Types of tiles for your floor or roof

Terra cotta tiles are a popular choice for floorings. They offer many advantages: solidity, inflammability, durability. Moreover, they look and age well (terra cotta patinate with time).

There are three main types of tiles:

Canal Tiles
These tiles are made with terra cotta, and are older. They are a cone shaped, they block by slip: a series of tiles are install on the top and another one on the lower part. They are basically used in the south, west-south and the Rhone valley in France. These tiles are adapted for roof with weak slope and they are a high weight on the frame: 90 kg the m ².

Punt Tiles
Punt tiles was developed later, in the north of the Loire in France. It's an imitation of slate and stone roofs. The sealing is obtained by lapping of the tiles one on the other. It is lighter than the canal tile (60 kg per square meter). The rectangular tiles represent the most of current manufacture. We cannot use a punt tile on a slope of roof lower than 35°.
The tile with a "shape of fish scale" allows elaborates designs but this tile is especially appreciated because of its cost. As it adapts to the strong slopes, we find many punts tile on the historic buildings in many areas in France.

Industrials tiles
Industrials tiles were invented at the 19th century. There use a groove system which permits tiles to encase the ones in the others which saves time for installation. The weight is less important than others tiles (30 kg with the m ²). Romance tile is a mechanical canal tile with a system of fitment. There are punts tiles with fitment (Vauban tile, Migeon tile) which offer esthetic advantages of punt tile with the benefit of industrial tile. For example these tiles permit to use 22 elements the m ², against 63 the m ² in 16x27 or 75 the m ² in 16x22.

Because of the installation cost, the canal tile accounts for approximately 14% of tiles sold. Today the Romaine tile is the most popular with approximately 40% of the tile floors using them. The remainder of the market is uses punt tile and asbestos cement tile.

Then, there are a lot of models (more than 700 for the industrial tiles): from small traditional punts tiles in 16x24 to big industrials tiles for prefabricated houses. The diversity of models could become a problem. You want to change your roofs and there is no more model of your tile. It's impossible to mix different models. In this case, it is necessary to remake a whole side of the roof with another model and to keep tiles which are not damaged for repairs on other parts of the roof. So, it's a good idea when you search for suppliers, to choose established manufacturers whose models will be always available.
Quality of tiles depends on their cooking. When dyes are added to the ground, cooking is less strong and so a tile is less durable. Contrary a very cooked tile is almost indestructible and its longevity can easily exceed 200 years; we can even walk above it. Some tile suppliers offer unlimited guarantees for their products. There are a lot of variations of colours and nuances, from light to dark for punt tile, from orange to brown or black for industrial tile.

It is also necessary to know that tiles do not adapt to all climates because the ground used for its manufacture resists more or less well to freezing, which is most important enemy of tile. It makes them breakable, even porous when freezing came after the rain. The broken tile which is not quickly replaced makes it possible water to infiltrate the house, it is necessary to supervise regularly the roof. A tiled roof requires little maintenance mostly the 30 years after its installation.