Natural slate: roofing and cladding
Slate is a metamorphic stone that splits into thin, regular sheets, and that property has made it the traditional roofing material of northern Spain. It is impermeable by nature and performs very well in the open without any treatment.
Format and installation
We supply black slate in 40x25 cm, a standard size that works both on a roof and as vertical cladding on facades or interior walls.
On a roof, laying runs from the bottom upwards in overlapping courses, so each piece covers the joint of the one below. The minimum overlap depends on the pitch: the shallower the pitch, the greater the overlap needed.
The hooks matter
Slate is fixed with stainless steel hooks, not nailed directly. The hook holds the piece by its lower edge and lets it move without stress, preventing cracking. Stainless is not optional on a roof: anything else rusts and ends up staining the slate and weakening the fixing. Hooks of 16x70 mm suit the standard format.
Durability
With water absorption of around 0.4%, effectively nil, slate withstands freeze-thaw cycles without degrading. Properly laid, a natural slate roof comfortably exceeds seventy-five years with no maintenance, and it is one of the materials with the best ratio of initial investment to service life.
Tell us the roof area and we will calculate the pieces and hooks.
