There are now many more roofing tile styles than there were to begin with they are becoming more technical and now even being able to provide the house with electricity through solar power. As well as these types of technical tiles there are also still the traditional styles such as terracotta or clay, it depends what type of look and effect you want for the exterior of your home.
Below are some of the various types of roofing tiles now available including any extra purposes they may have such as the solar power tiles:
Solar Power Roof Tiles
These type of tiles not only act the same as other roof tiles but they also provide the person with electricity. They do this by converting the energy from the sun into electricity and then feed that into the house electricity lines. These tiles have obvious advantages such as the money that you can save on your electricity bills but that is provided that your house is in an area that receives a lot of sun light. They are usually placed on top of the atual roof tiles, this is so they have extra strength but also because they don't tend to cover the whole roof the usually just cover a section.
Terracotta Roof Tiles
These are traditional on many houses both through out the UK and even more common in European countries. They tend to be only in natural colours such as red, brown and cream the colour depends on how much powder is added to the mixture and whether any tinting powder is added. They come in many different shapes curved, straight, V shaped and many more when the underlay is put down they can then attach the tiles to the roof usually by nailing them to the beams. Some people have them treated with a wax or sealant to make them last longer because the tiles alone can be absorbent, so them having the finish on them means they won't absorb any water.
Slate Roofing Tiles
Slate tiles were one of the first type to be used on many homes in the UK and are still very popular today with many houses through out the world. They are used widely on houses that are being restored to have that traditional look, however, depending on how the tiles are laid they can also be used in a way to make the house look modern and contempary. Slate was so widely used because of the fact it is easy to work with both cutting and fixing into place and was also fairly in expensive when compared to other materials.
The type of roof tile you should use on your home depends greatly on the type of look you want for your home and if you have a particular theme through out your home. This is because different tiles give a different finish to the house so choosing the right one for your house is very important. You can get advice from any tiling merchant as they would have a much better idea of what would look best with your home.