How to Pick Great Second Hand Tiles

Exterior repairs or any work to do with the construction of your home can be an expensive business. There is some consolation however in the form of reclaimed, recycled, and second hand construction materials that can dramatically reduce the costs of a project.

A wide range of materials can be found in architectural salvage yards like The Recyclers and one of the most widely available is roofing materials. There are some great benefits to using second hand roof tiles – as long as you pick the right ones.

So, what are the things to look out when choosing second hand roof tiles?

Quantity Available

There isn’t usually a problem finding one or a few if your project is replacing missing tiles. It should be easy to find tiles that match your existing roof. If, however, you are looking at replacing a large area or a whole roof, it is much more difficult.

There might simply not be enough from a single batch. A reclaim yard may have the required quantity but the tiles may have been reclaimed from a number of different roofs. This means there might be variations in thickness and colour.

Aging

Although roof tile manufacturers limit their guarantees to commercially sensible periods, clay tiles can typically last more than 100 years. They even outlast the rest of the roofing system which is why they are such a great product for reclamation and reuse.

Dimensions

The older the tile, the more inaccurate the measurements are likely to be precise. Unlike modern materials which are precision engineered, old tiles used to be made by hand. Also, the roofer would adjust them to fit as required when they were being laid.