Sand tiles. Cement sand tiles. Comparison of cement-sand and ceramic tiles

Cement-sand tiles have low thermal conductivity - this guarantees coolness in the room in the summer and maximum heat savings in the winter. These cement-based tiles can be laid on the roof of any structure with any slope, which allows the most daring decisions of the architect to be realized. Concrete tiles draw the eye to the roof.

Before installing the roof in a residential building, a sheathing is installed, and moisture- and heat-insulating material is placed on it. A re-sheathing for the tiles with a ventilation layer is assembled on top of the insulation.

Today, the most common are three types of tiles - with a flat, wavy or grooved surface. The latter type of roofing material can be installed on roofs with a complex structure and irregular geometric shape. The ability to paint it in any color has a great effect on the appearance of concrete tiles; by combining different shades, you can achieve a unique roofing pattern. Maintainability is also excellent - replacing defective tiles is a matter of just a few minutes.

German cement-sand tiles have gained worldwide fame. The history of cement-sand tiles goes back more than half a century, during which the composition of the roofing material has been continuously improved and improved, coming close to the ideal.

It has been a traditional roofing material for thousands of years. However, modern natural ceramic tiles are quite expensive. Therefore, a simpler and cheaper technology for producing tiles was invented by vibropressing a cement-sand mixture with polymer additives and dyes. This is how cement-sand tiles were born. Thanks to dyes, cement-sand or cement (as they are called in the West) tiles can be of almost any color. The surface of cement-sand tiles can be smooth or rough. There are cement-sand tiles of standard thickness, and lightweight, thinned cement-sand tiles are available. However, thinner tiles have less strength: they can crack when a person moves across the roof or under load from snow or falling objects (icicles, tree branches). The service life of cement-sand tiles is significantly less than that of natural ceramic tiles. If ceramic tiles can last 100-150 years, then cement-sand tiles last no more than 50 years, and based on Western practical experience of its use, no more than 30-40 years.

Like any tile roof, a roof made of cement-sand tiles, having many gaps, is not protected from wind blowing and snow and precipitation getting under the roof. Therefore, it is important to properly arrange the underlying waterproofing layer. Over time, the tiles fade and if it is necessary to replace the tiles with new ones, such a replacement will be very noticeable. The advantage of cement-sand tiles is their fire safety compared to bitumen roofing materials. Such tiles, when properly secured, withstand hurricane winds quite well (due to their large mass - about 50 kg per square meter). Due to its thickness and mass, tile roofing heats up more slowly in the sun and better protects the house from the summer heat. Also, massive tiles successfully dampen the noise of falling raindrops. High-quality cement-sand tiles, unlike bitumen roofs, do not affect the quality of rainwater, which can be collected for domestic needs. However, on complex-shaped roofs, fallen leaves may accumulate and moss may begin to grow. The porous structure of concrete helps strengthen organic forms on the roof. Roofers who constantly cut cement-sand tiles can potentially develop pulmonary silicosis, so they should wear respiratory protection when handling cement-sand tiles. By the way, regarding the newfangled and absolutely useless activity of throwing snow off the roof in winter: you cannot do this activity on cement-tile roofs - you can damage the tiles. If you want to support migrant workers financially: just give them money, and the snow itself will drain from the roof in the form of water in the spring))). There is no physical meaning in dumping snow: the rafter system must be designed to withstand loads of up to 250 kg per square meter of roof (for the Leningrad region).

