Choose natural slate for your re-roofing projects

Sitting pretty: Cupa R12 Excellence roof slates at Parkstone, Park Avenue, Leeds.

Cupa R12 Excellence roof slates have been installed as part of a refurbishment project at Parkstone, an Edwardian residence on the edge of Roundhay Park in Leeds.

Parkstone has been converted into five luxury apartments and sits on Park Avenue next to Soldiers Field, where battalions mustered during the First World War.

The original plan for the roof was to reuse existing tiles, but the 100-year-old tiles had incurred too much wear and tear.

'We selected a Spanish slate from Cupa Pizarras,' says Siobhan Atkinson, the main client on the project. 'Yorkshire Heritage Roofing (YHR) advised us on the product's environmental impact, the variations in colour available and how it would be in-keeping with the neighbouring properties.'

YHR's roofing contractor Ian McCarthy presented the management company with five slate options from Cupa Pizarras. McCarthy wanted a natural slate that would provide a smooth, flat finish.

'When I trained as a roofer we used Cupa Pizarras products,' he says. 'It is always my go-to company for roof slate. The quality is excellent and there are different gradings, sizes and colours to choose from.'

The re-roofing work was complex. Although all Cupa Pizarras slate comes pre-cut and pre-holed, there were areas where the slate had to be cut to size to accommodate dormer windows and the building’s distinctive chimneys.

While initially sceptical about YHR's proposal to introduce a striking red clay ridge as a contrast to the grey slate, the apartment owners all agree that the aesthetic blend is fantastic.

'I have used other Spanish slates before, but the quality is often poor. Cupa R12 Excellence is easy to cut and lay with minimal breakages or wastage,' says McCarthy. 'The uniform thickness of the slate makes it easier to install, while the dark grey, even colour provides a striking, decorative finish.'

5 reasons to specify Cupa R12 Excellence

Tested and certified to T1 (thermal cycling), S1 (sulphur dioxide) and W1 (water absorption) levels.
Won’t discolour, split or crack and, as such, can be guaranteed for 100 years.
Widely known as being among the highest quality natural slate on the market today.
Thin laminations and a smooth matt surface split to an average thickness of 3.5mm, 5mm and 6mm.
Requires minimum maintenance.

Red clay ridge tiles contrast with the natural slate.
Work on the building included upgraded insulation, hydraulic lime mortar pointing and flaunching to the chimney stacks and new leadwork.