After Redland’s recent announcement that it is to build a new manufacturing line at its Shawell plant for its plain-tile appearance product Duoplain, the roof tile manufacturer says it is setting new standards in large format interlocking clay tiles with the introduction of the Westminster Slate.
Redland says the Westminster Slate offers contractors efficiencies in both materials and installation, plus delivers the quality and aesthetic of traditional clay tiles but more cost-effectively as its size and interlocking design mean that only ten tiles are needed per m² compared to 60 for traditional clay plain tiles.
Appearance is also key with the Westminster Slate according to Redland, as the clay tile’s finely tapered leading edge gives it an “exceptionally slim appearance”. Redland says this thin form, combined with a hidden cut-back interlock, raised nail holes and custom-engineered head, contributes toward the slate achieving low pitches down to 17.5 degrees.
As is common with all Redland roofing products the Westminster Slate clay tiles have been subject to rigorous freeze-thaw, wind-uplift and strength tests, as well as being put through their paces at the manufacturer’s wind tunnel where they were subjected to high wind and driving rain to test their performance in terms of weather-tightness.
Redland says these tests give contractors the confidence that the tiles meet all the requirements of BS 5534: 2014 Code of practice for Slating and Tiling if installed in accordance with Redland fixing recommendations.
The Westminster Slate is available in three colours: City Black, Cardinal Red and Old College Red and the overall dimensions of the slate are 480 x 326mm, with a cover width of 280mm and headlap range between 110mm and 140mm.
Redland says thanks to a whole host of compatible accessories and components, the tiles can be laid on a variety of roof configurations. The manufacturer says hips and ridges are available in both Half-Round and University Angle and in permutations to allow either a colour-matched roof or the contrast typically favoured on slate roofs. Valleys are covered by Redland’s Dry Valley or 125 GRP Valley, while ventilation is afforded by the “high-performance” 8.8k ThruVent tile.
Concluding, Redland feels its Westminster Slate – like its Redland 49 small-format cambered tile which became the roof covering of choice and helped rebuild the capital in the immediate post-war period – gives developers, contractors, specifiers and local authorities the opportunity to roof and re-roof relatively inexpensively; while realising all the high performance and aesthetics of clay tiles.
