A history of Tiles
Slate roofs have been popular in Britain for centuries. While our European counterparts chose clay tiles for their roofs. Slate’s natural availability in many of the countries regions meant it became the preferred choice for keeping out the elements.
Where there was no slate in the local area, thatch was popular as it was easy to transport and could be grown nearby. After the Great Fire of London in 1666 thatched roofs were banned from the city and clay tiles became popular.
Clay tiles were introduced by the Romans who used them extensively but once they left we lost the skills needed to make them. In the 12 th century the industry was revived and they continued to be a popular choice. A standard size evolved of 10 1 / 2 ” x 6 1 / 2 ” which was easy to make and handle. Dishonest manufacturers tried to save money by making smaller tiles for the same cost which led Edward IV in 1477 to pass a law to determine an industry standard.
The Dutch invented an ‘s’ shaped tile in the 16 th century which could be overlapped vertically and horizontally creating a better seal naturally. These pantiles were much more cost effective as they would cover the same area with 75% less tiles. This type of tile continued to be used and by the 18th century there were being manufactured in London and elsewhere but the technology to produce consistently uniform tiles of regular shape was still not available and this meant the tiles were not always of good enough quality to be used on prestigious buildings and were mainly used on farm buildings where a cheaper alternative to slate was acceptable.
Natural slate was still used extensively and with the invention of the railways it was now possible to transport heavy goods around the country and for the first time slate began to be used outside the area from which is was quarried. Now it was possible to use slate on cheaper housing for the ordinary classes. For roof repairs in North London call 0208 801 3984.
Concrete tiles which had been developed around 1920 were available but not popular until after the Second World War when it became necessary to undertake a huge rebuilding programme. This continued right up until the 1960s when larger sizes of tile were being sought by builders as they were easier to fix and much of the skilled labour force had disappeared. British clay tile manufacturers found it difficult to compete and many went out of business.
Clay tiles and natural slate tiles are in demand once more even though there is stiff competition from foreign imports. If you are looking for a roofing company in Islington to carry out repairs call Thomas Roofing.