The 2014 National Slate Association Conference was held in Quebec City this year from October 24th-26th. A variety of organization members attended including roofing consultants, quarry owners, slate contractors, and others in the industry. The conference events included the following:
Day 1: Orientation and presentations, Chateau Frontenac roof tour, and walking tour of Quebec City
Day 2: Glendyne Quarry tour. Glendyne is North America’s largest quarry. Further info on this quarry can be found on a post Stortz shared about slate quarries a few weeks ago.
Day 3: Presentations and Conclusions
The conference was hosted in the beautiful Chateau Frontenac which is generally recognized as the most photographed hotel in the world. The Chateau was designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the roof of this hotel was full of incredible copper work and the buildings architecture is dazzling. We had a chance to take a small visit to a balcony with a member of the roofing crew that completed recent renovations to the copper work.
The 3 presentations from day one of the conference highlighted some of the industries recent focuses.
1. John Stortz & Son – Slate and Sheet Metal – 161 years in business
An overview of the company and the different markets Stortz participates in. Visit our site for further Stortz history.
2. Newmont Slate – Bob Williams & the Quik Slate System
Bob Williams, from Newmont Slate Quarry in Vermont, demonstrated an alternative system for installing slate that drastically reduces installation time and decreases the chances for mechanics failure (traditionally 1%-3%). This concept is being used in France (largest slate market in the world) and requires the slates to be hung on hooks rather than punched and nailed into the roof. More information on Qwik Slate can be found on their site.
3. Jeff Levine – National Slate Association Mobile Installer’s Field Guide
The National Slate Association has developed a slate installer’s field guide for common slate roofing scenarios. Conveniently, this has been developed for mobile usage so the information can be easily viewed on a job site. Animations/sketches are provided with captions to relay information as accurately as possible.
Some topics covered include:
-Slate Roof Basics
-Underlayments
-Eave Edge
-Rake Detail & Approach Slate
-Field Slates
-Flashings
-Hip and Ridge
Following the presentations we took a walking tour of Old Town Quebec City which was pretty fascinating. Below are some pictures throughout.
