The pitch of your roof is essential to both its function and its aesthetics. Whether you are building from scratch or renovating an old home, considering the pitch is important when deciding which roof tiles are most appropriate.
What style of building?
If your renovating an existing roof or already have the specifications, you’ll know the roof pitch already. Victorian period and Arts & Crafts style houses tend to have quite steep pitches, around 48-51°. However, Georgian homes have lower pitches, at about 39°, with many modern homes closer to 43°. With different pitches in mind, it is important to consider the appearance of the roof you are tiling along-side your tiles’ functional performance.
The importance of pitch
The cost of building materials is higher when covering a roof with a steeper pitch. For this reason, many more modern homes have a lower roof pitch. If building your roof from scratch, it is worth considering these costs but also how the roof will look and what tiles are suitable for a lower pitch. The vast majority of tiles can be used on pitches of 35° or steeper. However, the lower the roof pitch, the slower the speed of the water run-off. This makes it more important that your tile has a low level of absorbency. Check whether your roof tile has British Standard certification and ask about the characteristics of each roof tile.
So, which tiles?
Some tiles are heavier than others and this will determine whether they are appropriate for a roof with a low pitch,” explains Patrick. “Natural slate roof tiles are quite heavy, and it is not recommended that they are used on a roof with a pitch of less than 25°. However, plain clay roof tiles are even heavier and can be used for pitches as low as 35°. Clay pantiles can be used on pitches of 25° as they’re up to a third lighter than other tiles. These figures will vary for each individual roof tile so make sure to ask about pitch limitations before you buy.
The ‘roof over your head’ is a key requirement in everyone’s safety and well-being and not something that you want to get wrong. At Lifestiles we know roof tiles inside out and our experts are happy to have any questions you might have. Come and see our full range of roof tiles on display at our new, larger premises or at our website.
