Roofing Materials

Metal, slate, tile, shingle, wood, thatch and every other material used to cover a pitched roof. 85 entries.

• Alaskan Yellow CedarA slow-growing Pacific Northwest cypress whose hard, durable wood is used for premium shingles, shakes and heritage roof repairs.
• Algae-Resistant ShingleAn asphalt shingle containing copper- or zinc-coated granules that release ions to inhibit the dark streaks caused by roof algae.
• Aluminium RoofingAluminium roofing uses light, rust-free aluminium alloy sheet, usually factory-painted, and is favoured near salt water where coated steel corrodes faster.
• Architectural ShingleA laminated asphalt shingle made of two or more bonded layers, giving a thicker, textured, multi-dimensional appearance.
• Ardennes SlateRoofing slate from the Ardennes uplands of Belgium, France and Luxembourg, quarried from the Middle Ages until the late 20th century.
• Asbestos-Cement RoofingRoof sheets and slates made of cement reinforced with asbestos fibres, widely used in the 20th century and now banned in many countries as a health hazard.
• Asphalt ShingleA flexible roofing unit made of a mat coated in asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules, laid in overlapping courses on pitched roofs.
• Attap RoofAttap is the nipa-palm leaf thatch of the Malay world, once standard on kampong houses in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.
• Bamboo RoofingRoofs built with bamboo, either as split culms laid like interlocking half-pipes or as a frame for thatch and other coverings, common in tropical Asia and Latin America.
• Beaver-Tail TileA flat clay roof tile with a rounded or shaped tail, known in German as Biberschwanz; traditional in southern and eastern Germany and central Europe.
• Bitumen ShingleThe usual European name for an asphalt shingle: a glass-fibre mat coated with bitumen and granules, nailed to a continuous deck.
• Brazilian SlateSlate from Minas Gerais, Brazil; widely used for flooring and cladding but generally considered less suited to roofing in freezing climates.
• Clay Roof TileA roofing unit moulded or extruded from clay and fired in a kiln; one of the oldest and most widespread roof coverings in the world.
• Collyweston Stone SlateA frost-split limestone roofing slate from Collyweston, Northamptonshire, England, traditionally exposed to winter frosts to make it split.
• Colorbond SteelColorbond is an Australian prepainted steel product line made by BlueScope, first produced in 1966 and ubiquitous on Australian roofs.
• Combed Wheat ReedWheat straw combed to remove leaf and grain and laid butt-end down, giving a neat finish; traditional in south-west England, where it is called Devon reed.
• Concrete Roof TileA roof tile moulded from sand, cement and pigment; a heavy, economical alternative to clay made in many profiles worldwide.
• Copper PatinaCopper patina is the stable green or blue-green film of copper salts that forms on copper roofs over years of weathering and protects the metal.
• Copper RoofingCopper roofing uses soft cold-rolled copper sheet, typically 16 or 20 oz per square foot, which weathers from bright salmon to brown and eventually green.
• Corrugated Bitumen SheetA lightweight corrugated roofing sheet of plant fibres saturated with bitumen, used on sheds, outbuildings and agricultural roofs.
• Corrugated Fibre-Cement SheetA large corrugated roofing sheet of fibre-reinforced cement, used mainly on agricultural, industrial and utility buildings.
• Corrugated Iron (Corrugated Galvanised Iron)Corrugated iron is sheet metal rolled into parallel waves for stiffness; patented in 1829, it became a defining roofing material of farms, colonies and industry.
• Cotswold Stone SlateLimestone roofing slates from the Cotswolds of England, laid in diminishing courses on steep roofs and fixed with oak pegs.
• Delabole SlateRoofing slate from the Delabole quarry in north Cornwall, worked continuously since the 15th century and one of England's largest slate quarries.
• Designer ShingleA heavy, multi-layer asphalt shingle shaped and coloured to imitate slate, wood shake or other premium roofing.
• Fibre-Cement SlateA thin, flat roofing slate made of cement reinforced with fibres; a uniform, lower-cost manufactured alternative to natural slate.
• Fibreglass ShingleAn asphalt shingle built on a glass-fibre mat; the dominant form of asphalt shingle sold today.
• Galvalume (55% Aluminium-Zinc Coated Steel)Galvalume is steel sheet hot-dip coated with an alloy of about 55% aluminium, 43% zinc and 1.5% silicon; it is the most common substrate for coated-steel roofs.