The range of cement-sand tiles includes both the roofing tiles themselves and various shaped products for roofing and providing ventilation of the under-roof space.		Here we have Frankfurt or double Italian tiles produced by Braas. This tile model has been produced for over 60 years.
To cut cement-sand tiles, use a miter saw with a power of approximately 2 kW and a diamond blade for dry cutting of heavy concrete with a diameter of 230 mm. The greatest productivity and best accuracy are achieved when cutting tiles on a water-cooled machine. Do not cut shingles directly on the roof, as this is unsafe for the roofer and may damage existing shingles.		To avoid condensation in the insulation of the attic floor, the roof slope structure must be ventilated. Modern roof designs require an additional layer of under-roof waterproofing. Depending on the type of material, the ventilation gap under the roof can be double or single. It is permissible to lay directly on the insulation only multilayer superdiffusion membranes with a vapor permeability of at least 750 - 1000 g/m2 per day.
Under the roof, with the help of sheathing, air ventilated cavities are formed, which are open for air flow at the eaves overhang and for exhaust at the ridge. With this constructive solution, the moisture that gets under the roof will flow down the film, and the condensed moisture will be evaporated by the air flow, drying the insulation and sheathing. See details.		The cross-sectional area of ​​the ventilation gap must be at least 200 cm2/m, and its height must be at least 2 cm. The use of a bar with a cross-section of 5 x 4 cm or 5 x 5 cm is quite suitable for fulfilling this condition. The larger the cross-section of the ventilation gap, the better the moisture will be evaporated from the covering space. The minimum permissible cross-section of the beam is 3 x 5 cm. The sheathing pitch is approximately 31-34 cm.
To protect the ventilation gap from the penetration of rodents and birds, a roof aerial element, popularly called “cilia,” is used. To remove moisture from the rafters, in summer the film is laid with a sag of 2 cm. In winter, there is no sagging - the summer expansion of the material will ensure it.		When installing an insulated pitched roof, the under-roof waterproofing sheets are laid with an overlap and may have a special ventilated gasket in the overlaps, which facilitates the escape of steam from the insulation. On the room side, the insulation is carefully insulated with a vapor barrier (better reflective), also with all seams and joints taped.
Cement-sand tiles are laid from bottom to top, from right to left. For convenience, markings of rows of tiles are applied to the sheathing. The first row of shingles is secured with galvanized self-tapping screws 5 x 70 mm and anti-wind clamps.		Anti-wind clamp for the first row of cement-sand tiles. On slopes, tiles are attached only with self-tapping screws.
The recommended cross section of the rafters is at least 50x150 mm, the pitch of the rafters is 60-90 cm in depending on the design load and the length of the rafter legs. If the angle of inclination of the roof slope is from 10° to 16°, then under the tiles it is necessary to install a lower roof that guarantees complete protection from water and snow: continuous flooring made of edged or tongue-and-groove boards, OSB, waterproof plywood, and rolled polymer-bitumen or polymer waterproofing .
Marking and laying tiles on hip and hipped roofs start from the middle of the slopes towards the ridges. First, a vertical row of tiles is laid out in the center of the triangular slope in such a way so that the top of the middle wave of the tile is strictly along the line of the center of the slope.		After laying the bottom row of tiles, mark the vertical rows of cement-sand tiles and lay the tiles in rows from bottom to top from the middle of the slope in the direction of the ridges. There is a special wire clamp for fastening cut tiles.
Ventilation tiles are used to improve ventilation of the under-roof space in hard-to-ventilate areas where the ventilation gap is blocked, narrowed or changes direction.		An example of installing ventilation tiles “to clear your conscience.” Why? Because ventilated ridges do a good job of ventilating the under-roof space.
Of course, ventilation tiles will not be superfluous in the upper part of a cement-tile roof, but in addition to this location, ventilation tiles must be installed: in the valley area, above and below dormer windows and chimneys, in the area where the roof directly adjoins the wall.		In the case of a structure with a cold attic, the layer of under-roof insulation should be interrupted under the ridge and form a ventilation gap of 5-10 cm. This solution is especially relevant for roofs that are less ventilated compared to gable hip roofs. If the under-roof space is insulated, then a superdiffusion membrane is used and it needs to be placed under the ridge with an overlap and, of course, there is no need to cut through it.
An example of my own mistake with venting a cold attic with a hip roof. Despite the presence of ventilation windows, moisture still accumulates “under the dome” of the hip and condenses on the films and rafters. The result is mold growth, even despite preliminary antiseptic treatment of the rafters.		We corrected the mistake: we cut ventilation vents in the under-roof waterproofing under the ridge: air movement was immediately felt. Then we put on a gas mask, a sprayer and Neomid mold repellent and treat the entire roof from the attic side. “What a job,” I’ll tell you! It would have been better to read the literature before installing the roof.
Ventilated skates are installed on beam purlins on steel supports. The ridge beam must have a cross-section of at least 5 x 5 cm and be fixed in holders using galvanized nails 2.5 x 25 mm (4 nails for each fastener).		Roofing films are laid on top of the overhang apron or drip edge (eaves strip) with an overlap of at least 10 cm. When filing the eaves overhang, it is necessary to ensure air flow under the waterproofing film.
People often forget about the ventilation of the eaves of the roof. Meanwhile, the ventilation cross-section of the vents should be at least 200 cm 2 per 1 linear meter of eaves.		Aero elements are placed under the ventilated ridges to allow air to escape and to protect against the entry of birds and debris.
Waterproofing of pipes on the roof is carried out using Wakaflex material and Waka pressure strips. The junction of the strips to the pipe is sealed with synthetic rubber sealant.		Cut the waterproofing film from behind - with a gap of at least 10 cm to overlap the pipe. Along the slope above the pipe, be sure to follow film drainage groove.

