21 December 2020

Slate tile roof (Saint Leonhard's Church, Frankfurt am Main)


Awesome work.  Reminds me of a pangolin.  Via.

I'm also impressed by the uniformity of the slate tiles, which I assume are cut to shape and have holes drilled in them by automated machinery nowadays.

Update:  I was wrong, as this video sent to me by a reader illustrates -

4 comments:

  1. >which I assume are cut to shape and have holes drilled in them by automated machinery nowadays.

    Still done by hand: https://youtu.be/t0g4Bv_I9oc?t=676

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    Replies
    1. Wow. Double wow. I am personally surprised that someone can hack a hole in slate without fracturing the plate. You learn something every day. Thank you.

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    2. The slate tiles are cut by hand and fitted individually, producing the old-German slate roof. They are set at a slope (relative to the horizon) and rounded at the edge, so that the rain water is guided towards the roof center against the prevailing wind. No gutters, just snow guards.
      You can see how they are fitted by the master craftsmen. Even vertical walls are sometimes covered in the protective and decorative stone. The roof easily lasts 200 years or more; most are replaced when the old holding nails rust out.
      This roof in the video cost about 30 000 Euro to recover and took 5 weeks to complete.

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  2. That video was amazing. The art of craftsman is something to behold!

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