With skills shortages and rising labour costs, combined with demand for speeding up construction, innovation is key in construction.
This challenge is one which leading roof tile manufacturer Russell Roof Tiles is addressing head-on with its latest revolutionary concrete roof tile.
A new addition to its Naturals Range, they have launched a new small-format multifunctional triple tile Bute3®.
Its triple-tile format allows exceptional coverage, with only 10.9 tiles required per square metre, significantly reducing the number of tiles needed compared to traditional plain tiles and small format products. This makes the product 33 per cent quicker to install when compared to other small format tiles and offers a labour saving of between 15 to 40 per cent.
Working closely with national and regional house builders on new-build residential projects across the UK, this new product was created using 60 years of knowledge from the specialist manufacturer. This follows five years of design and development, pushing the boundaries of concrete roof tile fabrication.
Cutting-edge manufacturing
As technological advances continue at pace, concrete roof tile manufacturing continues to deliver innovation and choice like never before.
Manufactured at Russell Roof Tiles’ new state-of-the-art facility in Burton upon Trent, Bute3® combines the look of three traditional plain tiles into a single interlocking unit. This product delivers a traditional aesthetic while significantly speeding up installation.
Construction of this new manufacturing facility demonstrates Russell Roof Tiles’ dedication to product development and innovation, as well as a reduced carbon footprint and commitment to revolutionising the roof tile industry.
Designed as a versatile alternative to small-format tiles, Bute3® can be installed on pitches as low as 25 degrees. Due to the design of the tile, this product also offers specifiers greater flexibility across a range of housing designs.
Bute3® has the appearance of three separate plain tiles but is installed as one, helping contractors reduce handling time and improve productivity on site.
The tile can be up to 33 per cent quicker to install than other small-format tiles. With only 10.9 tiles required per square metre (at a 75mm headlap), it also reduces the number of tiles needed on site – supporting faster roof completion and simpler logistics.
Complete system
Russell Roof Tiles manufacture a full range of roofing accessories to provide a complete pitched roof solution. All of its concrete fittings and dry ridge systems are designed to work in collaboration with tile ranges and offer maximum security and longevity. The product is fully compliant with todays quality standards and current regulations.
Market feedback
With the pace of change in the housing sector and demand for increased speed of construction, the new tile has had a great response.
“While Bute3® introduces a bold new design never seen before in the UK, it stays true to the exceptional quality and performance we are known for delivering,” Russell Roof Tiles explains.
The manufacturer’s tile ranges provide a high-quality but cost-effective solution that can help properties exceed current building standards.
Bute3® comes in seven colours, offering a broad range of options to meet local planning requirements as well as being sympathetic to the local aesthetic, providing a real alternative to small-format concrete, natural clay, and slate roof coverings.
Russell Roof Tiles said: “Market response has been excellent, with both contractors and developers recognising that Bute3® provides a high-quality but cost-effective solution – a genuine alternative to small-format concrete roof covering.”
Sustainable credentials
When it comes to roofing, concrete roof tiles can offer a more sustainable option to other materials. They generally require less energy for production than their clay counterparts, since clay needs to be fired in a kiln at a much higher temperature for up to two days. In contrast, concrete only needs to be cured for around 8 hours at a much lower temperature, amounting to a 30 per cent reduction in energy usage.
Specifically, thinner leading-edge concrete roof tiles offer an excellent sustainable roofing solution. These tiles typically use 15 per cent less raw materials than a standard concrete roof tile. The product’s reduced thickness also means that around 20 per cent more tiles can be packed onto a pallet, which equates to a much lower carbon footprint when transporting them.
The size of this new tile means that it can be delivered to building sites more efficiently. With fewer tiles required, deliveries across a typical private housing development can be reduced by up to 40 per cent, while the manufacturing process is approximately 20 per cent more efficient than similar tiles.
Russell Roof Tiles has always been at the forefront of sustainability and was the first UK roof tile manufacturer to have achieved an “Excellent” rating for responsible sourcing. In 2022, the company also announced plans to become a Net Zero business by 2040.
Natural Range
Bute3® is part of the firm’s Natural Range, which offers long-term durability, with profiles and colours created to replicate the appearance of traditional clay, stone and slate.
It is also a “thinner leading-edge” product. The leading edge of a roof tile refers specifically to the front edge – the visible part of the tile used on both small and large format tiles, specifically designed with a slimmer or more refined edge.
The tile features a double-cambered design which provides a genuine alternative to natural slate, small-format concrete and clay roof tiles but with all the installation benefits that come with an interlocking standard format tile.
Russell Roof Tiles was the first manufacturer in the UK to launch a thin leading edge metric size concrete roof tile with full front profile due to the hidden interlock known as the Galloway which is now also part of the company’s Natural Range, featuring a leading edge of only 16mm, which was patented in 2001.
Designed initially in response to local authority planning requirements, these concrete roof tiles are substantially less in thickness than standard concrete tiles and are designed to replicate roofscapes of stone, slate and clay.
Thinner leading-edge concrete roof tiles can be a really good sustainable roofing solution. Generally, these tiles use 15 per cent less raw materials than a standard concrete roof tile and the product has less depth. This means that around 20 per cent more tiles can be packed onto a pallet which equates to a much lower carbon footprint when transporting them.
They are now commonly specified on modern housing developments and projects across the whole of the UK, renowned for the quality aesthetics whilst maximising the installation speed and reliability of concrete interlocking tiles.
Meeting planning requirements
This Natural Range has evolved to meet the growing appetite for various regional roof finishes that combine traditional aesthetics with modern performance and faster installation.
Whilst these thinner leading-edge tiles are often associated with aesthetics, the benefits go way beyond appearance. What is more important is that they deliver significant environmental and sustainability benefits due to the manufacturing, transport, installation and whole-life time performance.
With skills shortages and rising labour costs, combined with a high demand for speeding up construction, innovation is key in construction more now than ever.
About Russell Roof Tiles
Russell Roof Tiles is wholly owned by Russell Building Products Ltd who acquired the business in November 2011. The company was originally founded in 1892 as Alexander Russell. Russell Roof Tiles was formed in 1986 to manufacture a range of concrete roof tiles and fittings.
Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent concrete roof tile manufacturer supplying products for national housebuilders and high-profile social housing and commercial projects. The company produces hundreds of thousands of tiles and related fittings and accessories every week that are used on pitched roofs across the UK. Russell Roof Tiles offer a growing range of roofing solutions for both commercial and housing projects.
All Russell Roof Tiles are manufactured in accordance with the requirements of BS EN 490 “Concrete Roof Tiles and Fittings-Product specifications” and BS EN 491 “Concrete Roof Tiles and Fittings-Test Methods”.
Russell Roof Tiles is the third largest supplier by volume of concrete roof tiles and accessories across the UK market. They supply UK housebuilders across large and small developments. Over the last three years, the business has invested £35 million which has allowed the business to triple in size, culminating with a new state of the art £18.5 million plant in Burton.
Their products have been specified on projects such as a £44m regeneration project for Reading Borough Council, social housing for North Wales Housing, £22m Pannel Croft Retirement Village in Birmingham and a cutting-edge housing development near the former site of Glasgow Zoo.
