random slates

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can someone tell me the history of the random style ie. 4 ft square down to 4 inch square at the ridge!!! every time I do one I hope it will be the last they do my head in. cheers
 
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I would imagine that it was origonaly done as a way of using all of the available slate. i am doing 1200 sqm at the moment and i really enjoy it.
 
DIMINISHING COURSES
Many types of natural slate and stone tiles come in random sizes from the quarry. Slates are graded by size and laid employing a ‘Diminishing Course’ technique which ensures greater weather fastness and an even look between courses and across the roof. The largest slates are laid at the bottom and each subsequent course is laid using increasingly smaller slates as they reach the top. This requires careful calculation and measurement before any slates are laid to ensure a consistency of finish and a sense of balance over the whole roof.

http://www.brandnewroofing.co.uk/technique.htm
 
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We have done 900 so far, a mix of old and new on different areas. All good so far the job is on a curved section of Regent St in London. Its the 2nd section like this that i have done.
 
We have done 900 so far, a mix of old and new on different areas. All good so far the job is on a curved section of Regent St in London. Its the 2nd section like this that i have done.

Drove past you earlier then :LOL:

You doing it for a roofing firm or is it your own?
 
labour only sub contract from a big firm, far to big for me to supply and fix we have allready had 34 ton of mew westmoreland (loads of money)
 
Very Brief History of Random Slating:
All slates that were quarried before the on-set of the railways and powered mechanisation were 'random' in nature, i.e differing lengths and widths, as they used all blocks that came out of the quarry and split it into roofing slate without trimming and wasting too much. These rough sized slates were carted to site where it was the slaters job to sort them into varying lenghts in order to work out how many courses of each he could put on the roof before he started. Largest at the eaves working down to small ones at the ridge.
After powered trimming machines and trains came along, it was much more efficient to waste more in the quarry and cut all slates to regular sizes for ease of transportation and ease of fixing.
Obviously the traditional method of random slating has hung on to a certain extent as it looks good and performs well, but it involves a higher skill level and much higher costs than modern 'regular' slating.
 

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