THE PITCH
Preserving history
with roof tiles
Nigel Dyer, heritage services manager at Wienerberger, explains why it is better to use new roof tiles rather
than reclaimed tiles to achieve the heritage look
The UK is lucky to have a wealth of
well-preserved, historic buildings
that attract visitors from around
the world. To maintain these
properties, a considerable amount of work
and money has to be invested to ensure
that they are still around for generations
to come.
In terms of roofing, this means that
old, failing roof tiles need to be replaced
with new ones to protect the structure
and interiors of these valuable
properties. However, these heritage
projects are often far more complex
than installing a standard roof
on a volume housing project.
Manufacturers, clients, architects
and bodies such as Historic England
will work closely together to achieve the
desired finished result.
Using the correct material is vital to
a heritage project, as strict regulations
often require roof replacements or
repairs to be carried out with like-forlike
products. New roofing tiles with
the correct profile, colour and texture
are needed to match existing tiles, the
age and style of a building and the
surrounding environment.
The heritage roofing sector is dominated
by clay products, and it is common for
bespoke tiles to be specially made for
projects where the original roof design
needs to be strictly adhered to and massmanufactured
products aren’t suitable.
After clay, it is also typical for natural
stone, natural slate and thatch to be used
on heritage projects.
The challenge doesn’t end with sourcing
the right roofing tile. An immense amount
of planning and preparation goes on
behind the scenes on a heritage project as
attention to detail is paramount. Correct
installation is as important as choosing the
correct product to work with.
Roofing contractors who have
experience of historic buildings work
with a high level of craftsmanship due to
the demands of heritage roofing. Modern
roofing tiles have been developed with
a host of design features that make
installation as quick and simple for the
contractor as possible. No such luck with
traditional roof tiles! They are often more
difficult to fit and require traditional
installation methods (such as using lime
and mortar). This means that the pace of
work is much slower, but an exceptional
Above: Nigel
Dyer, heritage
services
manager at
Wienerberger.
Above, right:
The Caring
Wood RIBA
House of the
Year project
“When it comes to
achieving a heritage
look with roof tiles on
both historic and modern
projects, it is better to
fake it with new tiles
instead of old reclaimed
originals”
finish that is faithful to the original build
is considered more important than a
quick installation.
Taking inspiration from the UK’s
historic buildings, we’re seeing a trend for
newbuild constructions adopting the look
of heritage projects by using products
such as traditional handmade roof tiles.
Customers often prefer the look of a roof
that appears to be aged and weathered,
rather than a roof that is very obviously
brand new.
The Caring Wood RIBA House of the
Year project is the perfect example of a
new home being made in a historic style
and incorporating traditional Keymer
handmade tiles for an oast house style
design.
One issue with the popularity of
traditional roof tiles and the “heritage”
look is that customers are looking to use
reclaimed materials as they don’t realise
that you can achieve the same effect with a
new product.
Using reclaimed materials for
construction and interior design is
growing increasingly popular, with the
rustic look continuing to be an ongoing
trend. More people are looking to upcycle
items and use authentic materials
from earlier time periods, as they are
conscious that recycling old materials is
environmentally friendly and sometimes
cost-effective.
However, we’d advise that with such
a significant investment and crucial
structural element as a roof, new tiles
are always best. As we all know, reroofing
a house is a significant cost, so it
is essential it is done correctly. With new
tiles, the customer has peace of mind that
it will last many years without repairs or
replacements required.
There are risks to reusing old tiles,
as there are no guarantees on their
performance, remaining lifespan and
quality. You are dealing with many
unknown factors, making a reclaimed
roof tile roof unpredictable and potentially
risky. It is a simple fact that a roof
constructed using reclaimed roof tiles will
fail sooner than one with new tiles.
Rather than saving money, decent
quality reclaimed tiles can often be quite
expensive as they are scarce and therefore
a premium product. Some individual tiles
may be in good condition, but a batch of
old tiles would need to be carefully sorted
through and checked to ensure that they
are suitable for installing on a roof.
Thoroughly checking tiles is a very timeintensive
process and imperfections may
not be obvious, such as hairline cracks.
Don’t forget that there is a reason that these
tiles have been removed from a roof!
If you are going to use some reclaimed
tiles on a project, we would advise you not
mix old tiles with new tiles on a roof. They
will be easier to remove and replace when
they do start to fail if you install them on a
lower or separate elevation.
So when it comes to achieving a
heritage look with roof tiles on both
historic and modern projects, it is better
to fake it with new tiles instead of old
reclaimed originals. Roof tiles in a
variety of colours and styles are available,
some of which have been designed with
weathered, rustic look in mind, featuring
irregular colour patterns and sanded
textures for that “faux heritage” aesthetic.
Wienerberger offers an expansive modern
range, as well as handmade Keymer tiles
and bespoke tiles made by our Heritage
Services team which can add charm and
character to any roof.
w www.wienerberger.co.uk
92 www.rcimag.co.uk July 2018
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