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Replace a slate DIY: hole it on the ground, then stop

Updated: 24 October 2026

You have one cracked or slipped slate and a ladder that looks short enough to be reasonable. A replace a slate DIY job is often not a nail you can reach. This page says why, and what you can still do on the ground. The [slate hammer comparison](/hub/hand-tools/slate-hammer) is only for a bench job that remains. Peter F. followed HSE roof-work guidance and the Work at Height Regulations 2005, not a repair filmed here. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have one cracked or slipped slate and a ladder that looks short enough to be reasonable. A replace a slate DIY job is often not a nail you can reach. This page says why, and what you can still do on the ground.

Our top picks

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick

Best overall

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick
8.5/10about £62.02
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Roughneck Roughneck ROU61800 slater's hammer

Best value

Roughneck Roughneck ROU61800 slater's hammer
8.7/10about £16.99
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Roughneck Roughneck Gorilla ROU11040 slater's hammer

Alternative

Roughneck Roughneck Gorilla ROU11040 slater's hammer
8.3/10about £23.99
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On this page
  1. 1.The repair is often not a nailing job
  2. 2.The roof is work at height
  3. 3.What you can do without leaving the ground
  4. 4.When the hammer is the wrong next purchase

The repair is often not a nailing job

A slate cracked in the middle of a course usually cannot be nailed as the original was. The nail line sits under the slate above, so you cannot see the batten or swing at the hole without lifting the course. B&Q describes the trade sequence: a slate ripper if the old nails will not break, then a tingle nailed to the batten. The new slate slides up, and the strip bends over the tail. Gloves matter, because the broken edge is sharp. That is not permission to do it on your roof. A ripper and a tingle are not in this hammer box. Holing a spare, if it needs holes, is a bench job. The strike is the how to hole a slate page.

The roof is work at height

HSE treats roof work as planned work, including a few minutes. Short duration does not cancel the duty. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply where a fall could injure someone. Treat the roof as fragile until a competent person says it is not. CIS68 puts slates and tiles in poor condition on that list and says to assume fragility unless you are certain. If you cannot reach the job without walking the roof, do not improvise. DIY Guides tells readers not to climb a slated roof at all. The Gorilla's lanyard hole tethers the tool. It is not a harness.
Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick

Testsieger

Estwing Estwing E239MS roofer's pick
8.5/10about £62.02
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What you can do without leaving the ground

You can slow a leak from the ground, or from access you have already planned. B&Q's temporary flashing strip is a cover, not a finished slate. Match a spare for colour, thickness, and size. Hole it on a bench only if that supplier allows a spike. Some want a punch. A tingle repair may never be nailed, so ask before you make holes you do not need. Eye protection still applies on the bench. Photograph the crack and count the slates. A few minutes on a fragile roof are still a fall.

When the hammer is the wrong next purchase

Buy a slate hammer only if a bench job remains: a spare to hole, or cuts on an offcut. Do not buy one as the first step for a house roof you cannot reach safely. Several cracked slates, rotten battens, a listed building, or a re-roof are a roofer's work. This page does not invent a call-out price. If you still need a hammer, the pattern is the slate hammer buying guide and the names are on the best slater's hammer page. A £12.98 pick does not shorten the ladder. Hole the spare on the ground. Leave the fitting to someone with the access HSE describes.

Common questions

Can I nail a new slate into the gap?
Usually no. The nail line of a mid-course slate sits under the slate above. B&Q's sequence uses a ripper if the old nails will not break, then a strip nailed to the batten and bent over the tail. A hammer on its own does not finish that repair.
What is a tingle?
A tingle is the metal strip that holds a replacement slate when you cannot nail it. One end is fixed to the batten, the slate slides over it, and the free end bends over the tail. It is not part of these five hammers.
Do I need a slate hammer at all for one slipped slate?
Often you need a ripper and a tingle more than a new hole. A hammer matters when a spare must be holed on the bench and the supplier allows a spike. If the slate only needs pushing back onto a strip, the hammer is the wrong first purchase.
Is a slate roof fragile?
Treat it as fragile until a competent person says it is not. HSE's CIS68 includes slates and tiles in poor condition and tells you to assume fragility unless you are certain. One cracked slate is a sign of that condition, not proof the course will hold you.
The hammer has a lanyard hole. Does that make the roof safe?
No. On the Roughneck Gorilla, the lanyard hole tethers the hammer so the tool does not fall. It is not a harness. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 still govern the person on the roof.
Who do I call if more than one slate is cracked?
Call a roofer. Several slates, a visible batten, or a listed roof are beyond one spare and a bench hole. This comparison cannot price the visit. Another hammer does not change the access.

Related pages

Right or left handed slater's hammer

Slate hammer

Best slater's hammer: who each of these five is for

Slate hammer buying guide: three heads, then weight

How to hole a slate: bed, support, and when to stop

Sources

Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk saved listings for B0CBVW35XX, B004VRPXUU, B097BJ7444, B0002JT0BE, and B0001JZYL0, scored on 22 October 2026. Public sources cover work at height, PUWER, BS 5534, BS 8000-6, and holing practice. None of these listings is certified to those standards. This is not a lab strike test.

  1. HSE: Work at height FAQs (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE: PUWER and work equipment (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. NFRC: standards and regulations (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. LABC: fixing of roof tiles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. CUPA: fixing guide for natural slate (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. SSQ: nail fixing guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Kellaway: Roughneck slater's hammer (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  9. Metal Roofing Tools: Stubai slater's hammer 275501 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  10. Wow Tools: Estwing E239MS roofer's pick (retrieved 22 October 2026)