Roofing slates

{{Short description|Roofing tiles made out of slate}} thumb|Roofing slates '''Roofing slates''' are roofing tiles made out of slate. The rock is split into thin sheets which are cut to the required size before shipment. This contrasts to slabs which are milled to produce larger structural components.<ref>{{cite book |title=Structural Slate: Uses and Standardized Types |publisher=Structural Slate Company |date=1927}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |author=National Slate Association|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ncvAAAAMAAJ |title=Slate Roofs |date=1926 |publisher=National Slate Association |language=en}}</ref> They are the primary product of the slate industry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roofing Traditions in Britain and Ireland |url=http://www.stoneroof.org.uk/Traditional/Roofing_traditions.html |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=www.stoneroof.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=BS 680:1944 Roofing slates |url=https://doi.org/10.3403/30305972u |doi=10.3403/30305972u |access-date=2025-06-20 |publisher=BSI British Standards|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-05 |author=Dr. Víctor Cárdenes Van den Eynde|title=Brief history of roofing slate in Northern America |url=https://www.cupapizarras.com/int/news/roofing-slate-northern-america-history/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Cupa Pizarras |language=en}}</ref>

== History == [[File:Kellow Slate Ridging-geograph-5044218.jpg|thumb|Example of the interlocking slate ridging patented by Moses Kellow and produced at Parc (this example is on the former toll house at Porthmadog, which became the offices for the Croesor quarry)]] The Romans were the first to mine and install standard-sized slate on roofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cárdenes |first=Víctor |title=Natural slate in the Roman Empire |date=11 October 2022 |url=https://www.cupapizarras.com/uk/news/slate-roman-empire/}}</ref>

In his writings, Pliny the Elder mentions the existence of slate in Liguria, near Genoa.

== Modern production == The world's biggest consumer of slate is France, followed by the UK, USA and Germany.

In 2012, Spain produced more than {{convert|580,000|tonnes}} of slate worth about $380 million. This made it the largest slate producer in the world, followed by China and Brazil.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cárdenes |first1=Victor |last2=Rubio-Ordóñez |first2=Álvaro |last3=Wichert |first3=Jörn |last4=Cnudde |first4=Jean Pierre |last5=Cnudde |first5=Veerle |date=2014-11-01 |title=Petrography of roofing slates |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825214001287 |journal=Earth-Science Reviews |volume=138 |pages=435–453 |doi=10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.07.003 |bibcode=2014ESRv..138..435C |issn=0012-8252|url-access=subscription |hdl=10651/30444 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Redacción |date=2012-09-21 |title=Los pizarristas reclaman más apoyo promocional de las administraciones |url=https://www.laregion.es/valdeorras/pizarristas-reclaman-mas-apoyo-promocional-administraciones_1_20120921-2602703.html |access-date=2025-06-20 |work=La Región |language=es}}</ref>

== See also == * {{section link|Stone slabs|In construction}} * Roofing material * List of commercially available roofing materials * Slate industry in Wales (has information about different sizes of roofing slates) * North Wales Quarrymen's Union * Slate industry * Slate industry in Spain

== References == {{reflist}} {{commonscat|Close-up photographs of slate roofs}}

==External links== *{{Cite web |title=National Slate Association {{!}} The resource for slate roofing |url=https://www.slateassociation.org/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=National Slate Association |language=en-US}} Trade association in the United States. *[https://www.slateroofers.org/ Slate Roofing Contractors Association] *{{Cite web |title=Site de l'association L'ardoise |url=http://ardoise.free.fr/ |access-date=2025-06-20 |website=Association L'ardoise|language=fr}} Slate association in France

Category:Roofs Category:Stone buildings Category:Slate