Australia’s Expert Slate Roofers
Slate Roofing Merchants have provided slate roof restorations for some of Australia’s most historic and culturally important buildings. We have decades of experience and can guarantee a quality slate fix to your modern or historic home, church or historic building.
While quality slate is important, an experienced ‘slater’ or slate ‘fixer’ is imperative to getting the result you deserve when using slate. Slating is a craft that is learned through many years if not decades of experience.
Installation Recommendations
Headlap
This is the most important consideration with any form of roofing. As with interlocking tiles, slates must NEVER be fixed on a roof with less than 75mm headlap. Any slate roof fixing system with less than 75mm headlap should be rejected. Some exposed positions or roofs with flatter pitches may require a larger headlap.
Battens
Always use a softwood batten due to slate nailing considerations.
Nails
A nail with a clout like head can be used to fix slates provided that the slate is punched and not drilled as the punching from the back gives a countersink on the face of the slate for the nail head. As an alternative a stainless steel hook system can be used.
Laying Slates
Slates should be laid with a broken bond and secured with nails or hooks to softwood battens. Before fixing, perpendicular lines should be marked giving the correct bond and spacing, Approximately 4mm should be left between the vertical joints of each slate so that is a free thoroughfare for water running down the roof. Slate should be started from the eaves and fixed diagonally across and up the roof slope.
Copper & Metal Roofing
We are experts in the repair and replacement of copper and other historic metal roofing.
Cast Iron Plumbing
We specialise in cast iron plumbing fitting and restoration using Hargreaves cast iron products.
Heritage Buildings
We are specialists in heritage and historically significant building restoration.
