Lightweight Roof Tiles

Tile roofs can be quite beautiful. But they are expensive to install because they require specialists. They also require a lot of maintenance. If you like the look of tile, but don’t want to deal with the headache, consider using lightweight roof tiles.

Lightweight roof tiles are manufactured in a variety of styles, designed to mimic the look of expensive tile roofs. However they have the advantage of being much cheaper, easier to install, and require less maintenance. Their light weight also makes them ideal for re-roofing projects, where weight is often a primary consideration.

Versatile and Fast

They are also much more versatile and can be used in a wider range of construction projects. For instance if you wanted to convert a flat roof to a pitched style roof, lightweight roof tiles would be the ideal choice. A pitched roof built with lightweight tile can be built right over the flat roof without having to remove it. This virtually guarantees that water will not infiltrate the roof. It is also desirable because by not having to remove the old roof, it will not disturb the tenants as much.

Installation with lightweight roof tiles is faster and safer. Their light weight make them easier to handle while at height. They can be installed far more quickly than traditional roofs due to their light weight and the fact that they are manufactured in larger sheets rather than individual tiles. To affix lightweight roof tiles, plastic coated galvanised nails are used as well as a batten system, making the lightweight roof tiles very strong and resistant to wind uplift. This is known as dry fixing and can be done in wet or dry weather.

This strength in the face of wind comes from the fact that the lateral positioning of the hardware means that all the loads on these fixings are at 90 degrees to their plane. This provides unparalleled strength. Furthermore, the strength of the roof does not rely on the dead weight of the material, as do traditional tile roofs.

Environmental Benefits

Somewhat surprisingly, lightweight tile roofs can also offer advantages to the environment. Since the overall weight of the structure is reduced, it won’t need as much structural reinforcement. This means it will use less in materials, saving resources. It will also reduce the overall cost of the project. Savings can even be made through reductions in the necessary specifications for the foundation of the building, since it won’t have to bear as much weight.

There are logistical advantages to using lightweight roof tiles in your next construction project. Due to their light weight and compact nature, they require fewer trucks to transport the materials to the site. Once on site, they take up less space and are easier to store. Easier storage also adds to ease of securing to help avoid theft, further reducing costs and increasing profit.

Considering the beautiful appearance of lightweight roof tiles, their ease and speed of installation, reduction of costs transferred to the overall project, benefits to the environment, and improved logistics, doesn’t it make sense to use lightweight roof tiles for your next roofing project?