"French style" metal tile roofs?

5 years ago

Hi. We are looking for replacements for our "French style" concrete tile green roof as the weight of the concrete is overwhelming the structure of our house. As it is an older home, we need to find something to match per historic committee. We tried Matterhorn tile and the historic committee did not approve (I really think this is the closest we will get). Decra is another option but they don't have green. Has anyone used anything else?

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kristie m
Original Author

5 years ago

Yes, Mrs S, I left out a lot of details mainly because I was interested in crowdsourcing for lightweight roofing material that could match as close as possible to our current roofing material.

Our historic home was built in 1910 and was built to the codes at that time (or to no code) and thus the supports of the house can't hold up the weigh of the roof. (And to Ci_lantro's point the concrete tiles on our roof are way heavier than current concrete tiles but even modern concrete tiles are too heavy for our roof). To rebuild our house to code would be financially impossible for us right now but also destroy the original lines of the home (which is also prohibited by the historic committee). So a proposed way to salvage the situation was to use a lighter weight roof material. We have also put a lot of internal support beams and redid a bunch of headers (and really there's a whole lot more details in this that I don't think are helpful to this post).

We are trying hard as possible to keep this historic home as original as we can while being something we can safely live in thus the request for potential lightweight roofing materials. Ah, the joy of a historic home!!

Once again any potential ideas for roofing materials would be appreciated!!

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Comments (13)

User
5 years ago
Picture please.
PRO
beesneeds
5 years ago
Does your historic committee have suggestions for what roof tiles they do approve of?
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kristie m
Original Author
5 years ago
The historic committee has no suggestions. They usually require homeowners replace the tile with exact replica. Here are 2 pics, one of a tile next to matterhorn.
Mrs. S
5 years ago
I am curious to learn how you know the weight of the roof is overwhelming the structure of your house? I've not heard of that.
kristie m
Original Author
5 years ago
engineer and a wall that collapsed
Mrs. S
5 years ago
I am not an engineer, not a contractor, just a homeowner, trying to understand (and learn). But common sense tells me that if the structure can't support a common style of roof, then the problem has got to have nothing to do with the roof. it seems to me that structures need to be built to code, not only to support at least the average roof, but also to stand up in event of hurricane, earthquake, snow/ice, the weight of a human or crew of humans on top....

Where is this home, and can you tell us what's going on that a wall collapsed?
ci_lantro
5 years ago
A concrete tile roof weighs a lot more than other standard roofing materials. By a factor of 2, 3 or more than architectural asphalt shingles--which weigh about 50% more than standard 3 tab shingles.
Izzy Mn
5 years ago
That historic committee needs to help in finding a compromise or an alternative for preservation of the areas homes. If you are having issues most likely other homes are too. I imagine they want uniformity among the homes. I've heard those type of committees are hard to deal with. Would they rather your home fall over or a solution, for you and others in your position.
Izzy Mn
5 years ago
Try googling plastic roof tiles, a bunch of examples popped up.

This one looks like yours but apparently in another country, but maybe someone in US (if that's where you are) is making something similar.

https://youtu.be/m7oUk10rKjE
Tiny J
5 years ago
Kristie, where are you located? There may be some state or regional preservation groups that can help. My DH is an actual historic preservationist for a living and may know of some resources in your area.
Mrs. S
5 years ago
I hear ya, but I'm wondering whether just putting a lighter weight roof on top means that anyone who walks up there is in danger?

What if there's a fire and fireman have to get up on the lightweight roof? Are they going to fall though?
JP L
5 years ago
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but wondering what you ended up choosing @kristie m? I found this while researching reviews for a stone-coated steel product we're considering. Although we're looking at their cedar shake style tile, they offer a "villa" clay tile product (oddly enough, not in green, but they offer the cedar product in green - go figure). You've probably already selected a material given your structural issues, but in the off-chance that you haven't, you might want to look at them (they are apparently one of the lightest options out there, and the interlocking system is supposed to provide some structural integrity/additional strength). I don't work for them and haven't used them yet, so YMMV and all that, but: Decra Villa Tile