Slate Roofs in Droitwich

Natural or Fibre-Cement Slate

Slate is thin, dense and very slow to wear, which is why so many Victorian terraces and older houses still carry their original roofs. Natural slate is split stone and, laid well, can last for a century or more. Fibre-cement slate is a manufactured alternative: lighter, more uniform and less expensive, with a shorter but still respectable lifespan that suits extensions and tighter budgets.

Re-slating is needed when nails have rusted through and slates are sliding out in numbers, a condition roofers call nail sickness. You may see a row of tingles, the small metal strips used to hold slipped slates, spreading across the roof, or slates that have delaminated and gone flaky. At that stage, refixing individual slates no longer keeps up with the failures.

We grade slates by thickness before laying, so the thickest go at the eaves and the courses sit flat. Each slate is fixed with copper or stainless nails, or with hooks where they suit the pitch and the look you want, over breathable membrane and new battens. Sound old slate can often be reused on the front. The work carries a 10-year guarantee, so if a slate slips in that time we come back and refix it.