In centre-nailed slating, the gauge is the spacing at which the battens are fixed to the rafters, trusses or counter-battens to provide the required head-lap. The margin is the exposed length of the slate measured in the same direction as the gauge. The lap and margin will be the same. Typically, slate hooks attach to the batten by a spike at the upper end, which is driven into the batten or a hook that wraps around the batten. The use of wrap hooks is not recommended. Only “spike-end” or nail-in hooks are permissible under BS 5534.

Hall Hook slate repair fixings are the market leading remedial repair hook, designed over a 20 year period by an experienced slating contractor who always wanted to have the perfect solution to an everyday roofing problem. Fixing with a slate hook involves trimming the head of the slate, thereby losing some head lap (a building inspector may not accept this) The Hall Hook is a permanent, secret and fail safe device that should be used when replacing a broken slate. Firstly, ensure your rafters or trusses are clean of any splinters or old nails that could damage the membrane. Then roll your chosen roofing membrane along the roof trusses – start from one bottom corner and roll it along to the other corner.There are two type of Slate Hook, an over batten type and a drive in type. The use of over batten type is very limited with the majority being drive in type (shown in picture).

Now the roof has been set out correctly, with the battens at the right distance apart, it’s time to lay the slates. Start by laying the under eaves course, creating a staggered pattern for stability – a 5mm gap between each slate is required to allow for natural expansion. Aesthetics – the nails are hidden beneath the rows of slate above, whereas hook fixings are visible.The cost of the plate itself is higher than other slate fixing solutions on the market but the positive impact it has on installation time heavily out ways the additional cost of the product itself. The 3 installations(total 25.5kW) were installed in 3 days by 2 panel fitters so a substantial saving was made on the installation costs. The benefits of this product for us are listed below:

The man-made roof slate is considered more eco-friendly for consumers. However, despite their development process taking a more modern approach, their look doesn’t steer far from the traditional slate appearance. Due to their manufacturing, they also have a greatly reduced risk of breaking. Recycled roof slate Once the membrane has been rolled out, use clout nails to secure one edge. Then pull the membrane taut at the other end, and fix it into position, before adding a few more nails across the membrane where it meets the timber trusses for extra stability. 5. Batten placement To replace a slate on a slate roof, you’ll require a slate ripper, tin snips, and a hammer, as well as a new slate and a strip of lead. Fixing SIGA slates is straightforward for an experienced slater. Most SIGA slates come pre-holed at a nominal 90mm headlap. By simply moving the location of the slate on a standard 50x25mm batten, these can be fixed to obtain headlaps between 76 and 96mm, allowing them to be used on a variety of pitches. Nailing Natural Slates So after experimenting with all manners of ideas and devices, Jimmy solved the slate roof repair problem with the invention of the Hallhook.All natural slates can be fixed using slate hooks. The hook method offers considerable freedom in design and can save up to 25% on labour costs and eliminate breakages. The practice is very popular in Europe and is gaining popularity in the UK. A recycled roof slate is the result of combined waste slate materials. This goes even further regarding the environmental impact as there is no manufacturing process involved in the creation of the final project. In turn, this means that the amount of wastage is reduced. I’ve chosen what I want for my slate roof, what’s next? If you only need to repair a small area of your slate roof, we offer the Hall hook slate repair fixings kit. The Hall hook will leave you with a professional, neat repair that is fail-safe and invisible once complete. Unlike many slate repair methods and plastic alternatives, these hooks are durable, time-efficient, and the perfect answer to everyday roofing problems. Copper Slate Straps If you measure from the top of one batten to the top of another, this gives you the batten gauge. This allows you to work out the distance between the battens on the rest of the roof. For example, if your roof is 500cm, and the pre-existing battens are 20cm apart, a total of 25 battens will be required, each 20cm from the previous one. 6. Lay the roof slates Although the traditional method of slating a roof uses hooks, this can be time-consuming and complicated. Therefore, in this guide, we will be outlining how to slate a roof using pre-drilled slates.