Discover the latest news about natural slate: new projects, top news, installation guides, tips about how to place slate tiles, roofing sector innovations…

Why do we use slate to cover roofs? There are many good answers to these questions: slate is waterproof, can be split into thin, regular and flat shingles. Slate is durable and has been used for centuries in many exceptional buildings, and (my favourite) slate is a beautiful natural rock with outstanding aesthetics. However, have […]

At CUPA PIZARRAS we’re hitting the road to explore different countries and show you natural slate through the eyes of the roofers. How can you join us? Quite easy: from 22nd March check out our Instagram stories. Throughout that week we will stop at different locations in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom, where local […]

Today I will discuss something that can either be very funny or very sad, depends on the eye of the beholder. Let me explain some of the facts about fake roofing slates. Nowadays it is possible to find artificial or synthetic “slate” shingles, usually made of asphalt, rubber, plastic…anything but stone. Of course, companies that […]

From looking at the pictures in this interview, we can all agree that Michael Weiß is an artist (@incrediblewhite). This German roofer has specialised in the ornamental side of natural slate. “Even with small decorative elements, you can make every roof, every facade, every chimney into something individual”, he says. In roofing, like in every […]

A number of pre-existing farm structures have been reconstructed using our HEAVY 3 natural slate in order to house this new Scottish whisky distillery, Ardross. Located in the scenic Averon Valley, the project involved the refurbishment and extension of an old farm, retaining the original 19th-century steading buildings, farmhouse and cottages. Existing stone and slate […]

The British Isles keep one of the most interesting slate architectural and historical heritage in the world. Since Prehistory, the many cultures that have populated the British Isles have used slates for lots of purposes: walls, hobs, tombs and gravestones, tools, engravings…you name it. The first proper roofing slate shingles were found in the Roman […]

Most of the roofing slate outcrops in America are located in the Northeastern states of the USA and the Southwestern states of Canada, in other words, along the Apalachians. For me, the most remarkable characteristic of Northern America is variety. Quarries are not as big as in Spain, but the diversity of commercial categories is […]

Standards are useful, since they can be used to predict the performance of the roofing slate along its lifespan.  Nowadays, there are two main roofing slate standards in the world, the European EN12326 (parts 1 and 2) and the North American ASTM C-406. There are other two standards, the Indian IS 6250 and the Chinese […]