Since time immemorial, humanity has known that roofing made of natural stone material perfectly resists winter frosts, provides comfortable indoor conditions under the scorching sun and provides excellent protection from any “vags” of the weather.

However, today's builders use much more advanced technologies and materials for roofing.

Cement-sand tiles (CST) are direct proof of this. For all its aesthetic beauty and durability, the main disadvantage of natural roofing materials remains their price.

Roofing made of cement-sand tiles is not inferior to natural ones in terms of durability, reliability, strength and at the same time much cheaper and easier to manufacture.

We bring to your attention alternative types:

The CPC production process does not require complex equipment or expensive materials. A workshop for the production of this building material can be organized in a production workshop with an area of ​​50 square meters. With a competent approach to production and ensuring uninterrupted supply of materials, such a workshop can produce more than 200 thousand units of tiles per year.

Such a production area must be equipped with the following equipment:

• Forming machine.
• Set of templates for the top and bottom of the tiles.
• Containers for dosing the components of the mixture material.
• Mortar mixer for mixing all components.
• Steam chamber.
• A set of pallets for stacking finished products.
• Small equipment such as buckets, shovels and so on.

Cement-sand tiles are manufactured according to the following scheme:

1. First thing cement, sand and water in the required proportions are loaded into the mortar mixer and mix thoroughly. Also, if necessary, mineral dyes are added.
2. The resulting composition fed to the molding machine for molding.
3. The formed tiles are sent to the steaming chamber for a period of 8 to 12 hours. After completing the steaming process, the finished tiles are dried, placed on pallets and sent to the finished product warehouse for subsequent shipment to the customer.

Coating production

Cement-sand tiles: advantages and disadvantages

To the main advantages This material includes:

• Environmentally friendly.
• The service life exceeds one hundred years. According to manufacturers, the warranty period is at least 30 years.
• Sustainability to large temperature differences, high frost resistance, low degree of water absorption.
• High durability to corrosion.
• Excellent thermal insulation and noise insulation characteristics.
• Resistance to atmospheric pollution and ultraviolet radiation.
• Low price, in comparison with similar roofing materials.

The main disadvantage of such tiles is their weight. Weight of one standard size tile (33x42 cm) exceeds 4 kilograms, which creates a significant load on the load-bearing structures of the roof.

Also to the cons This material should include the following:

• Narrow color palette, which has only 5 colors (red, brown, grey, black and green).
• Relatively low mechanical strength. Transportation and installation of the central heating unit requires special care.

Cement-sand tiles: photo

Main types of tiles

This tile comes the following types:

