A chaperon tile is a special roof tile used as a capping on a freestanding wall or at the junction between a roof and a wall. The tile protects the top of the wall against water ingress and provides a neat, traditional finish.
Function
The chaperon tile serves a dual purpose:
- Weatherproofing — prevents rainwater from penetrating the top of the wall
- Protection — protects the brickwork from frost damage caused by water ingress
- Aesthetics — gives walls and wall junctions a finished, traditional appearance
Application
Chaperon tiles are used on:
- Garden walls — as a capping on brick garden walls
- Boundary walls — on brick boundary walls
- Wall abutments — where a pitched roof meets a higher wall
- Historic walls — traditionally found on churchyard and city walls
Installation
The tiles are bedded in mortar on the wall top, sloping slightly to one or both sides so water runs off. For a saddle-shaped capping they slope to both sides. They are laid with an overlap, similar to roof tiles on a roof.
Related terms
- Roof tile
- Wall capping
- Masonry
- Mortar
- Coping
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