Fired clay tile has been roofing buildings for two thousand years, which is the strongest statement anyone can make about a roofing material. Fifty to a hundred years is a normal expectation, and the barrel profile is unmistakable.
Because the colour is the fired clay itself rather than a surface treatment, it does not fade. A ninety-year-old clay roof looks like a clay roof; a ninety-year-old anything else does not.
It is heavy, it is expensive, and individual tiles are brittle underfoot. On the right building, none of that is a reason not to.
Weight matters here. This material runs several times the weight of asphalt per square. Before it goes on, the roof frame has to be checked and may need reinforcing — that is a structural cost the estimator cannot see and does not include.
The trade-off, honestly
What it gives you
- 50 to 100 year life
- Colour never fades
- Outstanding in heat
- Non-combustible
What it costs you
- Among the heaviest options
- High installed cost
- Brittle — needs care during any later work
Best for
Mediterranean, Spanish and Mission architecture, and buildings framed for the weight.
Price it on your roofYou click. We climb. Deal?
Tell us what you need and we will handle the rest. No ladders required on your part.
