| Author | Message | ||
     Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 119 Registered: 01-2012 |
Scottish slate are already 150 years old when u get them the slater re-dresses them and re-sizes them and makes you a new roof out them its a very green application (Message edited by scottishslater on July 01, 2012) | ||
| Old_school (Old_school) Senior Member Username: Old_school Post Number: 839 Registered: 01-2009 |
This is a great conversation! Kind of like "texting" on the slate forum. Scottish slater, you are so correct. Laying a random graduated slate roof takes every trick you have in your book and then some. As you say, they all used to be done like that until the manufacturers started to trim them to exact lengths and widths. The larger thicker slates were installed on the bottom of the roof because the structure could hold it better there as most of the heaviest weight was bearing on the masonry walls. Also, a slater did not have to carry all of that weight to the higher parts of the roof. As one got higher on the pitch, the slates got smaller and lighter so they were not so cumbersome to carry up the roof and they also got lighter so that the structure could bear the load. You have to sort them and know exactly how many you have for each row to make it look balanced, and the pattern is that there is no pattern. Been there and done that. Carry on! | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 6 Registered: 06-2012 |
Thanks. What about weathering or semi-weathering slate? As I understand it, slate of this type weathers naturally over time, but is still of good quality? Is there any UK slate of this type? | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 118 Registered: 01-2012 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=EaYwCDlM3ow | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 117 Registered: 01-2012 |
would have though you would have difficulty sourcing american slate but there ye go | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 116 Registered: 01-2012 |
heres another notice how every slate is a different width http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQDsgWlt9Ec | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 115 Registered: 01-2012 |
here a link to a you tube video of a Scottish roof http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQbZ5w-mu10 | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 114 Registered: 01-2012 |
i have some yes | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 5 Registered: 06-2012 |
Thanks, that's really useful. So very labour intensive to fit! Have you got any pictures of a traditional Ballachulish or Easdale roof, that you can upload? The Vermont Green are showing on the Direct Slate website. | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 111 Registered: 01-2012 |
in College now there trained to lay random using a max of 6 different widths | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 110 Registered: 01-2012 |
only slaters doing historic scotland work know how to lay the scotch styles | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 109 Registered: 01-2012 |
even when laying has started two or three slaters will remain on the ground sorting the slate for the other crew laying | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 108 Registered: 01-2012 |
the process of sorting the traditional Scotch slate can be as long as 3 weeks before you even start to lay | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 107 Registered: 01-2012 |
basically a Scottish slater can make you a roof out of thousands of different parts of slate that aint the same size in length or width.Now thats random slating (Message edited by scottishslater on July 01, 2012) | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 106 Registered: 01-2012 |
with modern random slating there's a pattern to the slating in scotch slating there is no pattern its completely random | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 105 Registered: 01-2012 |
slate manufacturers think 4 different sizes is enough to emulate a random roof its the way Scottish slate came out the ground that makes it so random there's hundreds of different widths not 4 to 6 different widths it cant be copied | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 104 Registered: 01-2012 |
the next closest is random Burlington but they will cost you two pounds a slate | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 103 Registered: 01-2012 |
Even slates been made to be random are simply not random enough there's not enough different sizes being used to emulate a Scottish style roof | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 102 Registered: 01-2012 |
But no slate will look close to a traditional Scottish slate roof | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 101 Registered: 01-2012 |
is it your own home your doing | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 100 Registered: 01-2012 |
the canadian ones you'll get in uk i know cause ive layed em the american ones you wont (Message edited by scottishslater on July 01, 2012) | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 4 Registered: 06-2012 |
OK thanks, I'll see how I get on. By the way, are there any North American slates out there that might fit the bill? I have just come across Canadian Trinity and American Vermont Green. | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 99 Registered: 01-2012 |
you could use Fesco Grey - Rustics but there 1200 pounds per thousand | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 98 Registered: 01-2012 |
yes one is hendersons the other is direct slate in denny | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2012 |
Thanks a lot. Can you give me the name of the suppliers, and i'll see how I get on. I think one of them is HRS? Is there a slate that would give the rustic look, by virtue of its riven texture and coarse structure, rather than by being chunkier? | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 97 Registered: 01-2012 |
i could probs mail you some samples if you couldn't find em there's two suppliers here that stock the scotch slate | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 96 Registered: 01-2012 |
also Scottish style slating has to be laid on a soild deck you cant lay on battens | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 95 Registered: 01-2012 |
yes thats true you can also get an aberfoyle slate which was quarried near stirling the hard thing is finding them then finding someone with the know how how to install the scotch slate but you just meet me lol | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2012 |
OK thanks, that's very helpful. I live to the south of London. I would initially be interested in the Ballachulish and Easdale Scottish slates. Not sure how easy it would be to get some samples in this neck of the woods, though! Also, I have been told the Scottish slates are expensive to lay, as they come in random sizes. Is that true? | ||
| Old_school (Old_school) Senior Member Username: Old_school Post Number: 838 Registered: 01-2009 |
It can't get any better than that. Someone from the UK asking us here in the states about UK roof, and the question is answered by a UK roofer. Is this technology great or what? | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 94 Registered: 01-2012 |
where in uk you from | ||
| Scottishslater (Scottishslater) Senior Member Username: Scottishslater Post Number: 93 Registered: 01-2012 |
You could use Burlington slate or welsh or westmorland or ballachulish all can be sourced second hand if you want a rustic look there all british slate and the ballachulish aint quarried any more but the rest can also be bought new | ||
| Aspiring_roofer (Aspiring_roofer) New member Username: Aspiring_roofer Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2012 |
I have a WR Cedar shingle roof in the UK that is coming to the end of its life. The site is wooded, so the cedar is suited, but I dislike the idea of future maintenance on a new roof and the weathered grey appearance after only a few years (even when pressure treated). But, I haven't found another alternative that I like yet. I am looking for something that has an element of a rustic appearance, maybe with weathering characteristics, but still of good quality. Are there any slates that will do this? Thanks! |
