Many of the homes that you see are roofed using the typical materials of shingles and tar paper. Roofs constructed in this manner are certainly fine for keeping the elements at bay and the rest of the house dry and comfortable. Some homeowners look for an even more durable roof and use tiles to cover their house. Tiles are made from hardy materials that will perform their job for many years. They are not as cheap as shingles, but tiles are attractive and do not deteriorate easily. There are several types of tiles that can be used for roofs.

A large number of the tiles that you find on the rooftops of homes are fashioned from clay and cement. This is due to the earliest roofs being crafted from the materials found around the newly erected house. One of the oldest forms of clay tiles are the imbrex and tegula style that was created in ancient Greece. Fired clay was the material most often used, but some were found made from marble and bronze as well. This style is still used on modern homes, and its discovery on ancient buildings, in tact no less, attests to its high durability.

Monk and nun styled roofs are also popular designs of tiled coverage. This style is similar to imbrex and tegula in that arched tiles are utilized. Imbrex and tegula, however employ one arched tile to one flat tile. Monk and nun uses two arched tiles. Though quite ancient in origin, monk and nun is fairly widespread today in the Mediterranean and France. It is also common in the American southwest, though it is often called pan and cover or mission style there.

In Europe, concrete tiles are gaining some ground in popularity, but they have been slow to catch on in the United States. The idea behind them is durable roofing material at a very reasonable price. Concrete tiles are not effective heat conductors and do not catch fire. They are therefore preferable in areas that are prone to fires. Ceramic tiles are also amazingly durable materials, and it is not uncommon to obtain more than 100 years of use out of them. They are, however, quite heavy and very costly.

Tile is likely not as commonly found on rooftops as shingles due to its weight and cost relative to the average roofing materials. For those who do not mind paying a little extra, however, the possible rafter reinforcements and added expenses of roofing materials matters little. Tile is weatherproof and readily reflects solar heating, making it a desirable choice of roofers.

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