• Galvanized Steel RoofingGalvanized steel roofing is sheet steel coated with zinc, usually by hot-dipping, so the zinc corrodes sacrificially and protects the steel underneath.
• German Roofing SlateRoofing slate from Germany's Mosel, Hunsrück, Sauerland and Thuringian deposits, added to the IUGS heritage stone list in 2024.
• Glazed Roof TileA clay roof tile coated with a glassy glaze before firing, giving a glossy, coloured surface; prominent in East Asian and some European architecture.
• Handsplit ShakeA wooden shake with at least one face split along the grain, giving a rough, textured surface; often made as handsplit-and-resawn.
• Horsham StoneA flaggy Cretaceous sandstone from the Weald around Horsham, England, split into heavy roofing slabs for churches, barns and manor houses.
• IBR Roof SheetingIBR (inverted box rib) is a trapezoidal profiled steel roof and wall sheet widely used in southern Africa, typically covering 686 mm per sheet.
• Ijuk ThatchIjuk is the black fibre of the sugar palm, used in Indonesia as durable thatch and binding cord on Minangkabau, Batak and Balinese roofs.
• Impact-Resistant ShingleA roofing product rated for hail resistance, most often to UL 2218 Class 4, the highest class, tested with a 2 in (51 mm) steel ball.
• Interlocking Clay TileA pressed clay roof tile with grooves on its sides and head that lock into neighbouring tiles; the French or Marseille tile is the classic form.
• Lead RoofingLead roofing uses heavy, highly malleable rolled lead sheet for flat roofs, dormers, bays and flashings, laid in limited bay sizes to control creep and movement.
• Long Straw ThatchThatch made from threshed wheat or rye straw laid with ears and butts mixed, giving a shaggy, 'poured-on' look; traditional in lowland England.
• Metal Roof Tiles (Press-Formed Tile Sheets)Metal roof tiles are steel or aluminium sheets press-formed into rows of tile shapes, either painted or stone-coated, to give a tiled look at light weight.
• Metal RoofingMetal roofing is any roof covering made from sheet metal, such as coated steel, aluminium, copper, zinc or lead, formed into panels, shingles or tiles.
• Metal Shingles and ShakesMetal shingles are small locking units of steel, aluminium, copper or stainless steel stamped to resemble slate, wood shake or asphalt shingles.
• Mission TileA two-piece curved clay roof tile system of half-round pans and covers, also called barrel tile or monk-and-nun tile.
• Mud RoofA roof finished with compacted earth or clay over timber beams and a layer of matting or brush, traditional in dry regions worldwide; also called an earth roof.
• Natural SlateA fine-grained metamorphic rock split into thin, durable roofing units; among the longest-lasting roof coverings in use.
• Organic-Mat ShingleAn older type of asphalt shingle built on a felt mat of paper, rag or wood fibre, largely discontinued in North America by 2011.
• Palm and Grass ThatchThatch made from palm fronds, leaves or tropical grasses, used for traditional and resort buildings across tropical Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.
• PantileA single-lap clay roof tile with an S-shaped profile that combines the functions of pan and cover in one piece.
• Plain TileA small, flat roof tile, traditionally clay, hung on battens in double-lap courses so that every point of the roof is covered by at least two tiles.
• Polycarbonate Roofing SheetA tough, transparent or translucent plastic sheet used for rooflights, conservatories, patio covers and greenhouses; sold as corrugated or multiwall panels.
• Pre-Weathered ZincPre-weathered zinc is titanium-zinc sheet given a factory surface treatment so it looks like naturally weathered grey zinc from the day it is installed.
• Rammed EarthWalls made by compacting damp earth in layers inside formwork; durable when protected by large roof overhangs and a dry base.
• Roll RoofingAsphalt-saturated felt or mat supplied in rolls and surfaced with mineral granules, used as an economical exposed roof covering on low-slope and utility roofs.
• Roofing GranulesCrushed, often ceramic-coated mineral particles embedded in the top surface of asphalt shingles and roll roofing to block UV light and add colour.
• Rubber ShingleA roofing shingle made largely from recycled rubber, often from vehicle tyres, moulded to look like slate or wood shake.
• Sago Palm ThatchRoof thatch made from sago palm (Metroxylon) leaves, used across Melanesia; called natangura in Vanuatu.
