Riverstone Rises to the Indigenous Challenge

At SSQ, we are so confident in the quality of our signature slate, Riverstone, we knew it would hold its own against any indigenous slate.

So we set the Independent Building Investigation Services (IBIS) a task. The challenge, if they were willing to accept it (which they did), was to compare in detail the properties of our SSQ Riverstone with that of indigenous Cornish Delabole slate.

After conducting a comprehensive geological examination of the two slates, Barry Hunt, Director of IBIS and holder of more degrees and qualifications you could shake a stick at, concluded:

“In summary, the two slates are similar both aesthetically and physically, although I would consider the Riverstone stronger and therefore potentially more durable.”

The findings from the testing revealed what we had suspected. Riverstone, quarried at our own San Luis quarry in La Repressa, Argentina shares many similar characteristics with the Delabole slate.

Christ College, Brecon – Riverstone Phyllite to replace the original Cornish Delabole slate

Both slates have visual and physical similarities such as a pronounced grain, a true grey colour and pronounced dressed edges. Moreover, both slates have very low water absorption and calcium carbonate rates, making them ideal for coastal areas around the UK.

However, there is one area where indigenous slate cannot compete – aesthetics. Having metamorphosed over a longer time period (it hails from the pre Cambrian era over 560 million years ago), it has developed a beautiful satin-like lustre making it genuinely stand out from the crowd.

View Riverstone on roofs in our Riverstone case studies or request free sample here.