOT to do and why. -E.J. Sandquist, RoofHelp.com

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Summary: Warning: Joe Jenkins' love of slate is contagious!
Review: This book is a tremendous resource on the benefits of slate and why it creates a beautiful roof. The color photographs alone make it clear why all hard slate roofs should be maintained as local/regional treasures. After reading "The Slate Roof Bible" the roof moves to the foreground whenever evaluating a building's appearance. Unfortunately too few understand the long-term asthetic and function of slate roofs, and many beautiful older homes have been downgraded with installation of asphalt roofs. This fine book not only covers all aspects of slate roof installation and maintenance, but also provides help on other projects (gutters, chimneys, etc) while you're up there :-) Read this book and discover the "secret" of slate...

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Summary: The Best Book on Slate Roofs Bar None
Review: This book is in a class by itelf. I've never encountered a book that is so crammed full of the most detailed information, from an overview of the history and geology of slate, right down to profusely illustrated, step-by-step instructions on all aspects of slate roof installation and repair (inlcluding graduated roofs, eyebrow dormers, random width, tips on mixing colors, creating designs, you name it). Those areas alone would warrant the title 'Bible,' but the book delves even further, including detailed illustrations on fabricating lead sewer vent pipe flashings, building fancy chimney tops, installing soldered seam copper roofs, and a whole lot more. This is a cornucopia of technical information for the expert and novice alike. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of the book is that it's such a darn good read. I found it very difficult to put down, which is relatively rare for a non-fiction book, but just about unheard of in a technical manual. And to top it off, the lavish color photographs of slate roofs from all over the world (especially the intricate slatework of the European masters) are truly magnificent. I thought the 1st Edition was great. It's hard to imagine a better book than The Slate Roof Bible, 2nd Edition.

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Summary: Great Book on Slate Roofing
Review: This book is packed full of technical and historical information, all presented in an engaging way. I was surprised at how captivated I was throughout the entire book and by how much I learned! The photos are beautiful. The author's passion for preserving the art of slate roofing really comes through. Truly a delightful and enjoyable book.

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Summary: Absolutely indispensible!
Review: This book is truly the Bible for anyone living under a slate roof. Joe Jenkins covers all aspects of maintenance and repair in a manner that even the most novice slater... with the correct tools and a little skill... can correctly (and safely) repair his or her own roof. The reading is kept interesting by his use of anecdotes from his own experience. An excellent reference, right down to what size nails to use. The historical knowledge presented in the book increases one's admiration of the slate roof, while the technical information is a "must" for anyone attempting their own repairs, or wanting to converse intelligently with their roofer.