Slating

Natural slate is known through the world as one of the finest building materials, and has been quarried or mined in the UK for many centuries. Natural slate comes from sedimentary rock formed 500-600 million years ago.

Slates used in England were solely mined from Wales until improvements in transport meant they could be imported from all over the world - including Spain, China and Canada.

Slates from abroad are much cheaper than Welsh slates, although Welsh slates are of a superior quality, so as a Sussex based company we use different slates for different jobs, depending on the tiling and slating needs of the client.

Artificial slates made of fibre cement are also used as a cheaper alternative to natural slate.

The most popular sizes for slates are 600x300mm and 500x250mm, and at Coast to Coast Roofing we grade all of our slates to thicknesses which give the roof a flatter, more traditional look. This helps us when roofing around a chimney or when repairing a roof.

The advantages of natural slate roofing are that it has a proven method of application and fixing, it is light but durable (Welsh slate is estimated to last 150 years), and that it is non-porous so allows a faster flow of water.