Del Carmen Treatment For New Zealand House

Christchurch41

Suffering substantial earthquake damage earlier in 2014, the roof of a residential property in Christchurch, New Zealand has been given a new lease of life following the installation of 13,500 of SSQ’s Del Carmen, Ultra grade, slates.

Following investigations, the previous slate installation had proved too brittle – following the damage to the roof, the Earthquake Commission approved the removal and re-usage of the slate, however it was discovered that only 20% of the original slates were suitable to use again. With that in mind, it was decided that a high-quality, timeless slate would be required to fill the void – step forward Del Carmen from SSQ.

The Ultra grade from Del Carmen comprises a selection of slates put together from the best available rock cleavage at the quarry. This cleavage of rock is such that the material is able to achieve exceptional levels of flatness and consistency, whilst still retaining the distinctive riven appearance expected of premium natural slate.

Carl Hamlin, General Manager for Enable Roofing said: “Using a copper nail fixing method to deliver a stunning aesthetic finish, the Del Carmen slates were all laid by the end of November 2014 meaning the residents could move back in time for Christmas. Due to the style of the building, we needed to make sure that any new materials installed were in keeping with the original look and feel – SSQ’s Del Carmen slates blend in perfectly – you could almost say that it looks as though the roof has always been that way!”

He continued: “We’ve received some great feedback from the homeowner – in fact, they said it has added a quarter of a million dollars to the value of the property, which is great news!”

SSQ’s Del Carmen slate is tested to NF228 standards – the world’s leading slate standard introduced in France which tests for water absorption levels, flexural and transversal strengths, density and the carbonate and non carbonate content. This independent testing procedure ensures that NF certified slates will not rust or leach and importantly, will not fade over time.

Based on this testing coupled with the slate’s track record of proven performance, SSQ offers a 100 year guarantee on its Ultra grade of Del Carmen slates.

Del Carmen Ultra Earns Its Stripes

military academy resized

With over 30 years’ experience in the slate roofing industry, SSQ has been selected to provide 185,000 of its Del Carmen, Ultra grade, slates to the Royal Military Academy in Surrey.

Fixed directly to the battens with 38mm x 3.35mm copper nails, in order to deliver a sleek, uniform look that would blend in well with the prestigious aesthetic of the building, SSQ’s Del Carmen Ultra slates span twelve roofs at the military academy based in Sandhurst, covering an impressive 9,700 sq m in total.

Simon Mawer, manager of installer, C.E.L said, “SSQ’s Del Carmen Ultra slate was primarily chosen due to how cost effective we felt it was. In order to preserve the building long into the future, we needed to sympathetically update the academy, without compromising its traditional aesthetics. Del Carmen Ultra not only provided the ideal look we required but was also the most financially viable option too, given the sheer scale of the project, so it was an easy to decision to make.”

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is the British Army’s initial officer training centre. Whilst the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was formed in 1947 on the site of the former Royal Military College, the main building itself dates back as far as the early 1800’s, further adding to its historic credibility.

Boasting a 100-year guarantee, key to the renovation of the building, SSQ’s Del Carmen Ultra is sourced from an exclusive slate quarry in the Cabrera Mountains of North-West Spain. It is consistently hand picked by architects around the world for its unrivalled beauty and exceptional high quality. The unique colour is totally natural and will not fade, even in the strongest sunlight.

Howzat For A Slate Roof!

SSQ Kent CCC

Working with Balgores Roofing to bring the mixed-use project at Kent County Cricket Club (KCCC) to life, SSQ has supplied in excess of 8,000 m2 of its Del Carmen, First grade, slates for installation on the roofs of new homes surrounding the club.

The residential part of the mixed-use scheme, which comprises 48 detached three, four and five bedroom houses, required materials to be used that would help complement the surrounding landscape and traditional architecture. As such, SSQ’s Del Carmen First slates were selected in order to preserve the very specific look and feel that the new build properties needed to achieve.

Ian Mitchell, Senior Surveyor from Balgores Roofing said: “Meeting the NHBC’s roofing standards, SSQ’s Del Carmen First slates were a great fit, combining the aesthetic look and feel the properties needed without compromising on the ability to meet very certain standards. In order to achieve a sleek, uniform look, all slates were nailed into place – the roofs are certainly worthy of their new home at the site of the prestigious cricket club now.”

An exclusive slate from the Del Carmen quarry in the Cabrera Mountains of North-West Spain, Del Carmen is consistently hand picked by architects around the world for its unrivalled beauty and exceptionally high quality.

The unique blue-black colour is totally natural and will not fade, even in the strongest sunlight – what’s more, its distinctive faintly rippled riven texture and characteristic longitudinal grain makes it ideal for use all kinds of project.

SSQ’s Del Carmen slate is tested to both the NF 228 and ASTM roofing slate standards – widely recognised as the twin leading global slate testing procedures that test for water absorption levels, flexural and transversal strengths, density and the carbonate and non carbonate content. These testing procedures ensure that the slates will not rust, leach nor fade over time.

Based on these results, a minimum lifespan of 75 years is expected and SSQ provides a guarantee of this duration to reflect this future performance.

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