Slate and clay tile roofing styles offer numerous benefits to commercial buildings that have been utilized for centuries. One of those benefits is that these tiles are aesthetically pleasing and offer sleek curb appeal to a vast number of building styles. Here, McDonald & Wetle, which serves the roofing needs of the Seattle and Portland metro areas, discusses which types of buildings are ideal for slate and clay tile roofing.
Candidates for Slate and Clay Tile Roofing
While slate and clay tile have a lot to offer commercial buildings, they are not always suitable for all building styles. For slate or clay tiles to be properly applied, your roof must feature a 4-in-12 slope or greater, meaning they are not ideal for flat roofs. Tiles constructed from slate and clay are also much heavier than other roofing materials. Because of this, it is important to ensure your building features a reinforced roof deck, as structures without this may not be able to properly support the weight of such robust tiles.
For the correct candidate, slate and clay roofing can offer an elegant appeal that stands out with classic style. Due to the sophisticated appearance this roofing style offers, you may commonly see it used on such buildings as:
- Museums
- Courthouses
- Universities
- Churches
- Libraries
But the use of slate and clay tiles is not relegated to old-fashioned, historic buildings. If your commercial building offers the right requirements, you, too, could enjoy the elegant curb appeal offered by this traditional roofing style.
Why Choose Slate or Clay Tile Roofing?
For most commercial properties, there are many roofing styles to choose from, each with appealing features. Specifically, slate and clay tiles offer a wide range of benefits, including:
Aesthetic Appeal
Clay tile can naturally enhance the look of brick or stone sidings to make for easy curb appeal and increased property value. Slate can similarly enhance a building’s façade and comes in a variety of colors, thicknesses, and grains, offering versatile options.
Sustainable Composition
Both tiles are natural products – slate shingles are quarried from mines, whereas clay tiles are fired similarly to earthenware. While some clay tiles are even constructed from recycled materials, the aspect of natural roofing itself is enough to allure some environmentally-minded businesses.
Natural Durability
Slate and clay both offer incredible durability to the elements. In addition to being fire-resistant, both styles of roof tiling are rot- and pest-resistant as well. The natural structure of these tiles can also maintain your roof’s integrity by standing up to extreme hot and cold weather events. This type of durability offers an incredible lifespan – in some cases over 100 years.
Learn More about Your Slate or Clay Tile Roofing Options
Slate and clay are unique roofing materials that are often overlooked due to customers simply being unfamiliar with the value they have to offer. While other styles of roofing may provide durability, slate and clay tiling should be considered by any building owner looking to protect their facility from fire damage, go green with a sustainable option, and more. To learn more about slate and clay tile roofing and our installation services, contact McDonald & Wetle today in Seattle or Portland.