Terracotta Roofing

Terracotta Roofing

When building a new home or extension, choosing the right roofing material is one of the most important decisions that home builders will make.

For many Australians, selecting terracotta roof tiles as their roofing solution brings the combined benefits of superior aesthetics and high performance. Terracotta tiles transform nature's most basic elements of earth and fire into a product that has the ability to reduce energy consumption, is low maintenance and fire resistant.

David Francis, Boral National Marketing Manager, said terracotta roof tiles had been around for millennia and remained one of the most popular forms of roofing today. 'While architectural styles and materials come and go, the roof tile has endured the test of time," Mr Francis said. 'The characteristics and benefits of terracotta roof tiles add up to a quality product that is durable, easy to maintain and remains attractive throughout its lifetime," he added.

Made from natural clay with a choice of glazed, semi-glazed or unglazed finishes, terracotta tiles are coated with a ceramic colouring before being individually kiln-fired for enduring colour performance.

A tiled roof also helps reduce a home's energy consumption, an important element in home building today. Australian research has demonstrated that when comparing roofs of the same colour, using roof tiles means less cooling energy is required than the most commonly used metal alternative.

Another significant advantage of using roof tiles is that they require little or no maintenance. If damage is sustained during a storm, the individual damaged tiles can be quickly replaced.

According to Tony Tanner, Executive Director of the Roofing Tile Association of Australia, 'Virtually all roof tiles come with a 50 year guarantee on structural performance, will not become porous and leak if installed correctly and most importantly will not be damaged by coastal salt. In addition, terracotta tiles are manufactured to look great over the life of the roof.

"The leading alternative roofing material is guaranteed against corrosion for up to 30 years and only up to 20 years if the dwelling is less than five kilometres from the ocean. The coating on such common alternative material is usually guaranteed for 20 years," Mr Tanner said.

With a diversity of styles that suit most architectural designs, terracotta roof tiles are equally at home in cutting-edge contemporary homes as they are in more classical dwellings.

Manufactured in Australia for Australian conditions, Boral terracotta roof tiles come in three distinct profiles for greater design flexibility. The flat Terracotta Shingle™ is ideal for modern houses, while the shaped French and Swiss profiles are more traditional in design and popular in new homes as well as for renovations of older home styles, such as Federation.

To ensure its roof tiles are installed to the correct specifications, Boral offers its own supply-and-fix service and can provide a list of local established installers if required.

For more information visit: www.boral.com.au/RoofTiles where you can also download the roofing guide to selecting roofing tiles, Roofing Insights or call 1300 134 002