Tradition has always been a huge influence on housing design in this country. With a plethora of alternative possibilities, the most popular new house designs still very much echo the vernacular architecture of the region. When it comes to the design of the roof, this means understanding regional variations and providing a range of high-performing, modern roofing materials that still sit comfortably in a regional architectural style. Steve Rose, Product Manager for Redland looks at the influences that have shaped the product range available from Redland today.
In terms of visual impact, the design of the roof plays a key role in determining the tone not only of an individual dwelling, but of a community: hence the close interest of planning officers in the design and materials used.
Clay was the material of choice for centuries, with numerous small facilities making handmade tiles out of locally sourced clay that range in colour from the rich dark red of the Midlands and North of England to the more orange colour of the South East.
Firing methods also affected the colour, with a particular style of high temperature firings used in Staffordshire producing a blue hue to the finished product.
For Wales and the North West slate was a ubiquitous commodity with slate roofs spreading across to the South Eastern regions during the 19th century as the development of railways made it easy to transport this readily available material.
Tile shape can vary as much as colour, and while the choice is an aesthetic one, there will still be regional norms.
In the Southern part of the UK, a hangover from Roman architecture gave us a rolling tile design which was subsequently reinforced by the Pantiles brought across from Holland and used extensively in the East of the country.
Our own contribution to the worldwide lexicon of tile design is the plain tile – a flat tile manufactured in the UK since the 14th century (when an Act of parliament decreed the precise dimensions of a plain tile) and still producing the most flexibility in terms of roof design. The characteristic aesthetic features of British roofs such as eyebrows, dormers, conical roofs or mitred hips are all best achieved using a plain tile.
Industrialisation brought the possibility of cheaper and more uniform products and Redland was in at the beginning of concrete tile production at the start of the 20th century. Concrete tiles, coloured using pigments, now faithfully reproduce the aesthetic of their clay forebears, while resin slates incorporating recycled slate content provides a modern alternative to quarried slate.
In the postwar period when a huge demand for new development focused attention on speed and cost effectiveness, interlocking tiles came into their own, providing the technology for the most rapid finished roofs. In this environment Redland’s 49 proved the commodity tile of choice and has covered a million damaged roofs in London alone.
In a more leisured age, house designers look to incorporate what are seen as appealing irregularities of handmade products, and the response of technologically advanced manufacturers is to produce factory-quality products with a hand-made aesthetic: such as Redland’s Heathland range. Coincidentally we can also see this contributing to a sustainability agenda as the energy required to produce the concrete version is a fraction of that required to fire traditional clay tiles.
For some there will never be an acceptable alternative material to clay, so it is imperative for any manufacturer of size to continue manufacturing a clay range and Redland’s Rosemary range continue to combine the engineering uniformity of a factory product with the natural aesthetic qualities of clay.
Providing an adequately wide range of tile products needs an understanding of regional demand and the design capability to introduce new styles as the market develops. Redland, with its long manufacturing history in the UK, has this wide view and experience. Take a look at our range guides to get an understanding of the breadth of our offering.
