A new trend is emerging in commercial and residential construction. As architects and designers continue to migrate toward natural and eco-friendly products, real natural slate has recently hit the options list for exterior cladding. Slate shingles, a long time historic favorite for permanent roofing, are now being seen used as siding on homes and commercial structures around the country. This is not necessarily a brand new trend.
A trip to just about any European country, especially Germany, Spain and the ever so design conscious France, reveals that this is a trusted and trendy option that has been used for decades in some areas—and centuries in others. Natural slate is a metamorphic rock formed from ancient sea beds millions of years ago that is easily split into slabs and used for everything from pool tables, to blackboards, to roofs.