Flat tile design | Tile Roofing USA

Study the roof from normal viewpoints

Begin with photographs of the building from the street, entrance and garden. Mark the roof areas that dominate each view. A small sample can show finish, but it cannot show how hundreds of repeated pieces relate to dormers, gables and masonry. Identify whether the intended effect is a quiet surface, a strong grid or a textured field.

Separate appearance from tile construction

Historic flat clay tiles include overlapping shingle forms and interlocking forms. Both can read as relatively flat from the ground, yet their edges and repeating patterns differ. Ask for the named profile and a drawing of several assembled courses. Compare the visible joints and butt lines without assuming that two flat products connect in the same way.

Compare smooth and textured examples

Eagle illustrates the distinction within concrete tile: Bel Air has a smooth face, Tapered Slate has shaped edges, and Ponderosa uses a woodlike texture. Compare actual samples, including their edges, and confirm regional availability. These are examples within one manufacturer’s range.

Read the module rather than the sample size

Product sheets distinguish overall tile dimensions from the exposed portion. Ludowici’s Classic 14 page, for example, lists both. For visual comparison, ask the designer to show the exposed module repeated across a representative roof elevation. Record the exact size designation; a larger version of a similarly named tile changes the scale of that repeated pattern.

Resolve the roof edges with the field

Include a ridge, rake or eave detail in the design review. A restrained flat field can look quite different with a prominent rounded ridge or decorative terminal. On a historic building, preserve documented edge forms as well as the main tile pattern. Approve the complete visual arrangement before treating the field-tile sample as the finished design.

Choose a flat tile by its pattern, texture and edges.

Study the roof from normal viewpoints

Separate appearance from tile construction

Compare smooth and textured examples

Read the module rather than the sample size

Resolve the roof edges with the field

Related questions

Further reading & technical sources