If you have to install traditional pantiles, Stuart Nicholson, roof systems director at Marley, says its new innovation could transform your roofing projects.
Traditional pantiles are an iconic part of British roofing, particularly in certain parts of the country such as Lincolnshire, East Anglia, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Humberside, the South West and some parts of Eastern Scotland. Yet, even though machine-made pantiles have been around since the 1700s, surprisingly there hasn’t been any significant developments in this area since then.
Over recent years, with ongoing time and skills pressures, modern clay interlocking pantiles, like our Lincoln, have become increasingly popular as a quicker, easier and more cost-effective way of achieving a rustic pantile appearance. However, on some projects, due to aesthetic preference or planning, roofers still need to use a traditional pantile but up until now, there hasn’t been an easy way of fixing these to the latest British Standards.
That’s why we are rewriting the book on clay pantiles by launching a ground-breaking new pantile, with a traditional profile but incorporating modern fixing methods for quicker and easier installation. The new Eden tile will transform pantile fitting, giving roofers an easy-to-fix, low pitch option when a traditional pantile is required for aesthetic or planning purposes.
Unlike anything else on the market, the Eden pantile combines a traditional appearance with time saving features previously only seen on our Lincoln interlocking tile, including a specially designed SoloFix channel to make BS 5534’s two point fixing easier, a flat back on the rear of the tile so it doesn’t rock during installation and an enlarged nib for easier nailing. It also has a low minimum pitch of just 22.5 degrees and comes in a weathered colour, so it is even suitable for use on heritage and conservation projects. Crucially it gives contractors a time saving, lower pitch, traditional option, where currently there isn’t one.
Traditional roofing specialist, Matt Timby, from contractor Timby Traditional Roofing in Gainsborough, installed a test roof for the Eden tile as part of the development stages and says: “Working in a traditional pantile area means we have years of experience of pantile installation. Eden is great because it brings a traditional pantile up to modern fixing specifications and standards.
“Not only does its uniform design make it easy to lay but it also uses a clever clipping system which is quick and easy to install. Some clipping systems can be quite intrusive on pantiles, affecting the way they lay but this tile has been designed with a special channel, so the clips fit comfortably behind the tile below. There is also enough play in the clips to adjust the tiles slightly after installation, if required.
“The tiles were a joy to install and could easily be used for new or refurbishment projects. They look really good on the roof because of the very slight differences in profile which was an intentional part of the design. Traditional pans vary in shape and mimicking this gives an authentic appearance when comparing them to a standard machine-made tile, which can be so “perfect” they’re almost characterless. The really clever thing about this tile is while achieving an authentic look, it retains its consistency in sizing, each laying to the correct gauge and cover width making it incredibly easy to lay. The Eden also has a soft leading edge which helps with the overall look of the finished roof.
“With a pitch of 22.5 degrees, as opposed to 30 degrees for some other machine-made pantiles, it does give roofers a traditional, rather than an interlocking, option for a lower pitch roof. To me personally, aesthetics are much more important than time saving and Eden certainly fits the bill as far as looks go. For roofers who are looking for a faster, easier way to install traditional pantiles, these new tiles could certainly save time because the clipping system is a much quicker way of installing to BS 5534.”
The new Eden tile is available in three colours, the traditional Natural Red, a weathered Rustic Red and Matt Black for the East Anglia market, with a full range of components and accessories to complement the tile, including dry fix systems or mortar-bedded security fixing kits. Eden can also be purchased as part of a full Marley roof system, including underlay, battens, fixings and accessories, backed up by technical support and a 15-year guarantee.
