Benefits of using slate siding

When it comes to selecting your home’s siding, there are so many choices to select from. Ranging from wood, vinyl, metal, brick, stone, imitation stone, concrete, stucco and slate.

For many years, slate siding has been a trend in Europe and is gaining popularity in North America for architects, homeowners and building owners who want a durable, modern look, easy maintenance and environmentally friendly building product.

Slate created by the forces of nature over 500 million years ago has proven it’s worth and longevity as a roofing material for thousands of years.  Available in a wide range of colors, each slate shingle will have a subtle variation in color and shade which allows for each application to be one of a kind. Naturally, it makes sense to use slate as a siding option.

Some of the benefits of slate siding include:

• Very low maintenance. Repairs are easy as each piece is individually installed.
• It will increase the market value.
• As a natural product, slate is environmentally friendly, once extracted and cut/trimmed requires no chemicals or other substances, unlike other products that require additional finishing treatments.
• An S-1 rated slate is recyclable, slate tiles/shingles that are removed can be salvaged and reused on other projects.
• Slate is waterproof! North American slates undergo rigorous ASTM testing to meet the highest rating of S-1 grade.  Under ASTM C406, standards are set for the physical properties of slate which include, water absorption, weather resistance and breaking load.
• Unaffected by freeze/thaw cycles.
• Slate is fireproof! Tested under ASTM E108-10 rates Class A which is the highest fire resistance.
• Proven longevity, S-1 North American produced slate can last well over 75 to 300 years.

The Marais Léon Provancher Nature Reserve in Neuville, Quebec used North Country Unfading Black slate as siding for the new welcome building.

North Country Unfading Black is produced by Glendyne in St. Marc Du Lac Long, Quebec.  This slate is favorably compared to the famous rich black slate of the Monson region of Maine.  Throughout the years, Glendyne has made a name in the slate industry for it’s meticulous quality control system, ensuring and meeting customer’s high expectations and standards.