• Scottish SlateNatural roofing slate once quarried in Scotland's West Highlands, Highland Border and Aberdeenshire; none has been quarried since 1965.
• Sod RoofA traditional Scandinavian roof of turf laid over layers of birch bark on gently sloping boards; the forerunner of modern green roofs.
• Solar ShingleA photovoltaic module shaped and installed like a roofing shingle or tile, so that it forms part of the roof covering while generating electricity.
• Spanish SlateNatural roofing slate from north-west Spain, mainly Galicia; Spain supplies about 90% of Europe's roofing slate.
• Spanish TileA one-piece clay or concrete roof tile with a deep S-curve that imitates two-piece barrel tiling in a single unit.
• Stainless Steel RoofingStainless steel roofing uses chromium-alloyed steel sheet, either bare or tin-coated, for long-life standing seam, seamed or shingle roofs.
• Standing Seam Metal RoofA standing seam roof uses long metal pans joined by raised seams and held down by concealed clips, so no fasteners pierce the weathering surface.
• Stone SlateA roofing unit split from sedimentary limestone or sandstone, laid in diminishing courses; traditional in parts of Britain, France and the Alps.
• Stone-Coated Steel RoofingStone-coated steel roofing is pressed metallic-coated steel panels bonded with natural stone granules to look like tile, shake or shingle.
• Stonesfield SlateA frost-split Jurassic limestone roofing slate from Stonesfield, Oxfordshire, used on prestigious Cotswold and Oxford buildings and famous for its fossils.
• Synthetic ShakeA polymer or rubber roofing product moulded to imitate split cedar shakes, with lower maintenance and fire risk than wood.
• Synthetic SlateA roofing tile moulded from polymers such as polypropylene, polyethylene or rubber with mineral fillers, made to look like natural slate.
• T-Lock ShingleAn asphalt shingle with a T-shaped profile that hooks into neighbouring shingles instead of relying on a sealant strip; production ended around 2006.
• Tapersawn ShakeA thick wooden shake sawn on both faces to a taper, combining the bulk of a shake with the smoother look of a sawn shingle.
• Tejuela (Chilean Wood Shingle)Hand-split wooden shingle of southern Chile and adjoining Argentina, used to clad roofs and walls, notably in Chiloé and Aysén.
• Terne-Coated Stainless Steel (TCS)Terne-coated stainless steel is stainless sheet with a thin tin coating that weathers to matte grey; it replaced traditional lead-tin terne plate.
• TerracottaFired, usually unglazed clay, typically reddish from iron oxide; in roofing the word is often used for natural clay tiles.
• ThatchA roof covering of dry plant stems such as reed, straw, sedge, palm or grass, laid thickly so rain runs off the outer layer.
• Three-Tab ShingleA single-layer asphalt strip shingle whose lower edge is divided by two cutouts into three equal tabs, giving a flat, uniform roof pattern.
• Through-Fastened (Exposed-Fastener) Metal PanelsThrough-fastened metal panels are corrugated or ribbed sheets screwed through their face into the roof structure, with sealing washers under each screw head.
• VerdigrisVerdigris is a green copper acetate compound; the word is often used loosely for the natural green patina on copper roofs, which is chemically different.
• Vermont SlateNatural roofing slate from the Slate Valley of western Vermont and eastern New York, one of the few sources of naturally coloured slate.
• Vietnamese Yin-Yang Tile (Ngói Âm Dương)Ngói âm dương, a thin handmade curved clay tile from northern Vietnam laid alternately face up and face down; still made by Tay and Nung craftspeople.
• Water Reed ThatchThatch made from the stems of common reed harvested from wetlands; the most durable thatching material in northern Europe.
• Welsh SlateRoofing slate quarried in north-west Wales, historically the world's leading source and now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Western Red CedarThuja plicata, a Pacific Northwest tree whose light, decay-resistant heartwood is the main species for wood shingles and shakes in North America.
• Wood ShakeA thick, rough-textured wooden roofing unit split from a log on at least one face, giving a rugged, deeply shadowed roof.
• Wood ShingleA thin, tapered piece of wood, sawn on both faces, laid in overlapping courses as a roof or wall covering.
• Zinc Roofing (Titanium-Zinc)Zinc roofing uses an alloy of zinc with small amounts of copper and titanium that weathers to a self-healing blue-grey patina and is common in Europe.