It takes knowledge and skill to assemble this irregular rag slate roof. Observe how the sizes and lengths of each slate vary somewhat. To slate using irregular slates, specialised knowledge is required. There was a negative kick in this roof, which also required considerable ability to work with. (‘A negative kick’ means that there are convex bumps in the roof). Can you spot the two little dents on the roof when you look at the pictures? We had to use the original timber because this was a listed building, which means that a negative kick could occur (original timber is often less straight and smooth). The slates must be significantly thinner when working with a negative kick so they still fit tightly onto the roof and don’t accentuate any dips or protrusions, which could cause water to get in. We used a grinder to thin down the slates.
See the full gallery of pictures about this project over in our project portfolio. Click this link to view more images of how we installed rag slates on an original timber roof on a listed building.
Got more questions about rag slate or Delabole slate? See our in-depth explanation of how we work with rag slate/ Delabole slate here.
More helpful information on listed buildings can be found by clicking on these titles: