Clay Roofing Tile Facts, Trivia, Shipping, Installation and Care

Advertisement in Charleston, South Carolina
The Year - 1771

"John Williams, Brick-maker, from London, makes all sorts of Bricks, stock bricks and common bricks, paving bricks, gutter bricks for leading water under ground, arch bricks for windows,..., plane tiles, pan tiles, flooring tiles, ridge tiles, gutter tiles, artigan tiles, and all other things in the brick making way. If any one wants such a person, for further particulars, enquire at the printing office."

Advertisement in New York City
The Year - 1774

"Pantiles for sale, glazed or unglazed and able to withstand any kind of weather."

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Tilelights? Glass skylights in tile patterns

. . . . NEWS . . . .

Glass Tile Skylights Are Back!
By John King

Glass tiles in some new Clay tile patterns are once again available for skylights. The outside appearance blends subtly with the rooftop while the inside efficiently performs the required task of adding illumination to any room.

A traditional stained glass panel covering the opening (from the inside of the room) can heighten the beauty as sunlight streams through the continually modifying colors.

A Real Challenge ... Providing an Exact Match for an Unknown Tile
By Ken McGee

Historical Clay tile rooftop covering Raliegh NC's Church of the Good Shepherd

Portion of Historical Clay Tile Rooftop Church of The Good Shepherd, Raleigh, North Carolina (Photo - Courtesy of Pickard Roofing Company)

Starting in the 1700’s brick and tile makers were in great demand, particularly throughout rapidly growing portions of the country. The threat of fire was an immediate and feared danger in those days and, of course, clay tile does not burn! This factor alone counted for much of its desirability. Clay tile roofs were also part of the cultural heritage that immigrated (along with expert craftsmen) to America. Every city, village and estate needed clay products to build with - and many of them had their own facilities. Pinning down who made what - and where - can be a formidable task.

There are times when a complete record has been carefully maintained throughout the life of a home or building. Frankly, since this has only happened a few times over the last 50 years, we can’t depend on accurate records. But, the physical geographic location and age of the structure does play an important part in the identification of any 1800’s tile.

We collect samples of early tiles for identification purposes. But the tile on the Church of The Good Shepherd was not among our assortment; it was completely new to us. This beautifully made interlocking tile is actually "wedge" shaped with a raised "pie" slice down the middle. The interlocking feature eliminated tile made before 1890’s when George Babcock of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company introduced and patented this design. Unfortunately none of this company’s patterns resembled the "Wedge" (as we call it). The Peebles Company in Ohio did manufacture a smaller but similar version of the Wedge but size eliminated this tile as an acceptable match.

Aerial view: Church of The Good Shepherd, Raleigh, North Carolina (Photo - Courtesy of Pickard Roofing Company)

We telephoned, we mailed sketches, and we faxed everyone we could think of - but not one person had ever seen a Wedge. We were stumped! Finally, as a last ditch effort, we took the tile along with us to an exposition in Virginia. We displayed the Wedge in a prominent position along with a sign that asked, "Have You Ever Seen This Tile Before?" We offered a prize (some golf balls as I remember) for helpful answers - and we got a winner!

Behind a barn, out on a farm, we found the Wedge thanks to a Virginia colleague and gentleman! We instantly purchased the entire lot of available tile and met the challenge to provide an exact match for an unknown historical tile.

Since that time, the Church has decided to add to their original rooftop and this time, they elected to have us procure custom tiles newly manufactured to exactly match their Wedge!