The roof can be covered with various materials, but when choosing the right one for your home, you should know exactly what structure of the roof truss is in the roof you plan to cover. Some of the materials can only be used with slight slopes. We present the types of roofing materials and their possible applications.
Ceramic tile
Ceramic tile is one of the most popular and oldest known roofing materials. They are very elegant and aesthetic. Ceramic tile is a non-flammable material, resistant to weather conditions, frost-resistant, as well as resistant to solar radiation and mechanical damage. Ceramic tile can be used for curved elements such as dormers. It also works well for gable, hipped and multi-pitched roofs. Due to the production technology, ceramic tiles are divided into:
- natural,
- engobed,
Natural tiles are made of raw clay. They are matte, moderately absorbent and have a porous surface. They take shades of red and are used, among others, in for renovation of historic buildings. Engobed tiles have additives of natural dyes. They take on interesting colors: shades of red, brown, copper, yellow, green, blue and black. Glazed tiles are coated with colored or colorless glaze. Thanks to this, they take on different colors.
Cement tile
A cement tile, or concrete one, resembles a ceramic tile. The main difference is the production technology and the material they are made of. They are made of a mixture of cement, sand and water. In terms of shape and method of assembly, it may be similar to a ceramic tile. However, its is smaller. It is resistant to weather conditions and is characterized by high thermal and acoustic insulation. It can be of any color, it is painted with acrylic paint. However, it requires regular maintenance.
Steel tile
Metal roofing tiles, as the name suggests, are made of sheet metal. It is characterized by a low weight. This is a universal product that can be used on any roof with a slope angle exceeding 9O. It is resistant to rust and mechanical damage. Available various color variants and shapes of metal roof tiles do not require additional maintenance, but the paint exposed to solar radiation may fade. It is a very elegant and aesthetic solution.
Bituminous tile
Bituminous tile, or bituminous shingle, is similar in structure to typical roofing felt sheets and technically they are very similar. They have a core in the form of a strong carcass made of cellulose mass, glass fiber or plastics. The core is covered with asphalt mass and covered with mineral granules. They are resistant to temperature changes, deformation and moisture. The bitumen shingle is lightweight.
Other types of roofing
In addition to the most popular roofing materials, you can also find the following:
- roof panels – rarely found in residential construction, they are usually used on industrial roofs and on roofs of light structures, such as sheds, gazebos or garages,
- Roofing compounds – used to cover flat roofs
- wooden shingle – formerly very popular, today mainly in old wooden houses,
- natural straw or reed thatch – the greatest use in the past, today practically only for the renovation of old historic cottages.
- ecological green roofs – a modern solution consisting in sowing the roofs with vegetation.
