When it came to Ty Oriel (‘Gallery House’ in Welsh), the brief was ambitious. Architects Nic Downs and Carolyn Merrifield wanted something sleek but striking. Eco-friendly, but instantly classic. A family home that was angular and modern, but that could simultaneously blend with its more conservative suburban surroundings. And they were that demanding for [...]

  Chandlers Wharf is one of the latest housing developments in the historic town of Lewes, East Sussex. Overlooking Lewes’s famous chalk hills, the 12-house development is located directly on the edge of the River Ouse. Built by Riverdale Developments, this highly complex build was logistically demanding, as it required interfacing of numerous roofing disciplines. [...]

  Riverstone Phyllite Ultra Grade slates were recently selected to complete the roof of this quaint newbuild in Ballinderry, Northern Ireland. Both the property owner and the roofing contractor were looking for a material of exceptional quality and aesthetics, as well as for a supplier offering product traceability, reliable warranties and excellent overall service. Choosing [...]

  Del Carmen Prime natural slates were chosen to crown this contemporary residence, situated on a rural site just west of Portadown, County Armagh. The design of the house was inspired by traditional Irish farm buildings, yet also offering a modern and light-filled living area – all while meeting stringent targets for energy efficiency. To [...]

  St. Marys Church Malpas in Newport is a mid XIX century Grade II Listed Building. The church was originally designed by one of the leading church architects of South East Wales and today is being recognized for its special architectural significance. At the time of re-roofing budgetary restrictions and prolonged lead times for sourcing [...]

  Minchenden School in Southgate, London was first established in 1919. Having been relocated shortly after, today the school premises consist of three buildings including the Grade II Listed Southgate House.  At present the school is being re-developed to provide places for 120 pupils. SSQ’s Technical Director Richard Cook was approached by BHP Architects to [...]

  SSQ Domiz Unfading slates have gained popularity in the US market in the recent years due to their similarity to some of the indigenous stones. SSQ Domiz exceeds the ASTM C406 S-1 criteria and is covered by a 100 Year Guarantee from SSQ, thus offering a robust alternative to some of the more exclusive [...]

  SSQ Natural Slate has been supplying the North American market with Del Carmen Unfading Black Roofing Slate for more than 25 years. SSQ Del Carmen is an ASTM C406 S-1 natural roofing slate and carries a 100 Year Guarantee that covers not only the slate but also the labor cost of replacement. Today, SSQ [...]

  The General Hospital Bristol was first opened in mid XIX century and was a working hospital up until its closure in 2012. Following significant bomb damage during World War II, the majority of the pitched and mansard roofs including the ogee dome were converted to flat roofs. The building was awarded Grade II listing [...]

  Ibstock Community College was built in 1925 in Ibstock, Leicestershire. Having been steadily expanding over the recent years, the school was due be re-roofed as part of a larger refurb project, with the works scheduled to be carried out during the summer holidays in order to minimize disruption to the college life. The project [...]

  West Cross House is a six-bedroom Victorian family home in a prominent location in Penarth town centre, in the heart of Penarth Conservation Area. The new owners of the property commenced extensive renovation works in March 2018 aiming to retain its original XIX century character and appearance. The property owner expressed interest in obtaining [...]

  Like most people who work in the roofing industry, my eye is naturally drawn to rooftops as I travel around the country. When I started out in the industry the world took on a new dimension for me in this regard; never before had I paid enough attention to really notice the beautiful finishes [...]

  In this project, various dimensions were used to create a random walling effect at a depth of 10cm. The specific sizes used were 4,6,8cm widths by random lengths starting at a minimum of 25cm. The corner stones were cut from larger pieces ensuring single pieces would be used to connect the walls to one [...]

  Vertical slate cladding is becoming an increasingly popular choice amongst architects all over the world thanks to its exceptional longevity, easy installation methods, fire and weather resistance, and above all, its matchless aesthetic appearance. Natural slate is truly becoming a multipurpose material within the construction and design industry. We have been seeing examples of [...]

  On February 6th, the Surface Design Show returned to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London for a three-day event showcasing over 170 exhibitors and more than 45 guest speakers and presenters. This year we exhibited our Riverstone Phyllite for the first time at the Stone Gallery, the only dedicated stone show in 2018. [...]

  Our projects in Australia have quickly become some of our best work. SSQ boasts one of the strongest brands in Australia with the Del Carmen, Ultra grade slate. Working alongside Melbourne’s very own Roof Services for the last 20 years, we have supplied some interesting projects that demonstrate the qualities of the Del Carmen [...]

  SSQ was proud to host a stand at the Marmomac Exhibition in Verona, Italy in September. With a slate cutting demonstration section, visitors could cut their own Riverstone heart – which we thought fitting, given the Romeo and Juliet setting. We also exhibited more than seven different product applications, growing the potential of the [...]

  A project utilising our Del Carmen Spanish Slate took home the award for Roof Slating at this year’s UK Roofing Awards, hosted by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC). The NFRC is the largest and most influential roofing trade association in the UK, promoting both quality products and contractors, while ensuring that its [...]

  Riverstone Phyllite is SSQ’s signature slate; it is one of the few commercially accessible Phyllite stones in the world. Riverstone, Gruesa grade is a slate used for its quality and unconventional thickness of 12-15mm. Riverstone was recently selected to crown the picturesque Summer House residence, situated on the outskirts of Cheltenham, right in the [...]