• Pazovaya. Groove and half tiles used for main roofing. The dimensions of the groove tiles are 420x330x50 millimeters. In this case, the closing size of each tile is 330x300 millimeters. The consumption of such tiles varies from 9 to 10.1 pieces per 1 square meter. The weight of 1 m2 of such a roof is from 40 to 45 kilograms.
• Half. Half element differs from the grooved one in half the dimensions, which are 210x330x50 millimeters, and the closing size is correspondingly 110x300 millimeters. The mass of one such tile is approximately 4 kg.
• Checkpoint. Installed in places where holes are provided for the passage of masts, television antennas, etc..
• Footrest. These tiles are used to simplify movement on the roofing sheet and is a security element. The main feature of such tiles is the presence of a specialized protrusion for installing additional sheathing. All dimensional characteristics and weight are completely similar to groove tiles.
• Pediment. This type of material is provided for gable device V.
• Snow retention. This type of CHR, as the name suggests, serves to retain snow cover on the roof surface. The overall dimensions of the tiles of such tiles are completely identical to the dimensions of the groove tiles. The only difference is the weight, which for snow retention tiles is 5 kilograms for each piece. This increase in weight is due to the presence of a transverse protrusion on their surface, which allows the snow carpet to be retained on the roof surface.
• Bell-shaped. Such tiles used for making corner joints. Its overall dimensions are 370x345 millimeters, and its weight does not exceed 5 kilograms.
• Skate. This type of tile is used for the installation of a roof ridge.
• Ventilation. This type consists of a complex of elements, providing the necessary ventilation of the roofing pie and its protection against condensation formation. This effect is achieved due to the presence of ventilation holes in the body of the tile. The dimensions and weight of such tiles are completely similar to the characteristics of groove tiles. When calculating the material for roof covering, it is important to consider that the number of such ventilation elements should be 0.5% of the total amount of material. In other words, for every 1000 tiles you need to purchase 5 ventilation tiles.

Additional items

Cement-sand tiles BRAAS are produced by the joint Russian-German company BRAAS-DSK1. Only the highest quality components are used for its production.

These include: the highest quality washed sand, zero additive cement, pigments, water and dyes. Cement-sand tiles Braas are one of the most popular types of tiles in our country.

Braas coating

Sea Wawe cement-sand tiles are produced in the Russian Federation together with the European company Benders. As the name suggests, these tiles have a sea wave shape.

This roofing material has earned great popularity in Russia and Europe due to the highest quality manufacturing and the use of only proven raw materials.

Sea Wawe coating

Sheathing device

To install lathing under a roof made of cement-sand tiles, softwood bars with relative humidity are used not exceeding 25%.

It is necessary to use bars with a section 3x5 or 5x5 centimeters, pre-treated with an antiseptic to prevent rotting of the material.

More often, with rafter spacing not exceeding 0.75 meters, a beam with a cross section of 3x5 cm is used, when stepping from

0.75 to 0.9 meters use 4x5 cm bars, and with a step exceeding 90 centimeters It would be preferable to use timber with a cross section of 5x5 cm or 5x6 cm.

NOTE!

The step of the sheathing at the overhang from the eaves should be measured along the outer edges of the beam, and all subsequent steps along the upper edges. It is necessary to maintain a step interval of 32 to 39 centimeters.

Installation of sheathing

Subtleties of constructing a roof from CPC

As with the use of any building material, installing a roof made of cement-sand tiles has its own rules and limitations:

1. Cement tiles - heavy material, therefore, to install it, it is necessary to strengthen the rafter system. Step intervals and sizes of rafter legs are determined depending on the slope of the roof.
2. The roofing pie is built according to the standard scheme: vapor barrier, then insulation and waterproofing material.
3. Sand tiles have quite a lot of weight, as a result It is not recommended to stack more than 6 tiles on the roof. Violation of this rule often results in damage to the rafter system.
4. In cases when the roof slope does not exceed 16 degrees, the CPC is laid on a continuous sheathing.
5. This material should be stored in a place protected from rain, or covered with plastic film to protect it from moisture.

Roofing pie

Installation of cement-sand tiles

You can lay cement-sand tiles yourself:

1. The first stage is laying waterproofing material. Horizontal laying of the waterproofing film is used, in which the material is overlapped by 15-20 centimeters. The material is secured with nails or staples, as well as wooden slats every 20 centimeters so that the film sags by 1-2 centimeters. The film is attached at a distance of at least 5 centimeters from the insulation.
2. At the next stage a counter-lattice is installed to provide ventilation.
3. The sheathing is made of 3x5 centimeter timber with a step that ranges from 3.2 to 3.9 decimeters, depending on the slope of the roofing sheet.
4. According to instructions, eaves overhang apron is installed and ventilation elements of the cornice.
5. At the next stage a valley is equipped.
6. Cement-sand tiles are laid in one row along the entire perimeter of the roof (in the case of a hipped roof) or along the slope. Laying, most often, begins from the lower right edge of the slope. All subsequent rows of tiles are laid in a checkerboard pattern. It is important that the bottom row of tiles be slightly lowered behind the sheathing to protect the roofing pie from the effects of precipitation.
7. In most cases, the tiles are connected using grooves and do not require additional fastening. In conditions of increased wind loads, as well as when the roof slope is more than 45 degrees, it is necessary to additionally secure the material with self-tapping screws.
8. The first row of tiles always requires additional fastening due to increased loads. Each tile must be secured with 2 screws. It is important to remember that it is prohibited to fasten cement-sand tiles with ordinary nails, since due to their fragility there is a very high chance of damaging the tiles. Tiles adjacent to the nodes also require additional fastening.
9. The last (ridge) row is also laid with some gap to ensure ventilation.

