A roof is one of the most important features of any home and one that should not be taken for granted.  Ireland has one of the harshest climates of Europe and the weather conditions subjected to Irish roofs are quite unique – UV light, frost, rain and gale force winds are all often inflicted on Irish roofs in the same 24 hours.  With these extreme elements at work, it is critical that the roofing material you select for your project is designed to last!

Self-builders often question why they should pay a premium price for a Welsh Blue Bangor when there are other less expensive options available on the market.  To this, we paraphrase the famous investor Warren Buffet:

“Price is what you pay.  Value is what you get”

The very same is true of Blue Bangor slates.  Remember that these slates are harder, stronger and more durable than imported slates and will outlive them by centuries.  Don’t be fooled by other slate companies offering “open ended guarantees” on Spanish slates.  The reality is these slates will simply not last that period of time.  Geologically they are much younger, much softer and less dense than Welsh Slates.  It should also be noted that the majority of overseas quarries are much smaller than the Penrhyn Quarry with typical slate reserves of 10-15 years which would imply that most of these quarries will simply not be around to honour open ended guarantees.

In the same lifespan of a Welsh roof, a Spanish or fibre cement roof may have to be stripped and re-roofed 3 times.  It is also important to recognize the salvage value of second hand Blue Bangor slates is one third of a new slate.  So Blue Bangor slates really are an investment for the future.

A good example of this is a case we came across in the early 1990s when we were buying the salvaged, second hand slates from a 100 year old house in County Sligo.  These slates had been on the roof since after the Famine and the customer wanted them replaced.  We agreed to pay the man £2,000 Irish pounds for the 100 year old slates on his roof and, when he went to make a cup of tea, he came back with an original sales invoice which showed the slates had originally cost £8-12-6 (8 pounds 5 shillings and 6 pence).  Even allowing for inflationary increases, this shows quite an impressive return on the original investment!

Get in touch with our Specialist Slate Team and we will be happy to answer any questions regarding your project.

Tel: 0 57 866 0511 Today and let the LBS Team get your project moving!