Concrete Tile, Clay Tile And Slate Roofing
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Timeless Elegance
A genuine clay tile roof has timeless aesthetic appeal. Made from natural materials, clay tile roofs convey a sense of quality.
The Ultimate Tile And Slate Roofing
At McCormack, we work with several master manufacturers that have a passion for creating the highest quality clay tiles. These manufactures offer American-made, artisan-inspired tiles, crafted with care for the earth and a sense of value.
We have carefully selected our partner manufactures in an effort to maintain traditional design aesthetics an enhance our installation capabilities. Over our 20+ year history, we have completed many clay tile installations with staggering, boosting, and serpentine patterns—all while increasing overall building energy efficiency through installation techniques.
A Proven Track Record
Tile and Slate Roofing is popular with many homeowners and contractors in Southern California, mainly because of its aesthetic appeal and durability.
Environmental Responsibility
While in use for more than 5,000 years, clay tile and slate roofs can be one of today’s most environmentally responsible roofing options. The clay tiles that we use are produced from either recycled or locally sourced materials—which greatly reduce your environmental footprint.
Further, clay tile and slate roofs tend to be naturally reflective, with many colors meeting the highest “cool roof” standards set by ENERGY STAR and LEED, which can help improve energy efficiency.
Unsurpassed Warrantee Coverage
We have partnered with manufacturers that have the highest quality roof tile and slate in the industry. One of our manufactures is in fact so confident in their product that they offer a 50 year warranty, which can be transferred to a new owner in the event of a real estate sale.
Energy Saving Tile And Slate Installations
When our solar reflective clay tiles are combined with our elevated batten installation method, our clay tile and slate roof systems can reduce building cooling costs and potentially qualify as “Cool Roof” systems. The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) measures the “coolness” of a roof by determining a roof’s solar reflectance (SR) and thermal emittance (TE). Both properties are rated on a scale from 0 to 1, where 1 is the most reflective or emissive. The CRRC measures these two properties for roofing products, both for the product’s initial values and after three years of weather exposure. McCormack can install clay tile and slate products that meet CRRC guidelines, allowing homeowners in some regions to receive utility rebates.
Torch Down Roofing Benefits
Torch Down roofs offer some of the best benefits for commercial buildings.
| Leak Resistant | One of the best advantages of torch down roofing is its strong waterproofing capability. When compared to self-adhering single-ply roofing membranes and traditional built-up roof systems, properly installed torch down systems often better protect against water damage. |
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| Excellent UV Protection and Insulation | Most self-adhering and single-ply membrane systems have limited benefits with respect to insulation. These systems often develop cracks and only offer a thin layer of protection. Torch down systems, on the other hand, create an airtight seal and have exceptional material density. Further, torch down systems often have excellent UV reflective capability. |
| Fire Resistance | Even though torch down roofing materials melt with heat welds, they are highly fire resistant. In fact, many modified bitumen manufacturers add multiple fire resistance layers on top of the torch down granular layer. With additional density, torch down roof systems do not contribute to any fire hazard after we install them. |
| No Noxious Fumes (Unlike Tar & Gravel) |
It is important to know that the “modified bitumen” used in a torch down roof is the successor of the traditional tar and gravel roof materials used in older built-up roof systems. Substituting a heat weld for tar removes the presence of post-installation noxious fumes. Tar and gravel roofs use multiple waterproof and fireproof layers of materials. Then, contractors use tar to sandwich all the layers together in a single, dense material. While tar and gravel provides superior UV ray protection, and great protection in wind storms, they also emit harmful noxious fumes which can actually delay building occupancy after a job is complete. |
Torch Down Roofing Disadvantages
| Poor Tear Resistance | Modified bitumen will withstand fires and foot traffic. Unfortunately, it is not resistant to the tears that windstorm debris can cause. These elements will bruise and tear off parts of your torch down roof. You will need to use additional modified bitumen to patch these damaged areas. |
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| Lifespan | Torch down roofing has 15-20 years of lifespan for 2-3 layer variants respectively. FiberTite and Foam roofs, on the other hand, have proven to be longer lasting with proper maintenance. |
Frequently Asked Questions About Clay Tile and Slate Roofs
Clay tile is cured in a kiln using very high heat (approximately 2000 degrees). Concrete tile is a mixture of sand, cement, coloring oxides, and water and is cured at much lower temperatures (approximately 130 degrees). Clay tiles and concrete roof tiles have decidedly different physical properties even though they are tested to the same ASTM standards in most cases. Clay tile is limited to the colors of the raw materials or can be glazed employing more color options. Cement tile is available in many colors, both color-through and slurry coated.
Concrete roof tile will average between 8% and 10%. The code allows 12%. Clay tile will average slightly less than 8%.
Concrete tile does not crack from long term exposure to the sun. Some of the advantages of concrete tile over clay tile are the greater color and profile selection, lower installed cost and better walkability. Roof tiles are subject to a certain amount of oxidation and surface erosion that will result in some appearance change over time but the degree of change will depend on which type of tile is selected and the climate conditions where it is installed.
It is correct to think that a profiled tile will allow more circulation between the roof deck and the tile underside which, in turn, will reduce the heat gain into the attic. The effect may be further enhanced by installing the tiles using the McCormack system with an elevated vented eave closure and ridge venting system incorporated into the tile application. The way the tiles are installed by McCormack creates an air space between the tile and the roof deck that serves as an effective thermal barrier against heat gain. This system has the added advantage of reducing the chance of roof leaks and extending the life of the underlayment and batten system.
