Tile has a long history in roofing and is still highly valued today for its natural durability. The most obvious reason for picking tile is aesthetic value, as tile roofs have a natural appeal that can be hard to ignore. But tile is more than just decorative. If you are considering a tile roof for your home, here are some basic facts about this material.

There are three distinct types of tile used in roofing today:

Clay Tile: Molded clay baked into a tile, but it also usually has glazing and other texture treatments applied to it. Although some tiles of this material only have color added to the surface (which easily fades), most modern clay tiles are still kiln-fired (which makes the color permanent). There are also accessory clay tiles that are used on intersections, gable ends, ridges, and hips.
- There are various installation methods for clay tile roofing: one piece, two piece, interlocking, and flat.
Slate Tile: Made of natural slate rock, slate is one of the oldest roofing materials. Usually dark gray with a unique appearance of its own, it is very durable and holds up well against fire, high winds, and deterioration. This type of material is recommended for steep sloped roofs.
- Slate can be brittle, so it requires roofers trained specifically in handling it for proper installation.
Concrete Tile: Made of water, sand, and portland cement, although the proportions vary depending on the manufacturer. These three ingredients are mixed under high pressure and then placed in molds. The produced concrete tile is then cured to reach a specific degree of strength and finished with a cementitious material.
- Concrete tiles usually have lugs on the underside so that they can anchor to batten strips. There are also interlocking ribs that prevent water from entering the roof membrane and keep the tiles from moving.

Now that you know what tile roofing is, read the second part of this blog series to learn more about its advantages. Let’s go into detail to see why a tile roof is a great choice for a residential roof.