The installation of Cembrit’s Duquesa slates on a cottage in Devon has proved that natural slates not only provide an attractive finish to a building, but can overcome a difficult re-roofing project. Bridge Cottage is a listed building in Axminster which dates back to the 17thcentury. Originally built as a labourer’s cottage, and constructed as a low cost building, it has required a number of updates over the years, including new windows, a garden room and covered parking bays.

Most recently, the owners put in a request to East Devon District Council to re-roof the property, and requested slates to match the roof on an extension. Bradfords Building Supplies, a builders’ merchant which stocks Cembrit roofing materials, supplied approximately 4,500 Cembrit Duquesa natural slates. These slates were installed over an existing corrugated steel roof that had been in place for between 60 – 70 years.

The property owner was impressed with the flexibility and durability of the Cembrit slates. With the roof not being at a consistent level, the slates had to be flexible enough to deal with a change in pitch – from 45 degrees at one end, to 60 degrees at the other end. The dark grey Duquesa slates lie neatly across the whole building to maintain a uniform appearance, and complement the lighter grey slate on the extension. The smooth surface texture of the Duquesa slate blended well with the old appearance of the cottage, to give it a contemporary, yet natural-looking finish.