In recent years, Deschacht, where you used to only be able to find finishing materials for flat roofs, has also proven itself as a reliable partner for pitched roof finishes. A recent example is the renovation of the roof of a small castle in Herentals. Roofing company Yves Verboven used Itasi natural slates from Deschacht there. “The price-quality ratio is simply very good and the installation goes exceptionally smoothly,” says managing director Yves Verboven.
Dakwerken Yves Verboven started the work in May, which is now in the final phase. “The customer, a private individual, wanted the slate roof of his castle renovated,” managing director Yves Verboven begins to explain. “Because we had worked with Deschacht's natural slates on smaller projects in the past and were very satisfied with them, we used them again here, specifically the Itasi natural slate in the 40×22 format. In addition, we also purchased the insulation and hooks for the slates from Deschacht. A total solution, as it were.” Yves Verboven not only covered the entire roof of the castle on the border of Herentals and Lichtaart with the Itasi natural slates, a total of 275 m², but also two small towers. “The Itasi natural slates are very easy to install, even on the curved surfaces of the towers, which made this renovation far from an everyday project. The slates are also delivered in nice wooden crates, so the construction site doesn't look messy. In addition, the price-quality ratio is very good, and we are also very pleased with the cooperation with Deschacht, in the person of Nicky Pollet. He has extensive knowledge of roofing products and we can always turn to him with questions.”
Nicky Pollet explains what the Itasi natural slates, which hold an ATG certification, owe their good quality and ease of installation to. “While many colleagues work with second or third-choice slate, mainly to keep prices down, we use first-choice for the Itasi slate. Concretely, this means slates with little thickness variation among the individual slates and a better finish. The consistent thickness of the slates and the fact that they are always nicely straight ensures that they always fit well into the slate hooks, which naturally speeds up the installation process. And that they fit nicely into the wooden crates.”
“The fact that they contain little pyrite or iron sulfide is also a major asset of the Itasi natural slates, the sales manager continues. It ensures that, unlike many other types of slate, they hardly rust, which benefits their lifespan. Finally, we also have a large stock of Itasi natural slates, allowing us to always respond quickly to requests, which is rather exceptional in a market where delivery times of 4 to 6 months are more the rule than the exception.”
Sustainable on multiple fronts
The Itasi natural slates also score well in terms of sustainability. Nicky Pollet: “Natural slates do not lose their strength. As a result, they last an exceptionally long time, easily up to 60 years. It is not unusual for them to be removed to be reused in another project. In that case, you only need to remove a bit of green or runoff—caused by the slate hooks. Besides their long lifespan and the fact that they are installed in a dismantlable manner, Itasi natural slates are also sustainable because they are a natural product that requires no processing, such as an energy-intensive firing process, and to which no additives are added. And at the end of their lifespan, the slates can be crushed into gravel.”
The sales manager speaks with great passion about the product. A lot of that has to do with the short supply chain it travels to reach the customer. “The slates come from Ourense in northwestern Spain. There, they are hand-hewn from large blocks extracted from the mine. I am in direct contact with the mine owner and his son—I lived in Spain for a while and speak the language. So there are no intermediaries involved; we get the product straight from the source. That also allows us to keep the price down.” Just like Yves Verboven, Nicky Pollet looks back with satisfaction on their collaboration in the project in Herentals. “Yves and I are of the same generation and have previously worked together successfully on other projects. I recently told him that he is one of my easiest clients, to which his wife replied that we play a major role in that ourselves, because he is quite demanding,” the sales manager concludes with a laugh.
