The roof tile is one of the oldest industrial building products and has a history of more than four thousand years. From the first fired clay tiles in ancient Mesopotamia and China to the modern machine-pressed roof tile, tiles have for millennia formed the top, water-shedding layer of pitched roofs.
Antiquity and Roman times
The earliest roof tiles were used around 2,000 BC in China and Greece. The Greeks developed the system of flat tiles (tegula) with semi-circular cover tiles (imbrex) on top. The Romans adopted this system and spread it throughout Europe. In the United Kingdom Roman tiles have been found at sites such as Fishbourne, Verulamium and Hadrian’s Wall.
Middle Ages and the pantile
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Western Europe largely returned to thatch and reed for roofing. From the 13th century roof tiles came back, partly because of fire safety. In the Low Countries a curved, S-shaped pantile emerged in the 14th century, combining the under-tile and cover tile into a single profile. Many cities issued ordinances banning thatched roofs after major town fires.
19th-century industrialisation
In 1841 the French manufacturer Gilardoni invented the interlocking tile: the first tile with a tongue-and-groove edge that allowed tiles to interlock watertightly. This invention enabled flatter tile laying and shallower roof pitches. From the late 19th century tiles were machine-pressed rather than hand-formed.
20th and 21st century
In the 20th century concrete roof tiles appeared, which were cheaper and available in many shapes. Today, glazed tiles, engobed tiles, photovoltaic roof tiles and tiles made from recycled materials are also available. Yet the basic principle — a water-shedding, overlapping covering — remains centuries old.
Related terms
- Roof tiles
- Roof tile production
- Pantile
- Roofing batten
- Interlocking tile
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