A roof renovation project near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, has become the first in the UK to use an innovative new low pitch clay interlocking tile from Marley.
The property owners sourced the tile from local merchant Burton Roofing in York after their surveyor discovered the new Melodie tiles on the internet.
Mr and Mrs Mayoh bought Drumlin Fold farmhouse and outbuildings last year and undertook an ambitious renovation project to turn the old tractor shed into a stunning guest suite, complete with bedroom, ensuite and its own kitchen and sitting room.
The existing structure had old tile effect steel roof sheets which were leaking, so the decision was taken to replace the entire shed roof. However, the owners needed to find a low pitch clay roof tile that would match the traditional clay pantiles that had been on the main farmhouse for almost twenty years.
Owner Sandra Mayoh explains: “We wanted a rustic looking clay tile that would complement the main building and surrounding barns but we needed to find one that could be used at a very low pitch. By sheer coincidence Marley had just launched the Melodie tile and our surveyor found it on their website. The contractor was able to source it from Burton Roofing who was one of the first merchants in the country to stock it. We’re delighted with the finished roof, which has a lovely Romanesque feel to it and fits in very well with the existing clay roof on our house.”
Michael Holford, from surveyors Lawrence Hannah in York, comments: “We thought the low pitch clay roof might present us with a challenge but actually the Melodie tile gave us the flexibility we needed. Converting farm buildings to habitable accommodation has its challenges but with the careful selection of materials and attention to detail, it has proved very successful.”
The Melodie roof tile is a single interlocking precision engineered clay pantile with an extremely robust interlock and integral weatherbars and drainage channels. The high weather performance of the tile means it is one of the lowest pitch roof tiles on the market and can be used down to 12.5 degrees. This means it can be used where other tiles are not suitable, without the addition of a fully waterproof membrane or specialist substrate.
Sarah Jackson, marketing product manager from Marley, adds: “We’re really pleased that the first use of Melodie was on such an interesting low pitch project. We launched the product for precisely this reason because we could see there was a real demand for a traditional looking clay pantile that could be used at a low roof pitch. Modern single lap clay interlocking tiles like this are increasingly popular as they are easy to fit and offer a high coverage rate, which can reduce installation costs by as much as 30%.”
