Slate looks particularly beautiful on the large expanse of a tall roof.

Custom slate mixtures can create a unique look.

Pleasing architectural effects can be achieved by blending different sizes and colors of slate.

A mixture of different types of slate can create a playful visual effect.

Slate roofing tiles are still manufactured by hand using traditional methods.

Slate is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and durable of all roofing materials.

Installed properly, slate roofs require relatively little maintenance and will last 75 to 150 years or longer.

Textural slate roofs incorporate slates of different thicknesses, uneven lower edges, and a rough texture.

When struck, high-grade slate tile will emit a clear, solid sound. Severely weathered slates give off a dull thud when tapped.

A very traditional roofing material, slate should be laid by roofers of experience and training.

Contemporary architecture can also benefit from the aesthetic elegance and structural integrity that slate brings to a project.

Visible bands on the surface of slate represent geologic periods.

Slates are classified as fading or unfading according to their color stability.

Slate is a fine-grained, crystalline rock derived from sediments of clay and fine silt which were deposited on ancient sea bottoms.

Slate is created by movements in the earth’s crust and the resulting heat and pressure.

The presence of carbonaceous matter, derived from the decay of marine organisms on ancient sea floors, gives rise to the black colored slates.

Black slates get their color from carbon matter – the ancient remains of marine organisms on the sea floor.

Slate consists of stable, weather-resistant minerals and is generally of high strength, low porosity, and low absorption.

Slate is composed of clay and mud that changed over time into stone, with inclusions of quartz, mica, and chlorite.