Like the title says, on a typical slate roof, is it normal to cement / mortar the ridge tiles on? I always assumed not -you just lay them neatly- but looking around I see a lot of old houses that have them cemented on. Is that a later modification or what?
Standard ridge tiles should be bedded in mortar at the joints, which should be built up with layers of slips and mortar, to reduce shrinkage, how it's been done for hundreds of years
On old slate roofs, the ridges would be laid with tighter joints, darker mortar and perhaps more skill, and so may well look like they have not been bedded on mortar.
I use expanding foam to bed the capped ridge tiles on these days. You would be better to bed them on with something as they may rock about in the wind and keep you awake at night! having said that I did a roof for a friend of mine about 15yrs ago and it started raining as I was finishing, so he said not to worry he would point them himself he never has and he hasn't had any problems.
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