Slating

Acorn specialise in all types, and method of slating, from natural slate to man made slates.

The use of slate on roofs in Britain dates back to the roman period, there were many slate mines in Britain, from Cornwall right up to Scotland, and there are many different methods of laying slates.

The traditional form of slating requires great skill, from an experienced Slater to produce a most attractive finish.

Even before the slates are taken up on the roof, they need to be graded, this could be sorting metamorphic slates into different thickness, this is done so that the thicker slates will be laid at the bottom of the roof, and the thinner slates at the top.

Random or Roundhead slates are sorted into length and widths, so that when laid, the larger slates will be laid at the bottom, and the smaller slates at the top.

It is very rare to still see traditional methods being used, most of the time this will only be seen carried out on listed buildings.

One of the methods that was used,is scantle slating, this is when each and every slate, used to be tail bedded in cement and lime mortar, this would have been a common sight along the coast of Britain, this was done to prevent wind and driven rain being blown up and under the slates.