ABC&D have recently attended a CUPA PIZARRAS’ slate training course at Burton Roofing Merchants Ltd.’s local branch.

The training, which includes a RIBA approved CPD seminar, has been created to provide architects with the technical knowledge required to prevent any problems on site when it comes to the installation and grading of Heavy 3 slate.

A Robust Slate Solution:

Quarried from CUPA PIZARRAS’ No3 quarry in San Pedro de Trones in Northern Spain, Heavy 3 slate is seen as the best choice for the repair and replacement of traditional Scottish roofs due to its likeness to traditional Ballachulish slate.

Featuring the same colour, texture and markings as the Scottish slate, Heavy 3 is a true heavy thanks to a thickness of 7mm – 8mm, providing it with the strength to withstand the harsh Scottish weather.

The Heavy 3 slates are more cost effective than most concrete or ceramic tiles, which have an average lifespan of 50 years as opposed to CUPA PIZARRAS slate that can have a lifespan of more than 100 years with no colour alteration.

‘Hands On’ Slate Training:

It's important for architects to have an understanding so they can prevent costly problems onsite easily when it comes to site inspections.

Located at Burton Roofing Ltd.’s Livingston branch, the new CUPA PIZARRAS training is held in the branch’s warehouse where a specially designed rig has been created whilst the CPD seminar takes place in a separate adjoining room.

Attendees on the day were welcomed by Allan Liddell, CUPA PIZARRAS’ Specification and Commercial Manager, who led the half-day session.

Following an introductory health and safety talk, Allan talked the architects through the importance of grading slates, measuring the roof and the pitch, checking headlap space as well as selecting the correct slate size for a project.

Allan then showed attendees how to cut and hole CUPA PIZARRAS’ Heavy 3 slate using a slate hammer and axe. Once shown the technique, the architects were then split up into groups of two to grade the slates according to weight: light, medium, and heavy.

Each team assembled and cut the slates, talking through possible scenarios that may occur on site including cutting slates at special angles to fit into difficult corners.

Allan said: “Architects like to have a hands-on experience because it gives them a much better understanding of the complexities that can occur on site. As we practiced today, it is crucial that the slates are the correct size for the project and graded correctly before they are installed on the roof. Nowadays slates come pre-holed and 50% of installers just put the slate on the roof and start nailing them on – it’s completely incorrect and causes extra work."

“This training gives architects detailed knowledge so when they go to site to see the project, they can easily prevent any problems and will be able to identify when slates have not been graded properly.”

Following the hands-on training, attendees were then given a RIBA approved CPD seminar, which ran for 45 minutes, Allan talked through the characteristics and benefits of natural slate, and its production process.

The CPD also covered design specification, ecological factors and showcased successful case studies where natural slate had been used.