Spanish Tile Roofing

Tile roofing materials have been used for many centuries in Europe, and continue to be popular even today.  The distinctly southwestern Spanish tile roofing materials have been manufactured since 1780s, mostly in California.

Spanish tile roofing materials are also known as Mission Tiles because when they were first manufactured, they were made at a famous Mission in Alta California-the Mission San Antonio de Padua.  The Mission would make the tile by drying them over logs as they cured in the sun.  The Mission style of construction had its biggest boom between 1890 and 1915, but was revisited in home architecture in Southern California starting in the 1980s.

Since the 1800s, Spanish tile roofing materials have remained virtually unchanged in their design.  Spanish tile roofing materials are currently being made with both new technologies as well as in the old traditional manner.  There are even several different companies around the world that salvage Spanish tile roofing materials for use on other homes and commercial buildings.

Most people believe that these tiles are only available in one color, but there are other colors available.  Though Spanish tile roofing materials are red in most cases, there is also a green variety that is less common, and other colors that are not officially Spanish tiles.

Some manufacturers are also making several different types of roofing materials that are not tiles but look similar.  Some of these options include metal and plastic compounds.  Though official Spanish tile roofing materials are made of clay, some of the other materials used offer different options for application, and in some cases have a lighter weight so they can be used on homes that might not be able to support the sometimes heavy clay.

Due to the differences  in support structures in residential homes, it is best to consult a roofing professional about what type of Spanish tile roofing is best for a particular home.