Slate has been used for this purpose for centuries.
Slate roof construction scotland.
This method was introduced for purely economic reasons.
It is particularly well known for its use as a roof covering on many traditional scottish buildings.
Many traditional scottish buildings have roofs that are covered with local slate or stone.
It s wise to inspect slate roofs regularly to spot potential problems as soon as they appear.
These include features such as diminishing courses random lengths and widths of slate single nailing and laying onto sarking board rather than battens figure 1.
Scottish slate is a long lasting roofing material and although slate roofs have a finite life a lifespan of up to or beyond 100 years is quite common.
The relatively small and thick scottish slates were produced in a variety of lengths and widths and laid with the largest slates at the base of the roof with the smaller ones at the top.
Scottish slate roofs have a number of characteristics which make them well suited to both the local climate and the nature of the material produced by slate quarries in scotland.
Overview the roof covering is a building s first line of defence against the weather.
Weather conditions in scotland also determine the need for adequate fixing methods and in this regard training and supervision are of the utmost importance.
Scottish slate has a well earned reputation as a long lasting material.