With the hook fixing system, the slates are secured at the tail, thus providing strong resistance to wind uplift. To comply with BS 5534, hooks should be stainless steel, 18/10 or 316 (marine) grade, 2.7 mm gauge and at least 5 mm longer than the minimum lap required. It is also designed to withstand anything the UK climate can throw at it and easily resists hurricane-force winds which are in excess of 75 m.p.h.

To hole a slate with a spike hammer, position the slate flatly over a narrow iron. When measuring the position of the holes ensure the thinner end of the slate is at the top when fixed.SolarRoof Pro only uses high-grade anodized aluminium and stainless-steel components to international standards. Strict quality control over materials and finished products ensures optimum strength and long life for your installations. Fixing with a slate hook involves trimming the head of the slate, thereby losing some head lap (a building inspector may not accept this) Once installed, natural roofing slate is subject to the forces of nature in which light, rain, ice, wind, hail, pollution and other atmospheric agents test its properties. It is vital that the slate quarried meets the rigours of these elements, so the whole production process has tobe carefully managed and stringent quality control measures need to be in place. Responsible producers will supply a health and safety product data sheet relating to working with natural slate. This will cover all matters relevant to the prevention of accident or injury in the workplace. Typically, slate hooks attach to the batten by a spike at the upper end, which is driven into the batten or a hook that wraps around the batten. The use of wrap hooks is not recommended. Only “spike-end” or nail-in hooks are permissible under BS 5534.

Wherever possible, machine holing is preferable. Holing by hand should only be considered when a small amount of slates need re-holing for repairs or when a hole needs to be repositioned in-situ. So after experimenting with all manners of ideas and devices, Jimmy solved the slate roof repair problem with the invention of the Hallhook.When opting for hook fixing method, it is important to know that hook fixings may not be suitable for large slates, which experience a greater wind uplift than smaller slates, and for pitches above 75º or below 25º. Slate hooks are available with straight or crimped shanks. However, crimped shanks reduce the capillary action and should be used for roof pitches below 30º. A building’s environment and the weather conditions to which it is exposed to are essential aspects when designing a roof. The design and technical details will not be the same for a project located in a sunny, dry region to a rainy region. The main factors to consider here are exposure to wind and rain. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages which one should consider before using natural slate. On the plus side, natural slate has an aesthetic appeal and will stay looking good for many years. As such it may not need replacing. Other types of roofing slates such as concrete will lose colour and not wear so well visually, making slate more cost effective. Generally a slate roof will last as long as the fixings which hold it in place. With a natural slate roof the same slates can be re-fixed onto new battens. Concrete tiles will have to be replaced with new and clay tiles will probably require substantial or complete replacement whether they be machine or hand made.

The British Standard Code of Practice (BS 5534) specifies two ways of installing slates: nailing or hook fixing. These fasteners fix the slates to either batten, which is by far the most common English method, or to sarking board, which is commonly used in exposed areas in Scotland.Hall Hook slate repair fixings are the market leading remedial repair hook, designed over a 20 year period by an experienced slating contractor who always wanted to have the perfect solution to an everyday roofing problem.

All natural slates can be fixed using slate hooks. The hook method offers considerable freedom in design and can save up to 25% on labour costs and eliminate breakages. The practice is very popular in Europe and is gaining popularity in the UK. The British Standard BS 5534 identifies two installation methods: nailing and hook fixing. Slates are usually fixed to a batten in England and to a sarking board in areas of severe exposure throughout Scotland.When opting for hook fixing method, it is important to know that hook fixings may not be suitable for large slates, which experience a greater wind uplift than smaller slates, and for pitches above 75º or below 25º. Slate hooks are available with straight or crimped shanks. However, crimped shanks reduce the capillary action and should be used for roof pitches below 30º. In addition, when fixing slates with hooks all perimeter slates should be nailed and hooked for health and safety reasons. Slate hooks should be stainless steel and be formed from stainless steel wire. Electro-galvanized steel will eventually rust and will not last as long as stainless steel, but is a good choice for asbestos-shingle roofs or for a roof with around 25 years of life remaining. When hook fixing, additional nail fixings should be used at eaves, ridges and top abutments and, to prevent lateral drift, at verges, hips, valleys and side abutments. The barcode also provides information about where and when the slate was processed and who worked on that particular batch. Production standards