Durable and elegant, natural stone is one of the best materials for the home’s indoor and outdoor spaces.
Read MorePaver edging (also known as paver restraints) is used to frame paved areas. It’s main purpose is to keep pavers in place
Read MoreRaised garden beds are favoured by beginners and experienced gardeners alike. In this article, we look at the benefits of raised garden beds and ...
Read MoreThere are a lot of different things you can do to keep your home cooler during the summer, from closing the blinds to investing in an ...
Read MoreIf you are planning to build a new house or renovate an old one, sandstone is the right material to use. You may think that sandstone is ...
Read MoreOver time there’s a danger that outdoor paving may become uneven and begin to sink. Repairing sinking outdoor paving is a difficult process, but ...
Read MoreRecent test results indicate that the level of quartz in this stone has fallen below the ASTM standards to be technically a marble, even though it looks like quartzite and cleaves like quartzite.
Read MoreTravertine contains holes but don't worry - they are meant to be there! The characteristic holes unique to travertine have been created by ...
Read MoreA lot of wine has been spilled on travertine over the years, especially in Italy! However, too much wine can add unexpected patina to the surface if care is not taken!
Read MoreWe have had two conversations with people complaining about travertine (not ours!!)
that has started crumbling with 18 months of being laid. There are two reasons why this happens...
The Australian Standards makes no recommendation for the minimum roof pitch for slate. It has references to roof pitches as low as ...
Read MoreGood ventilation is essential for slate. Moisture build-up under the slate will cause it to fret, crumble or de-laminate. We have 120 year old Welsh slate at our warehouse that has been...
Read MoreSarking is a term originating from the UK that was used to describe boards that slate was fixed to - as in "sarking boards". These days, sarking has a more general definition...
Read MoreGood quality Welsh Slate can often be re-used after 60-80 years on a roof. The percentage of salvageable slate will be dependent on a number of factors...
Read MoreFurious storms that whip through Sydney make everyone nervous especially homeowners that have valuable slate roofs. The 1999 hail storm that hit Sydney caused enormous damage to...
Read MoreThe quality, performance and durability of roofing slate can vary enormously. The lifespan of slate in Australia may be as short as 10 years or longer than 150 years depending on...
Read MoreThe top slate manufacturers in the world routinely test slate as part of their quality assurance programs – the ones that don't usually have something to hide.
Read More1. ASTM C406-06 – Standard Specification for Roofing Slate
The American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM - see www.astm.org) was formed in 1898 but these days ASTM standards are truly international.
Read MoreQuality assurance (QA) is a management process that addresses the critical control points in delivering slate for mountain to market. Quality management is documented and compliance with all the...
Read MoreHeadlap is a technical term that relates to how slates are lapped and fixed on a roof. In Australia, the usual headlap for a roof with a pitch of 40 degrees is 75mm. This means that...
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