Slate Roofing: Natural & Fibre-Cement

Slate is the roof of choice for much of South and West London, the older parts of Surrey towns and the Hampshire market towns. A slate roof can last well over a century; what fails is the nails, the battens and the underlay beneath it. Many of the re-slating jobs we do re-use the original slates on new battens and membrane, which is both cheaper and better for the look of the house.

We work in Welsh and Spanish natural slate and in fibre-cement slate where budget or structure calls for it, and we are experienced in the conservation-area and listed-building requirements that often come with slate roofs.

A natural slate re-roof, step by step

A full strip and re-slate on a terraced house, with insulation fitted between the rafters, a new breathable membrane and battens, natural slate, lead soakers and stepped flashing at the chimneys, a new dormer and a flat glass rooflight. The photographs below follow the job from strip-out to finish.

Roof stripped to the rafters before slating — Before

Finished natural slate roof with chimney and new lead — After

Old roof stripped back to the rafters, with rigid insulation boards fitted between them — **01 · Strip out**

Insulation between rafters and the new dormer flat roof deck being formed — **02 · Insulation**

Breathable membrane laid and treated battens fixed to gauge — **03 · Membrane & battens**

Natural slates being laid from the eaves up — **04 · Slating**

Slating under way across the main roof, with the new dormer clad — **05 · Dormer**

Lead soakers and stepped flashing at the chimney abutment — **06 · Leadwork**

Finished slate roof with repointed chimney and new lead — **07 · Finished**

Finished slate roof and dormer with new flat glass rooflight — **08 · Finished**

Warning signs

Slates slipping one by oneNail sickness. The slates are fine; the iron nails have rusted through.

Slates with pale or flaking surfacesPoor-quality slate delaminating; needs replacement rather than re-fixing.

Lead tingles everywhereEach one marks a past repair. Many of them mean the roof is ready for re-slating.

Daylight in the loftSlipped or broken slates and torn underlay.

Damp at valleys and chimneysLeadwork at the end of its life.

Heavy mossHolds water on a material that would otherwise shed it instantly.

What we do

Re-slating with the original slates on new battens and membrane
New natural slate roofs in Welsh or Spanish slate
Fibre-cement slate roofs (Marley, Cembrit, Eternit)
Individual slate replacement and tingle repairs
Lead valleys, flashings and soakers to match period details
Conservation-area and listed-building compliant work
Copper or stainless fixings throughout

Materials and methods

Welsh slate (Penrhyn, Cwt-y-Bugail) for the best match on period roofs; Spanish slate (Cupa, Del Carmen) as a high-quality, better-value alternative; fibre-cement slate where weight or budget rules out natural. All slates fixed with copper or stainless nails, never galvanised, onto treated battens over breathable membrane. Lead to Code 4 and 5.

Why choose us for slate roofing

Experience with the detailing period slate roofs need
Original slates re-used wherever they are sound
Materials specified to satisfy conservation officers
Fixings that will not rust through in fifty years
Workmanship guarantee plus the longest-lived covering there is

What to expect

We survey the roof and count how many original slates are sound enough to re-use, then quote for re-slating with those plus matching replacements, and separately for a full new slate roof so you can compare. We photograph the roof before, during and after.

Related projects

Finished natural slate roof with dormer and rooflight

Slate re-roof

Natural slate re-roof with dormer and rooflight

Full strip, insulation between rafters, new membrane and battens, natural slate, chimney leadwork and a new dormer.

All projects →

Frequently asked questions

Can you re-use my old slates?

Usually 60 to 80 per cent of them, if they have not delaminated. We sort them on site and make up the shortfall with matching reclaimed or new slate.

Welsh or Spanish slate?

Welsh is the original and the longest-lived but costs considerably more. Good Spanish slate is excellent and is what we recommend for most houses.

Is fibre-cement slate a good choice?

For an extension matching a slate house on a budget, yes. For a full re-roof on a period house, we would steer you to natural slate for both longevity and appearance.

Do I need permission to re-slate?

Like-for-like, usually not. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changing the material needs consent. We check for you.