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Our Products
When we say that Timothy Spillane, Inc. does specialty roofing, what we're really saying is that we use specialty products. What makes slate, tile and copper special among roofing products? The answer begins with the long tradition they share. Kiln-fired clay tiles were used on roofs in Lerna, Greece as early as the 3rd millenium BC. Slate has been used on roofs for centuries in countries from China to Wales to here in the US. Likewise, copper in sheet form has been used for hundreds of years for roofing purposes - a famous example being the use of it on the vast expanse of roof on the ancient Chartres Cathedral in France. The long tradition these special roofing products share is a result of two things: their beauty and durability. No matter what your taste in architecture - from classic to country to contemporary - slate, tile and copper can each add an element of style and integrity to a building in ways that no other roofing products can. And - in keeping with the times - these products are environmentally friendly and a part of the green building revolution. No petroleum in these products. Their durability means that they won't be taking up space in a landfill in 20 years. And because of the above-sheathing ventilation and thermal mass provided by slate and tile, both products have cool roofing attributes that result in increased energy efficiency.
Slate: Slate is a natural stone that, due to geologic processes (no need to go into the details here!), can be split into roofing shingles that are as thin as 3/16" and still extremely dense, durable and virtually non-absorbent. They're colorful as well, as slate's varied chemical composition produces a range of colors from black to red, purple to green.  The colors themselves are classified as either weathering (where exposure to sunlight yields gradual tonal changes in the slate's color) or permament (almost no discoloration after exposure to the elements; these slates are also referred to as "unfading"). Because slate is a result of these naturally occuring conditions, where a bed of slate was formed determines both the color and quality of the material. Slate quarries are found the world over and the quality can be just as diverse as the locations. Here in the Philadelphia area, we are fortunate to have consistent access to some of the finest slate available anywhere. Vermont-quarried slate is renown for its integrity and rich palette of colors. In fact, we're reluctant to use slate quarried from anywhere else. More than just a beautiful and durable product, slate also presents architects and builders with a myriad of design possibilities. Add a wide range of sizes - varying thicknesses, lengths and widths - to the fact that slates can be cut into shapes, laid in patterns, and staggered across their butt lines and the possibilities become nearly endless. Introduce a blend of colors to the roof's design and the finish product will be both timeless and unique. Slate offers designers what few other building materials can: the opportunity to achieve a tapestry-like effect that is as rIch as it is subltle, and an appearance that is elegant but not overstated. If you'd really like to learn more about slate and slate roofing, check out Jeff Levine's superb article, "Preservation Brief #29" (prepared for the National Park Service), The Repair, Replacement & Maintenance of Historic Slate Roofs. Take the following link to read Jeff's article: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief29.htm
Tile: If a slate roof can be described as a tapestry then it's probably fair to say that a tile roof can be compared to a mosaic. In their classic book, Roof Slating and Tiling, Bennet and Pinion describe a tile roof as being "made up of small pieces... and can be laid over modelled surfaces. Its colours and textures are varied and generally pleasing, so that it can be made into an object of beauty."  Whereas slate is a natural material, virtually unchanged from the condition in which it was drawn from out of the earth, clay tiles must be made - either by hand or machine. And it is this 'interference' with the natural clay, as Bennet and Pinion describe the manufacuring process, that gives tile roofs their robust and cheerful appearance. The common misnomer we often find is that people only think of 'Spanish' or 'Mission' style and the color red when they think of tile roofing. In fact, there are a plethora of shapes and styles when it comes to clay tiles and a broad range of colors and hues from earth tones to brilliant blues and greens. And while tile roofs here in our area are rather rare (and, some might say, 'exotic!') the manufacturing process is much the same as that of the ordinary building brick. But while the clay used for making bricks is pretty much ubiquitous the world over, proper clays for making roofing tiles are not. The best clays for this purpose are rich, 'fat' clays which, ironically, are necessary to make 'thin' roofing tiles which must still be harder and less porous than brick. Not an easy feat! And, fortunately for us, we have excellent clay deposits here close to home (at Ludowici's plant in Ohio), and have access to some of the best in Europe (England and France, especially). Without diminishing slate, it's probably fair to say that tiles offer the architect or builder greater versatility in their designs. There is, perhaps, nothing more sublte or warm than a handmade tile, nor are you likely to find anything quite so distinct - even 'jazzy' - as the sleek lines and shapes that can be created with machine made roofing tiles. Tile or slate? Slate or tile? To be honest, we debate the topic endlessly ourselves. But it's nice having so much quality material from which to choose.
Copper: In a very real sense, copper is a "timeless" metal that has helped humankind through the ages meet their basic fundamental desires to both create and protect. Used in various ways in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman epochs of our history, copper has in recent centuries found entirely satisfactory usage on roofs, gutters and other weatherproofing constructions.  In fact, the oldest known copper roofed church in the United States is Christ Church, built in Philadelphia in 1787. What makes copper so useful to the roofing trade is its toughness and its adaptability. We love working with it because our ability to form and shape it allows us to use it in a broad range of applications - from snow guards to ornately detailed collection boxes to standing-seam roof panels. In every case, copper lends beauty to function. In fact, with the exception of gold, copper is the only primary metal that possesses color. And, without sounding like metallurgists (which we certainly are not!), what is truly amazing about the color of copper is the oxidation process that occurs as a result of natural weathering. It is this process which yields the gradual color change in copper as the metal's color moves over a period of years from a rich, natural reddish-gold to the cool and soft hues of its final blue-green patina. Today, copper sheet goods are available in a number of finishes and weights allowing architects and builders to achieve the utmost in permanance, design flexibility and beauty. Quite frankly, there really is no other roofing product like it.
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