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Valmalenco serpentine stone

Serpentine stone mining
The first step is the extraction of the raw material, i.e. serpentine stone, from the quarries located in the heart of Valmalenco. Once the quality of the material has been assessed, our workers use explosives to extract the serpentine stone. Once the bank, the part of the mountain suitable for working, has been removed, the serpentine slabs are cut into smaller blocks using a cutting machine, and these blocks are then taken to the workshop for processing.
Block cutting
Once in the workshop, the Valmalenco serpentine blocks are cut with a saw to obtain blocks of between 35 and 70 cm in length, which are supplied to the stonemasons for the production of serpentine slabs, known as "piode".
Splitting by hand
The production of the Valmalenco stone blocks is still done by hand. The workers who carry out this type of work are called "scalpellini", a name derived from the tool used to split the blocks, the chisel, in italian "scalpello". From the block of serpentine stone cut to size, they proceed by hammering at precise intervals, usually 1.8/2 cm. The result is a slab with a thickness suitable for roofing, after a working phase called shaving to make it uniform on all 4 sides.
Laying
The final stage in the processing of the Valmalenco serpentine stone slabs is laying. This process consists of laying a series of serpentine slabs side by side in close succession to create a roof covering. They are also laid on top of each other to prevent water infiltration. The overlapping of the stone tiles depends on the slope of the pitch. The size of the Valmalenco pioda stone tiles used for roofing is not overall uniform. They become progressively smaller as they reach the ridge. This is for reasons of aesthetics and rainwater drainage. The last row of pioda stone tiles placed on the slope joins, in the ridge line, the one belonging to the opposite pitch.
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