Setting Out Slate Roof Tiles

There is normally enough wiggle room here to close or open the gap from 3mm to space out slates in their horizontal axis when first laying out a slate roof for adjustment purposes.

Setting out slate roof tiles.

All other slates on the roof are installed with the face up in order to expose the beveled edges of the slate the face of the slate is the side that shows the beveled edge the back doesn t. The reason the starter course is laid face down is because the drip edge of the starter slate then merges flush with the drip edge of the first. The first course of tiles should be set out to equalise all the gaps between the tiles start and finish at corner or abutments and hopefully line up with the sides of. Having set out and nailed all the battens the setting out of tiles on each batten should be considered.

The slate or tile manufacturer or supplier will specify the spacing of the battens up the roof for the particular type of covering this spacing is referred to as the gauge the gauge may depend upon the pitch of the roof and the amount of exposure. Each plain tile is 165mm wide and can have up to 3mm gap between them.