**Types of Roof Tiles:**
– Shingle / flat tiles: Simple overlapping slabs, installed like traditional shingles, held in place by nails or screws, require more tiles for coverage, commonly feature squared or rounded ends.
– Imbrex and tegula: Overlapping tiles used by ancient cultures, tegula is a flat tile on the roof surface, imbrex is semi-cylindrical over joints, used to channel water away.
– Mission / Monk and Nun tiles: Semi-cylindrical two-piece tile system, composed of a pan and cover, both pan and cover are arched, similar to imbrex and tegula design.
– Pantiles / S tiles: Consolidate pan and cover into a single piece, greater surface area coverage with fewer tiles, fewer cracks to prevent leakage, traditionally formed through an extruder.
– Interlocking tiles: Distinguished by interlocking ridges, provides high roof area to tile ratio, includes Marseilles and Conosera profiles, manufactured on a large scale with a tile press.
**Historical and Cultural Significance:**
– Asia: Glazed tile with figures in China, historic clay roof tiles in China, advanced colored gloss glazes in Chinese architecture.
– Japan: Onigawara as roof ornamentation, depicting Japanese ogres or beasts, found mainly on Buddhist temples.
– Korea: Giwa tiles symbolizing spirituality, longevity, happiness, and enlightenment, use of Celadon glaze during the Goryeo Dynasty.
– India: Early evidence of roof tiles in Neolithic sites, influence on neighboring countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka, metal roof tiles restricted to religious architecture.
– Southeast Asia: Tapered flat roof tiles in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, common use of clay roof tiles in Java, Indonesia, Dutch encouragement of roof tile usage in Java and Bali.
**Innovations in Roof Tile Materials:**
– Mangalore Tiles: Developed in 1860 in India, exported around the Indian Ocean, French-manufactured Marseilles tiles imported to Australia and New Zealand.
– Ludowici Tiles: Developed in 1881 as an improvement upon Marseille tiles, mass-produced in Germany and the United States, imported to Australia by 1886.
– Concrete Tiles: Developed in the 1840s, initially considered inferior to clay tiles, grew internationally in the early 20th century due to cheaper production costs.
– Plastic Tiles: Marketed as composite or synthetic tiles, designed to imitate slate or clay tiles, produced through injection molding, available since around 2000.
– Solar Tiles: Produced by Dow Chemical Company since 2005, feature photovoltaic cells for generating renewable electricity, designed to be stronger than standard tiles.
**Properties and Performance of Roof Tiles:**
– Concrete Roof Tiles: Feature around 13% moisture absorption, require resealing every 3-7 years, known for longevity but need maintenance.
– Cement Roof Tiles: Inherently porous due to cement composition, heavy and thick construction, among the heaviest roofing materials, require periodic maintenance for durability.
– Clay Roof Tiles: Porous nature affects waterproofing, breaking strength varies by manufacturer, can absorb water over time, available in various colors.
– Plastic Roof Tiles: Breaking strength varies with temperature, prone to brittleness in cold weather, colored with synthetic dyes, require maintenance to prevent fading.
– Slate Roof Tiles: Durable and long-lasting, natural color variations, low maintenance roofing option, available in various shades.
**Manufacturing, Production, and Maintenance:**
– Manufacturing: Injection molding for composite tiles, historical development in Germany, Marseille/French pattern tile in Australia.
– Maintenance and Care: Fixing ridge tiles, understanding efflorescence on tiles, impact of aging on plastic brittleness, recommendations for preventing damage to roof tiles.
Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, and plastic.
Roof tiles can be affixed by screws or nails, but in some cases historic designs such as Mangalore tiles utilize interlocking systems that are self-supporting. Tiles typically cover an underlayment system, which seals the roof against water intrusion.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Roof tiles:
Roof tiles are individual overlapping tiles made from various materials such as clay, concrete, or metal that are used to cover the roof of a building. They provide protection from the elements and help to shed water away from the structure. Roof tiles come in different shapes, sizes, and colors, and are commonly used in residential and commercial construction.