Tile roofs are an eco-friendly choice that reduces waste production while their long lifespan means less frequent replacement needs.
These tiles come in an assortment of colours to allow you to find something that matches the decor of your home and suit a range of pitch levels.
Clay Tiles
Clay roof tiles are an elegant choice that provides long-term protection from the elements, such as sun rays. Crafted from natural, chemically inert materials that can be fully recycled at their end of lifespan. Furthermore, clay tiles resist fires, moisture absorption, mold growth/algae growth and insects – making it a smart investment option!
Roof tiles are produced through machine extrusion and then coated with color texture or glazes to accentuate their beauty and add to their roof’s aesthetic appeal. While greens and blues tend to be popular choices, glazing helps the tiles resist weather exposure by resisting fading over time.
Clay tile roofing material stands apart from all others for its longevity and resilience in even extreme climate conditions such as high heat or low temperature conditions and heavy rainfall, such as tropical climates.
Clay roofs provide another major benefit – energy efficiency. Since air circulates freely under them, your home will stay cooler during summer and warmer during winter, saving energy by conserving energy consumption.
One of the primary disadvantages of a clay tile roof is its higher initial costs; however, these can often be offset by its longer lifespan compared to an asphalt shingle roof.
There are various styles of clay roof tiles on the market today. Mission style tiles feature rounded shapes that are popular among Southwest homeowners. Mangalorean-style shingles tend to be more costly due to their flat interlocking shingle design.
Terra cotta tiles offer homeowners who desire a rustic, earthy aesthetic an appealing choice in roofing material. Terra cotta can be easily formed into different shapes and sizes to meet aesthetic or architectural preferences, reflecting about 33% of harmful UV rays as compared to asphalt roofs which only reflect about 5%.
Slate Tiles
Slate is a fine-grained grey, green or bluish rock that easily splits into smooth flat tiles. Slate roof tiles come in various colors, textures and thicknesses that give each building its own distinct character; making slate an excellent choice both for new construction projects as well as renovation projects of older structures. A slate roof installation should only be undertaken by professionals experienced with installing this style of tile roof.
Slate tiles boast the advantage of noncombustibility over other roofing materials, making them energy efficient by keeping hot air out during summer and stopping cold air entering in winter, saving homeowners money on utility costs.
Slate tiles not only boast durability and energy efficiency, but their rustic aesthetic adds character and charm to a home. Slate can be used on flooring surfaces both inside and outside. Their colors and textures combine beautifully with other materials; for instance pairing slate floors with natural wood furnishings or raw wood kitchen islands to create contemporary looks is just one example of using slate in creative designs.
Slate tile stands apart from many other flooring materials because its quarrying process enables easy installation over existing roofs without structural upgrades. Instead of being cut from one large block, slate is split using a hammer and chisel into pieces of roughly uniform size that are then cut in parallel to its foliation into tiles generally of uniform sizes.
Tiles should be treated with penetrating sealers that penetrate deeply to close off small pores and protect them from moisture damage, helping the tiles avoid damage from fungus and other organisms that might otherwise discolor or degrade over time. Furthermore, an extra-protective top coat can also be applied for added shine and longevity.
Slate tile flooring is an increasingly popular choice in bathrooms, entryways and other public areas where people frequently walk. Furthermore, slate is ideal for exterior stairways, walkways and wall cladding projects.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic roof tiles are a popular roofing choice, boasting an assortment of colors and finishes for easy customization and upkeep. In addition to being economical and convenient, ceramic tiles offer other advantages including heat/noise insulation properties as well as algae/fungus resistance and flexibility.
Ceramics are created by baking or “firing” clay at high temperatures in a kiln. Ceramic tiles typically consist of clays, quartz, feldspar and silica mixed together with other materials to form tiles that are then finished off with a glaze to add color, texture and durability to them as well as protect from stains or damage.
Ceramic tile glazes are typically colored using mineral oxides, metal oxides or non-metal oxides derived from minerals, and other natural sources. This allows a variety of shades and hues from natural stone-style tiles to solid hues to be achieved when it comes to color options. In addition, many tile manufacturers provide decorative borders and accents which can add another level of flair when decorating an installation of tiles.
Ceramics may be best known as roof tiles, but they also make for excellent wall treatments and kitchen floors. Ceramics have also become an increasingly popular material choice in dinnerware, pottery production, fire and gas radiant systems, ceramic brick kiln linings and glass and steel crucibles – as well as being used to cover fireproof panels for fireplaces.
Porcelain tile is an exceptionally hard and water resistant type of ceramic material, ideal for residential and commercial buildings alike. It can withstand extreme temperature changes while remaining resistant to acids, heat and chemicals – commonly seen on walls and countertops.
Porcelain tile differs significantly from clay tiles in its composition and density, as it is more dense. As such, porcelain can better resist heat than its ceramic counterpart and cracking issues less frequently – making it a perfect option for roofs exposed to extreme weather conditions. Ceramics do not absorb as much water compared with other roofing materials but may experience expansion/contraction issues depending on humidity – something which could be addressed with dehumidifier or waterproof barrier installation underneath tiles.
Concrete Tiles
Concrete tiles have long been an impressively popular roofing choice, and with good reason. Thanks to careful manufacturing and rigorous weather testing, this type of roof tile can withstand even some of the harshest climate conditions without experiencing damage or structural weakness.
They’re extremely cost-effective, which makes them suitable for almost all budgets and expands the buyer pool to include those who might have never considered such an investment before.
There’s also an array of styles to choose from, ranging from flat tiles with no curves to low or high profile options that mimic more expensive materials such as clay, slate and cedar shingles; or painted for an original appearance.
As these tiles are produced from concrete, it allows manufacturers to easily produce them in various colors to suit any home owner and style of architecture. Homeowners will have no difficulty finding something perfect that satisfies both their personal aesthetic and home’s decor needs.
Concrete roof tiles provide natural protection against wildfire outbreaks by offering protection from falling embers and ash in an emergency situation, making them especially useful in areas vulnerable to such events.
These roofing tiles can be produced in various finishes such as smooth, granular or sandfaced for increased versatility. Furthermore, half and 3/4 tiles can also be produced so homeowners can create a truly tailored roof.
Concrete tiles have a lifespan of 50 years and provide an extremely durable roofing solution, however they still need some regular upkeep including cleaning and inspection to make sure no damage has occurred. Repairing broken tiles is easy but we would advise having professional undertake this work for those less than “handy”.