RESOURCE CENTRE REQUEST A QUOTE HOME ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS PHYLLITE SLATE RESOURCES CASE STUDIES CONTACT US Slate vs Alternatives Guarantees for up to 100 years 40 years’ expertise World-class natural slate Uncompromising quality standards Why natural slate is still king Slate isn’t the only roofing, flooring and cladding material out there. In fact, over the decades, a whole range of alternatives have emerged and tried to take its crown. But natural slate is still the longest-lasting, best-looking, and, over time, by far the most cost-effective. Interested in using natural slate as your roofing material of choice? Have a browse of our brochure to find out more. Download The Brochure Incomparable aesthetics and the strength to last a lifetime Man-made materials might have a lower upfront cost, but none come close to matching the timeless looks of pristine natural slate – and what’s more, slate alternatives like fibre cement, concrete and clay tiles will need replacing several times during the 100-year lifespan of quality natural slate. Lifetime cost Fibre cement tiles cost around £18 per square metre, around £15 per square metre to install, and last approximately 30 years. That equals a cost of £1.10 a year per square metre. Clay tiles cost around £40 per square metre, £15 to install, and last 40 years, equalling £1.25 per square metre. At SSQ, our standard natural slates cost £22 per square metre, around £20 per square metre to install, and last 50 years – resulting in a total life-cycle cost of 84p per metre. But our premium slate delivers the lowest of all – the material itself costs £45 per square metre, the labour costs around £15, and it can last 100 years if not longer. That equals a life-cycle cost of just 60p per metre. Get A Free Quote Slate’s green credentials When it comes to embodied carbon – in effect, a material’s carbon footprint – natural slate is the clear winner. Concrete tiles create 0.19kg of CO² per kilogram. Clay tiles are worse – they produce 0.43kg per kilo. Natural slate, however, contains far less – between 0.005-0.054kg per kilo. Contact Us All natural Natural slate requires remarkably little processing. The slate is quarried with low-power electric diamond cutters, and a lot of the splitting is still done by hand. Manufacturing other materials is a lot more industrial. To make clay tiles, for example, kilns are kept burning 24 hours a day, with inevitable impacts on the environment. Contact Us Testimonials It was an absolute pleasure to meet you today, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your time and a wonderfully informative CPD. The whole team really enjoyed it, and you definitely conveyed your passion and knowledge of your products! I would say I will keep SSQ in mind for future projects, but they always have been. However, I have definitely left with a need to utilise more slate in my design work! Michael Clifton BSc ACIAT - Oakbridge Bespoke Homes Ltd CASE STUDY Del Carmen and NRA Roofing rise to challenge on complex school installation 1 2 3 4 5 301 Elveden Road Park Royal London NW10 7SS 020 8961 7725 info@ssq.co.uk Natural Slate Products Riverstone Del Carmen Domiz Matacouta Del Prado Silverstone Architectural Stone Useful Links Resource Centre Technical Articles Ultra Cover Guarantees Why choose SSQ? What is Phyllite? Slate vs Alternatives © Copyright 2021 Spanish Slate Quarries UK Ltd | Company no. 08584514 | Website terms and privacy policy