GTRC Bus Depot

Reinstalling 100-Year-Old Buckingham Slate with QWIK Slate® Precision

The Greater Richmond Transit Company Bus Depot is a historic landmark in Richmond, Virginia — a building whose original Buckingham slate roof had served faithfully for over a century. When the time came for restoration, the project team chose QWIK Slate® to reinstall the original 100-year-old Buckingham slate with minimal breakage and maximum efficiency.

Cross Timbers Roofing, led by Chuck Glady, executed the restoration with QWIK Slate® representative Brian Chalsma providing technical support. The QWIK Slate® hook-fixing system was ideal for this project: it allows careful handling of aged slate, reduces breakage during installation, and provides superior attachment compared to traditional nailing.

Buckingham slate from Virginia is among the longest-lasting roofing slates in the world, with documented lifespans exceeding 150 years. By reinstalling the original slate using the QWIK Slate® system, the project team extended the roof's service life by another century while preserving the building's historic character.

The GTRC Bus Depot restoration demonstrates QWIK Slate®'s versatility — equally suited to new construction with fresh Vermont slate and historic restoration projects requiring the careful handling of century-old material.