Slate on Preston Hollow homes
Preston Hollow is a North Dallas neighborhood, not a separate city. It was farmland until the 1920s and 1930s, when developers Ira P. DeLoache and Al Joyce began carving estate lots out of old farm parcels west of Preston Road. Residents incorporated it as its own town of about two square miles in 1939 and voted to join Dallas in 1945. "Old Preston Hollow" — roughly Northwest Highway to Walnut Hill Lane between Preston Road and Midway Road — is still known for large lots and houses set far back from the street, and architect Charles Dilbeck designed many of its landmark homes in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some older estates carry slate, and new builds often choose slate or synthetic slate to fit the street. So the work here runs both ways: keeping an older slate roof alive with honest repairs, and matching new slate on an addition or rebuild so it doesn't look new from the curb.
What usually fails first on an older slate roof
- Flashing. Valleys, chimney and wall flashings usually wear out long before good slate does. We rebuild them, often in copper.
- Nails. When original nails rust through, slates slide out. We reset them with slate hooks or nail-and-bib methods.
- Old repairs. Face-nailed slates, caulk and tar patches trap water and crack neighbors. We remove them.
- Foot traffic. Satellite, HVAC and gutter crews break slate. See slate roof repair.
Matching slate on additions and rebuilds
Slate varies by quarry in color, thickness, size and how it weathers. We source from the same region whenever we can — Vermont and New York, Pennsylvania or imported Spanish slate — and lay new slate at the same exposure as the original so the roof reads as one. If the framing can't carry natural slate, a synthetic slate is the honest alternative; see synthetic vs. real slate.
Hail and slate near Preston Hollow
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 15 reports of hail 1.75 inches (golf-ball size) or larger within about 10 miles of Preston Hollow from 2016 through September 2026. The largest was 3-inch hail near Carrollton on June 6, 2018, with 2.25-inch hail near Richardson on September 24, 2023 and 1.75-inch hail near Richardson as recently as April 27, 2026. The Storm Prediction Center also logged 1-inch hail 4 miles north-northwest of University Park on May 22, 2026, just south of Preston Hollow. Hail can crack slate, but so can age, rusted nails and old repairs. Our report shows which is which, because that changes both the repair and any claim. If you file an insurance claim, we document the damage and meet your adjuster on the roof. Texas law requires you to pay your deductible, and a contractor may not waive, absorb or rebate it. We never will.
How we inspect a roof you can't walk like a shingle roof
Slate and tile break under the wrong footstep, so a careless inspection can cause the damage it's looking for. We plan a walk path, step only where the pieces are supported, use roof ladders and pads where needed, and fly a drone over the areas that aren't safe to walk. Every inspection comes with a free digital photo report, so you see what we see. The report separates old breaks, fresh breaks and installation problems, because they lead to very different answers.
City of Dallas permits
Because Preston Hollow is inside the City of Dallas, the city's rules apply. Dallas says replacing large areas of a roof or an entire roof requires a re-roof permit; its published exemption for single-family re-roofs is limited to work valued at $500 or less, and structural repairs to rafters or joists need a building permit. The city also notes that historic and conservation districts have extra requirements for exterior work. We check the address, pull the permit and schedule the inspections.
We're certified with GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, Atlas, Johns Manville, Carlisle, Tropical Roofing Products, Mule-Hide and Enviroshake. Nearby: slate roofing in University Park, slate roofing in Highland Park and standing seam in Preston Hollow.
Product names, ratings and features are as published by the manufacturer and can change. We confirm the current rating and warranty of the exact product before we order it.
Residential warranty: a workmanship warranty from 10 years up to lifetime, depending on the job, with manufacturer warranties up to lifetime. Manufacturer coverage depends on the product and brand, and on the project qualifying for that manufacturer's program. We put the exact warranty for your roof in writing.
Certified, with 30 years installing every major roofing brand, a family roofing business going back 75 years, and over $80 million in completed roofing projects. 5.0 stars on Google at all three of our offices.
Request a free inspection or call (817) 733-9228. Small repairs are welcome too.
