Slate roofing tile has a long and storied history, and is generally known as one of the highest quality, longest lasting roofing materials on the market.

Vermont Slate roofing tiles have some huge upsides, mostly due to the fact that it's a natural stone product, giving it a unique, beautiful appearance, and the longevity that slate is famous for. Here's a list of the most popular reasons homeowners choose to install slate roofing tiles on their home.

Appearance. First and foremost, homeowners are drawn to slate because of its beauty.  There simply isn't a roofing material on the market that has a classier, more celebrated appearance. Furthermore, slate roofing tiles offer more choices than most homeowners realize, available in varying sizes and thicknesses, as well as a wide range of colors, including gray, green, purple, black, red, and mottled tiles that sport several colors mixed together.

Longevity. Joseph Jenkins of Traditional Roofing Magazine writes that slate roofs "can and should be routinely built to last at least a century. In fact, 150 years is a reasonable expectation of a roof's longevity if the roof is properly constructed." That's a big plus in an industry where many roofing systems are lucky to last 20 or 30 years before needing replacement.

Fire Resistance. The Durable Slate Roofing Company touts slate roofing as "one of the most fire resistant roofs that exist." Unlike many other roofing materials, slate tiles themselves are completely fire proof. That's a big advantage when it comes to preventing fires caused by air borne sparks from fireworks, wildfires, or from adjacent house fires.

Environmentally Friendly.  According to statistics cited by The Durable Slate Roofing Company, roofing waste accounts for more than 5 percent of the total waste sent to landfills across the nation every year. Since the majority of that roofing waste can be attributed to asphalt shingle roofing that needs replacement every 20 to 30 years, it's easy to see the positive environmental impacts of installing a roof that is going to last 100 years or more.