For people who do not plan to ever sell their home the incredible longevity of slate is a highly desirable benefit.
Slate roof lifetime.
This can vary depending on the manufacturer.
These life expectancies are general experience with the material and do not consider installation or environmental factors which vary from one building to the next.
The biggest downside to slate tile roofs.
Typical life for pennsylvania slate roofs is 40 50 years.
While man made slates are typically cheaper and easier to install they only tend to last for around 20 years.
For fibre cement roof slates the life expectancy is a little shorter at around 50 60 years.
Durability and low maintenance.
A slate roof will easily last over 100 years which is at least double of what other roofing materials can offer.