Roof Slate Companies in the UK

Types and Uses

For pitched roofs, the choice has long been between tiles and slates, with thatch amounting for a tiny percentage. Before the railways became commonplace, slate roofs were largely restricted to areas close to quarry sites, due to the high cost of transportation. In other parts of the country, tiles were commonplace at that time but slate was seen as desirable for important buildings. After the coming of the railways, slate became more widely used.

Slate is still viewed by many as adding class to a building. Often, roofing materials are dictated by local planning regulations, but where there is free choice, many people prefer the upmarket look of slates. Natural slate can be expensive and requires great skill to fit, but newer alternatives have been developed in fibre cement, concrete and steel that are easy to fit and suit all budgets.