Slate and Tile Roof Repair in Wilmette
Early-century homes here still carry their original slate and tile, and repair usually beats replacement on both.
Older roofs and what keeps them watertight
Wilmette is a North Shore village where a large share of the housing predates 1940 and a meaningful amount of it still carries the roofing material it was built with. Slate, clay tile and heavy cedar remain in service on homes throughout the village, particularly east of Ridge Road. Work on this stock is a different discipline than asphalt shingle replacement, and the wrong approach on a slate roof causes damage that is expensive to undo.
East Wilmette carries the oldest and most architecturally significant homes: Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Prairie School and Queen Anne properties with steep pitches, complex gable and dormer arrangements, and substantial masonry chimneys requiring properly cut-in counterflashing. West of Ridge, the stock shifts toward 1920s through 1950s colonials, bungalows and ranches with simpler forms. Multi-unit and mixed-use buildings near downtown and along Green Bay Road bring low-slope membrane roofs. Across the village, homes with finished third floors or converted attics present the usual ventilation challenge.
What the weather does to an older roof
Direct lake exposure brings wind-driven rain and heavy wet lake-effect snow. On steep slate and tile roofs, snow and ice movement can displace individual pieces and damage flashing. The mature canopy over most streets loads valleys and gutters with debris, and ice damming is a persistent problem on the older homes with finished upper floors and limited eave ventilation.
Services called in most here
What gets called in most around Kenilworth Gardens and Indian Hill, roughly in the order it comes up.
Older commercial buildings
Downtown Wilmette, Plaza del Lago and the Green Bay Road corridor carry mixed-use and retail property on low-slope roofs, generally with masonry parapets requiring careful termination work.
Getting a roofer out
Call with the address and a licensed, insured roofer working Wilmette takes it from there: inspection, photographs, then the price in writing. Who does the work.
Roofing questions from Wilmette
Specific to Kenilworth Gardens, Indian Hill and the rest of Cook County, with everything else on the FAQ page.
Snow slid off my slate roof and slates came down. What now?
On steep slate and tile, snow and ice moving down the roof can shift or crack individual pieces. Missing slates leave a gap for water, so get them replaced before the next storm. Snow guards near the eaves can hold the snow in place and stop it happening again.
What are snow guards?
Small brackets or bars fixed across the lower part of a roof to hold snow in place, so it melts off gradually instead of sliding off in a sheet. On steep slate or tile roofs they protect the roofing, the gutters and anyone walking below. They are common on older North Shore homes.
Are the homes west of Ridge different to roof?
Yes. West of Ridge the stock shifts to 1920s and later homes, simpler and more often asphalt. East Wilmette has the steep, complex Tudor and Prairie roofs with slate, tile and big masonry chimneys. The east side needs material-specific skill, and the west side is more routine shingle work.
How do I keep a slate roof in good shape?
Have it inspected now and then so broken or slipped slates and failing flashing get caught early, and keep the gutters and valleys clear. Do not let anyone walk on it carelessly, because slate cracks underfoot. A well-kept slate roof can last generations with the occasional repair.
Nearby communities
Evanston, Glenview, Skokie, Northbrook, Highland Park. Each has its own page covering local housing stock.
From the Roofing Education Center
Need a roofer in Wilmette?
Say where the property is and what the roof is doing. Coverage runs across Wilmette and the rest of Cook County.