Durable Slate earns double finalist honors at prestigious IFD Awards

By Jesse Sanchez. 

U.S. company stands out among global elite with two heritage projects up for international recognition. 

The Durable Slate Company, a leader in historic roofing restoration, has secured finalist status in two distinct categories for the 2025 International Federation for the Roofing Trade (IFD) Awards, an achievement that demonstrates the company’s artful craftsmanship on the global stage. The IFD Awards represent one of the highest honors in the international roofing and sheet metal community. Judged by a panel of the industry’s top experts, the competition celebrates both technical excellence and heritage preservation. 

The awards will be presented during the IFD Congress gathering in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 22–25. The event alternates annually between a hands-on international competition for young roofers (in even years) and project awards recognizing architectural excellence (in odd years). This year, 12 projects worldwide were named finalists, three in each of the four categories: steep slope, sheet metal, low slope and façade. 

Durable Slate is the only American company to earn finalist nods in two categories. Their restoration of the St. Helena Cathedral in Helena, Montana, is one of three finalists in the steep slope category. The 1908 Gothic Revival structure, inspired by Vienna’s Votivkirche, underwent a meticulous roof restoration, including the reinstallation of Ludowici French tile and copper standing seam roofing, along with internal masonry reinforcements. 

In the sheet metal category, Durable Slate’s work on the Logan County Courthouse in Lincoln, Illinois, was recognized. The building’s copper-clad dome, originally built in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has already earned both the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) Gold Circle Award and the North American Copper in Architecture Award. It was the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln once practiced law before becoming president. 

“Another huge congratulations to the fabulous Durable Team,” wrote John Chan, executive vice president of Durable Slate. “Amazingly, we’re finalists in both steep slope and sheet metal, 2 out of the 4 categories.” 

While the IFD has not released the full list of competitors publicly, John confirmed that the NRCA nominated all of its Gold Circle Award winners for consideration. This places Durable Slate in elite company, though they won’t know the outcome until the awards gala on October 24 at the Reduta Concert Hall in Bratislava. 

Learn more about how Durable Slate's award-nominated restorations are raising the bar for historic preservation on the world stage!