Edgemere concrete interlocking slates - The positives of slate with none of the negatives!

In a market where contractors are facing growing skills and cost challenges, our Edgemere interlocking concrete slates offer the positives of natural slates with none of the negatives - like being in your favourite beer garden without the wasps!

Take the sting out of slates - Here's 6 benefits to choosing Edgemere over natural slate?

At just 18mm thick, the thin leading edge of Edgemere gives it a slate-like appearance, which means you can achieve a designer roof without the price tag. If you take material costs alone, natural slate can cost between £70 and £100 per m², whereas a concrete slate like Edgemere can be as little as a third/half the price. This is partly because of the high coverage rates of Edgemere, with just 9.7 tiles per m², compared to around 13.4 per m² for fibre cement slates and as high as 18 per m² for natural slate. This also has an impact on labour time and cost.

Unlike natural slates which are double lapped, our Edgemere slates are single lap interlocking tiles, which makes them very quick and easy to install. Without the need for specialist slating skills, they can be fitted by any roofer. They do need to be fixed to BS 5534 but, by using a SoloFix one piece clip and nail, you can reduce clipping time by around 30%.

The variation of thickness of natural slates means they require extensive sorting on site. The thickest and biggest slates are used for lower courses, graduating to smaller and thinner slates towards the apex. This requires time, skill and experience. However, Edgemere slates are uniform in size, so they can be used straight from the pallet with no sorting time and without years of roofing expertise. This consistency also makes them much easier to install, as the slates simply interlock together.

Edgemere slates are available in a range of colours and variants to suit the aesthetic requirements of different projects. As well as Smooth Grey, Old English Dark Red and Smooth Brown, we have recently launched our new Anthracite colour to give contractors even more choice.
In addition to the standard Edgemere, there is also Duo, which has a mock bond down the centre of the tile to create the appearance of a small format slate and Riven, which has a textured surface to give a closer match to a natural slate.

In low pitch projects, natural slate can be limited by geography because driving rain has to be considered. This means that pitches of 20° can be achieved with natural slate, but it requires increased head laps and therefore more slates, with the consequences of additional weight. This could lead to higher costs for materials and additional costs to strengthen timber structures because of extra weight loading.

The fact that Edgemere can be used down to a low minimum pitch of 17.5° means it has less limitations than natural slate and it has the versatility to be used on a wide range of projects in any geographical area (when fixed according to BS 5534). It can also be installed using standardised and uniform supports, which means that its weight loading is more predictable.

As home buyers become more concerned about environmental impact and the government commits to a target for all new homes to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050, another advantage of Edgemere interlocking slates is their strong sustainability credentials.

As well as achieving an A+ rating in the BRE Green Guide to Specification, they also have an excellent BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing accreditation.

Edgemere

The clean, sleek appearance of these slate-like tiles offers enormous kerb appeal. These tiles are only 18mm thick, and laid with a special broken-bond laying technique, unlike standard interlocking tiles.

With only 9.7 tiles per square metre, Edgemere is a single lap solution, that provides a quicker and easier to install option against natural and fibre cement slates, and is compatible with our full range of ventilation and dry fix systems. With great performance at pitches as low as 17.5°, Edgemere is versatile enough to be used on a wide range of roof types.

Edgemere interlocking slate campaign by Marley

Riven Edgemere

A randomised texture on the surface of each tile, ensures an attractive variegated appearance with depth and tone, providing a finish which resembles natural slate. Previously available in only a Smooth Grey colour, the introduction of a new Anthracite option offers an even closer resemblence to slate roofs.

Duo Edgemere

An image of a dark grey, slate tile, available from Marley slate roof specialists, in place on a roof.

If you like the clean, precise appearance of Edgemere, but would prefer a smaller format slate, then Duo Edgemere could offer you the perfect solution. The addition of a mock-bond down the centre of the tile, combined with a broken bond laying technique, creates this illusion with stunning results.

Laying smaller format slates can be very expensive and time-consuming, but with Duo Edgemere you get the same visual impact with the ease of installation provided by standard interlocking tiles.