Stone Roofer

Stone roofer or "Lavier" :

Mounting a bread oven

Mounting a bread oven

In the past 15 years, half of the traditional stone roofers in Burgundy have disappeared.  Today only a handful of professionals in this specialized domain are equipped to build or restore stone roofs, made of what is locally known as "laves".

Only small quantities of this surface stone are extracted per day, which partly explains the high cost of restorations.

A "lavier" or stone roofer is a truly an expert craftsman capable of undertaking numerous tasks. The roofs are covered by means of a precise superimposition of "laves" or flat stones, which are fixed in place simply by the weight of the stones.  This old or "poor man's" way of covering a house has today practically become extinct, to the great chagrin of traditionalists in Burgundy. Consequently much is being done to encourage restorations and most of all to revive and transmit the know-how of this specialized profession.

Aside from constructing stone roofs, "laviers" are also adept at building other types of roofs as well as stone walls made of "laves", bread ovens, barbecues, dovecotes...


Quarrying flat stones or "laves"

Quarrying flat stone blocks

Quarrying flat stone blocks