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New introduction to the 2000 edition of

Roof Slating and Tiling

Frank Bennett and Alfred Pinion

Roof Slating and Tiling, which was jointly written by Frank Bennett (architect) and Alfred Pinion (roofing contractor), was first published by Caxton in 1935. During the 1930s Caxton published a series of books for the building trade, including The Modern Plasterer (recently republished by Donhead) and The Modern Builder. This proved to be a significant period within the building industry, because new materials and methods were being introduced alongside the existing traditional skills.

At this time a great deal of encouragement was given to young people entering an apprenticeship to study their trade at college, with a view to gaining a City and Guilds qualification. The emphasis was moving away from relying purely on practical experience to include some study based learning. The publication of the Caxton series of books seems to have been, at least in part, a response to this trend.

Roof Slating and Tiling is a particularly significant publication because there has been so little literature produced on roofing since then. When Richard Jordan first started in the roofing trade his father referred to it as the roofer’s ‘bible’; and he now understands why. It is such a complete and comprehensive exposition of the slating and tiling trade that it deserves to be a standard reference for anyone involved in the laying or repairing of pitched roofs. Tim Ratcliffe only recently ‘discovered’ the book and wishes, as an architect involved with repairing traditional buildings, that he had known about it before.

The authors cover a great deal of detail, starting with basic operations such as sorting and holing slates, and marking out the perp-ends on the roof before starting slating. They then move onto more complicated techniques involved in sorting and setting out a diminishing course roof, and forming swept and laced valleys. The book also looks at special roofing techniques involved in forming curved roofs and cupolas. There is an interesting section on other uses of tiles for decorative and structural purposes in buildings, i.e. wall tops, arches and over doorways.

This particular reprint is the second edition of the book, dating from 1948. The main content is the same as the first, but with an expanded chapter on the sources of different types of slates and stone tiles. We feel this will be of more interest and value to modern readers who want to understand more about the locality and history of traditional roofing materials. There are some sections of the book which concentrate on the modern materials of the time, such as metal battens and asbestos slates, but even these have interest and use.

Although the way in which slates and tiles are laid is still very much the same as when the book was written, there have been some significant changes in the roofing industry. One important change has been the introduction of power tools. Disc cutters and drills can speed up the process of preparing tiles and slates for roofing, and these days tiles are manufactured with such tools in mind. Power tools can also help reduce the number of breakages, but it has to be said that machine finished materials don't always give the best visual appearance to a roof. Traditional holing methods for slates have advantages over modern drills as they form a counter-sinking for the head of the nail, giving a snug fit, which avoids cocking the slate above.

Another significant change in the roofing industry has been the move from imperial to metric measurements. This can cause problems when using old and new slates together because metric slates are slightly smaller than their imperial equivalents. An experienced tradesman can overcome this by increasing the lap on the imperial slates.

The modern reader needs to understand that Roof Slating and Tiling may not address all the issues that are currently relevant to roofing, but that it explains the traditional methods and materials of the trade in a way that is accessible. We hope that this reprint will raise general awareness of issues relating to roofs, and the differences between traditional and modern roofing practices, even though it may not refer to them specifically. The general view these days, for example, is that centre nailing a slate using two nails is superior to one head nail, but the traditional single nail method did allow a slate to settle and ‘bed-in’.

With the increasing interest in the conservation of historic buildings, we believe this book will prove invaluable in maintaining the heritage of traditional pitched roofs. As well as describing different types of roof coverings and fixing methods, it talks about the care and repair of roofs. It considers the faults which can occur, how they may have transpired and how best to repair them. There are diagrams illustrating the methods and repairs that are being described, including details showing, for example, how to refix slates at eaves level using the minimum number of tingles.

There is talk in some parts of the country of reopening slate quarries. Over the years hundreds of quarries have closed, through lack of good material and the introduction of cheaper, often inferior, materials. Materials that haven't been quarried for years are now once again required for conservation projects on major buildings. With this in mind there is going to be a need for qualified craftsmen to fix the materials; we need therefore to give serious thought to how these people are to be trained.

Roof Slating and Tiling is full of useful information which is communicated in a way that is easy to understand. It provides practical advice that will be of value not only to craftsmen, architects and conservation officers, but also to the training colleges in which the future of the trade lies.

Richard Jordan (Roofer)

Richard Jordan is a slater who followed in his father’s footsteps, and learnt his trade from him on site. He is now a director of Amber Roofing (Midlands) Ltd, repairing and relaying roofs on historic buildings for a variety of clients, including the National Trust. In 1999 he was awarded a travelling fellowship for craftsmen by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).

Tim Ratcliffe (Architect)

Tim Ratcliffe is an architect working on historic buildings in the Midlands and North Wales. He recently set up practice on his own, having previously worked for Donald Insall Associates, and Rodney Melville & Partners. He was awarded a SPAB Lethaby travelling scholarship in 1987 and is now a member of the SPAB Technical Panel.

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