Natural slate: stunning natural material that can last a century

For centuries, when people have needed a material that lasts, they’ve chosen natural slate. Neolithic hunters used it to tip arrows and spears. As far back as Roman times, it was being used to roof palaces and forts.

So it’s no surprise that, even thousands of years later, natural slate is still prized for its strength, low maintenance and long lifespan.

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Timeless aesthetics

Do you live in a conservation area? A listed building? Perhaps your house had a slate roof already – or perhaps, like an increasing number of architects, builders and homeowners, you’re working on a new-build made of natural, traditional materials. If this is the case, then natural slate is the only choice.

University of Bristol

natural slate

Natural slate from SSQ

At SSQ, we supply the highest quality natural slate for a wide range of applications. Our selection of natural slates are often specified for use in listed buildings and conservation areas. They provide some of the best weather protection available today with a sleek attractive aesthetic, unique to natural slates.

Many of our natural slates come from the renowned slate quarries of North West Spain. Our Del Carmen slates, for example, are chosen by architects from around the world for their unique aesthetic appearance. Del Carmen slates, a kind of spanish slate, have a unique deep blue-black colour. A faint rippled texture and distinctive longitudinal grain sets Del Carmen slates apart from other slates, making them a popular choice for premium roofing projects and aspirational renovations.

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Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield

Slate: the greenest roofing material of them all?

The clue is in the name. Natural slate is 100% natural. It’s the product of hundreds of millions of years of geology, and contains none of the chemicals that many synthetic alternatives do.

When it comes to embodied carbon – in effect, a material’s carbon footprint – natural slate is even more impressive. Concrete tiles create 0.19kg of CO² per kilogram. Clay tiles are worse – they produce 0.43kg per kilo. Natural slate, however, contains far less – between 0.005-0.054kg per kilo.

If you’re looking for a long-lasting, great-looking roof, then natural slate is the eco-friendly choice.

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Material that lasts a lifetime

Perhaps the biggest benefit of natural slate is that it lasts. A quality slate roof, for example, that’s expertly installed, can last over a hundred years – in many cases, longer than the building it’s originally fitted on! Those lengthy lifespans mean that, over time, it’s much more cost-effective than the alternatives.

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Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield
Barrow Hill Primary Academy Chesterfield

Outstanding in all winds and weathers

Heat, cold, rain, snow – natural slate can withstand it all. Slate has been gracing roofs in windswept coastal parts of Wales and Cornwall for hundreds of years, and offers outstanding longevity and performance in a huge range of climates and conditions.

For more detailed information, our brochure contains all the vital specifications you need to make a fully informed decision about our slate products.

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Testimonials

Being both high quality and cost-effective, Matacouta slate from SSQ is proving very popular with specifiers and contractors alike for refurbishment as well as for new build projects.

Mr Roy Clark, Baxter Clark and Paul

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Case Study

SSQ’s exceptional slate contributes to award-nominated heritage restoration

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