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Considered over the lifespan of a house, a clay tile roof is a bargain. This colorful, richly dimensioned, historically appropriate roofing material can last for hundreds of years with proper maintenance and care. It's also exceptionally durable. Fire resistant and capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds, clay tile even survives earthquakes. It's no wonder that clay tile has been one of the premier roofing choices for millennia. If your home has an original tile roof, by all means keep it. As a rule, the fasteners and underlayment-even lead-coated copper flashing-will fail long before the tile will. An original roof is especially valuable because it is part of the architecture of an old house. Since a new or vintage tile roof can cost $20,000 to $60,000 or more, treat yours as an irreplaceable asset. While repairing or replacing a clay tile roof isn't for the faint of pocketbook, the good news for old-house owners is that both new and vintage (i.e., salvaged) tile are widely available (see "Suppliers," p. 00). Before you shop for a new roof, arm yourself with some basic knowledge about the shape, mechanics, size, color, and sources of origin of this extraordinary building material. Shape. While literally hundreds of types of roofing tile have been made throughout history, most styles available today fit one of six or seven basic shapes. These include Spanish (or "S"), Mission (also called barrel), shingle (or slab), English, French, and Roman (or pan). Variations on shingle tiles alone include textured (or "rustic") tiles, thick and irregular slab or "crude" tiles, and cambered tiles. The concave shapes of exposed Spanish, Mission, and Roman tiles create undulating patterns and interesting shadow lines. Deeply grooved French tiles and interlocking English shingles offer well-defined shadow lines, while flat or cambered shingle tiles afford softer edges. Mechanics. To make a watertight roof, tiles must either overlap or interlock. Interlocking tiles fit together with either a lip or one or more raised edges; since less coverage is required, the design promotes a more economical use of the material. Overlapping tiles lack both lips and raised edges. They may fit together by alternating concave and convex shapes, as with Mission and Roman tiles, or through staggered coverage, as with shingle tiles. While interlocking tiles weren't unheard of before the Civil War, many innovative designs were created by late-19th-century manufacturers and designers, such as George Babcock of Celadon Terra Cotta Co. (later Ludowici-Celadon), who patented more than 30 tiles. Then as now, manufacturers were looking for ways to make the material cover more surface area at a lower cost. Size. The earliest American-made tiles were on the small side; some colonialera shingles measure as little as 10" x 6". Since larger tiles make it easier to cover a broad expanse of roof more quickly, manufacturers had an economic incentive to gradually push stock sizes upward. This pattern has continued late into the 20th century; stock sizes of a standard profile may be 2" to 3" longer than similar tiles dating to, say, 1900. Color. Color is another variable in matching tile for an existing roof. Traditional unglazed tile is terra-cotta red, a result of the high percentage of iron oxide in the firing mixture. Natural variations on this hue range from light buff to pale orange and pink, deepening to reddish- and dark brown to black. Just as mineral content and firing techniques can alter the color of a piece of pottery, tile makers were adept at manipulating the firing process to produce unusual shades. Black, grey, purple, dark blue, and green casts weren't unusual on turn-of-the-century tiles. Manufacturers experimented with colored glazes, introducing shiny and matte greens, blues, and even lavender tiles to late-19th-century rooftops. Origin. Between 1870 and 1930, dozens of factories churned out product in locations as diverse as New York, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and California-often tapping a rich source of natural clay. Two hardy survivors -Ludowici Roof Tile in Ohio and Gladding, McBean of California-still produce clay tile in many traditional profiles and colors. They're also able to re-create some vintage patterns they no longer carry as stock items. Since many manufacturers stamped the factory name on the back of the tile, samples from your roof may yield clues to its place of origin. Picking and Choosing Tile. Given the diversity in tile profiles, colors, and sizes available over just the past 100 years, it's astounding that anyone can find a match for a historic tile roof. If you're contemplating a repair, replacement, or an addition to an original tile roof, you'll need professional assistance to choose and install the new material. Here are some guidelines to follow.
Suppliers Ludowici Roof Tile Inc. M.C.A. Clay Roof Tile MET-Tile Inc. Monier Inc. Northern Roof Tile Sales Co. Inc. The Tile Man, Inc. TileSearch Vande Hey-Raleigh |
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