Manuel Prieto Barbarín – ArteLousa
ACTIVITY
BRIEF HISTORY OF SLATE ROOFING
People have always built their homes with the materials that came to hand. Thus in Galicia, slate has long been used for roofs, chestnut for timber frames (and oak to a lesser extent) along with various kinds of stone for walls.
The… craft of slate-roofing basically involves three layers of slate tiles in an overlaid arrangement where the overlap of the third one with the first one is what makes the roof waterproof. Such traditional slating is still the most reliable system there is and always will be, as the irregular slates used need not follow a pre-established geometry and each particular tile can be overlapped as suits each case.
In olden times, slates were not nailed to roofs but rather just laid in overlapping rows, and in wind-exposed parts such as the ridge, stones were placed as counterweights or else the slates were interlaced in a crossed formation. Later wooden nails were introduced, and then iron tacks, up to the nails of our times.
ARTELOUSA
After many years of learning and working for others, on 1 January 2012 Manuel Prieto established ArteLousa, a firm specialised in the building, refurbishment and restoration of traditional construction, and primarily roofs.
His team in ArteLousa are experts in traditional slate in all its forms (phyllite, Buratai slate, piedra país, etc.) as well in the various kinds of slate roofing (uncut, hammer-dressed, etc.). They are also outstanding in woodwork and traditional building generally.
They seek to maintain as far as possible the original charm of the traditional buildings that they renovate. Where possible, they keep all elements that can be reused, and complement old-style craftsmanship with up-to-date technology.
TRAINING
Manuel Prieto was lucky enough to learn his craft in a hands-on way with now-retired professionals of the slate and carpentry trades who firmly believed in traditional slate-laying (as against the trend of the time, i.e. the introduction of slate shingles fixed with hooks). Back… then they were seen as crazy for not joining the fashion, but time has borne out their choice: their work has held fast, as on the first day, whereas modern slating has proven to greatly shorten a roof’s life.
One firm with which he worked on many major refurbishments is Lousados Castor (now defunct).
Recently Manuel took part successfully in the Galician Government’s procedure for recognition of vocational skills, passing every exam linked to pitched roofs. He also holds a diploma in marketing and advertising and a postgraduate diploma in industrial organisation, and is certified as an intermediate occupational health and safety officer and industrial maintenance technician.
SELECTED WORK
Notable among his work is the restoration of the hórreo staddle-stone granary in Navia De Suarna, involving the various materials with which he works (stone and wood), or the roof of the Church of Santa María in Sarria (given the difficulty of its rounded end).
He… has also taken part over the years in other refurbishments of major historic buildings, such as the Church of San Andrés in Ponferrada, the Cathedral of Lugo, the church of the Monastery of Samos, the Seminary of Mondoñedo, the Church of Santa María in Viveiro, the Monastery of La Magdalena in Sarria, etc.
Also worth mentioning are other projects in which he has salvaged the materials used of old on roofs in Galicia (such as typical Galician stone from Buratai or coloured phyllite), for example in the hórreo granary in Navia or the restoration of the Millara winery in Lugo province.
