Ngentile Slate

Ngentile Slate
Slate is particularly suitable as a roofing material as it has an extremely low water absorption index of less than 0.4%. Its low tendency to absorb water also makes it very resistant to frost damage and breakage due to freezing. Slate roof tiles are usually fixed using either nail fixing, or the hook fixing method as is common with Spanish slate. In the UK, nailing is typically done with double nails onto timber battens (England and Wales) or nailed directly onto timber sarking boards (Scotland and Northern Ireland). Nails will traditionally be copper, although modern alloy and stainless steel alternatives are known. Both these methods, if used properly, will provide a long-lasting weathertight roof with a typical lifespan of around 80–100 years.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Slate Backround


For over 80 years, slate products of top quality have been produced in South Africa for various use, which include slate tiles for roofing, flooring, wall cladding, landscaping and other applications.
                 
Since the early 1970s, Slate products have been successfully supplied to countries like Australia, New Zealand, England, Far East, Europe, US and Canada. Ngentile Slate is currently engaged in a process of scaling these markets, to identify possible gaps and needs for Slate products.

A study commissioned by the Department of Mineral and Energy in 2005 concluded that there was very little or no role at all played by blacks in the Slate industry. The view was that this should be attended to and changed, giving all sectors of our society a meaningful role to play in the production and distributing of the product.

Compared to other products of similar use, which is roofing and flooring, Slate has continuously proved to be a product of better and high quality. Slate is a product that has mainly been used by the elite or people on the high income level, mainly situated in the Northern parts of Johannesburg and Cape Town, in South Africa, This has been in preference to other competing products like zinc/corrugate iron and tiles.