We don’t often get to revisit roofing projects nearly a decade later. This self-build home in Essex was completed using our Ashvale Tilehurst handcrafted tiles, and eight years on, it still shows exactly why that choice was made.
Built from the ground up after the original property was demolished, the project was completed over the course of a year, with roofing carried out by M Gilders Roofing.
From the outset, the aim was to create a roof that didn’t feel too uniform or manufactured. The homeowner wanted something with natural variation that would suit the style of the property and still look right years down the line.
Ashvale Tilehurst handcrafted tiles were chosen for that reason. With tones ranging from orange through to red and deeper browns, the mix gives the roof a varied, more established appearance straight away. Eight years on, the roof is still performing exactly as expected. The original vibrancy has softened slightly through natural weathering, but the variation in colour remains, giving the roof a more settled and natural look as it’s aged.
Following the success of the main house, the same tiles were later used on the garage and stables. This helped keep a consistent look across the whole site and shows the confidence in the product beyond the initial build.
We recently revisited the project to capture updated imagery and drone footage, and it still stands out as a great example of how these tiles mature over time.Mark Gilders of M Gilders Roofing and MPG Developments commented, “The Ashvale Tilehurst tiles gave us exactly the look we were after, and eight years on they still look spot on. It’s a reliable product, easy to work with, and we’ll definitely be using Lifestiles again on our future developments.