Installation of the first tiles

Skate decoration

Covering installation

Considering all of the above, we can conclude that modern cement-sand tiles are a progressive roofing material that meets all modern construction requirements. It has high physical and mechanical characteristics and is highly valued in the construction market due to its low cost compared to natural roofing materials and the relative ease of installation and maintenance.

Useful video

The installation of the coating is clearly demonstrated in the video:

I am Mikhail, director of the company, I have been working exclusively with roofs for more than 15 years. Below I will tell you about the intricacies and secrets of roofing materials. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer and help.
Mikhail, STM-Stroy LLC

You have dreamed of an elegant and prestigious ceramic roof, but it is too expensive. You were advised to use cement-sand tiles: almost the same, only much cheaper. Let's figure out why cement-sand tiles are better and why they are worse than other coatings.

Advantages of cement-sand tiles

CPC is a material consisting of quartz sand, cement, natural dyes and water. Molded under high pressure, dried at low temperatures (+60 degrees). Here are the known advantages of the coating:

• environmental cleanliness;
• service life is over one hundred years. Manufacturers' warranty – 30-35 years;
• aesthetics. Externally, cement-sand tiles are practically indistinguishable from ceramic ones;
• indifference to corrosion, rotting;
• frost resistance (more than a thousand cycles), low water absorption (less than 2 percent), resistance to sudden temperature changes;
• fire resistance;
• good roof ventilation;
• resistance to ultraviolet radiation and chemical impurities in the atmosphere;
• good thermal insulation and noise protection;
• reasonable price.

Disadvantages of cement-sand tiles

The main disadvantage is the heavy weight. Although CPC is almost two times lighter than ceramic tiles, the load on the rafter system is still high. The weight of one tile with dimensions of 33 by 42 centimeters (one of the standard sizes) is 4-5 kg, depending on the thickness.

There are other disadvantages:

• not too large color palette. Typically one of five colors is used: red, brown, gray, black or green;
• not too wide variety of profile shapes;
• not the highest mechanical strength. Loading and installation require special care;
• the large mass of loaded pallets complicates transportation.

Now let’s look at the pros and cons of cement-sand tiles in comparison with other roofing coverings.

Which tiles are better - ceramic or cement-sand?

Ceramic tiles are made from special types of clay with the addition of various additives and pigments.

After molding, it is fired at high temperatures. Due to this technology, the cost of the material is high.

Accordingly, the selling price too: cement-sand tiles can be bought for 300-600 rubles per square, ceramic ones - from a thousand and more.

The second advantage of cement-sand tiles is less weight. With a weight of one tile of 4-5 kg ​​per meter, there are 40-50 kilograms (10 pieces). Ceramics - from 70 kilograms. The only advantage of a coating with a large mass is wind resistance. But 40 kg/sq.m is enough for her.

The advantages of ceramics include:

• more diverse model range (profile shape, color solutions);
• ceramics are covered with glaze; cement-sand ceramics do not have this finishing method.

Otherwise, the materials are similar, the pros and cons are the same.

Articles on the topic

Comparison: composite tiles or sand-cement tiles

Composite tiles are improved metal shingles. Due to the granular coating of the front layer, the composite coating is devoid of the main disadvantages of metal tiles, namely:

• does not conduct sounds;
• electrical conductivity is significantly reduced;
• higher strength of the outer layer (if the polymer coating on the metal tile is damaged, the material becomes vulnerable to corrosion);
• the material is more plastic, it can be used to cover not only straight, but also curved slopes.

In terms of sound, heat and electrical insulation, composite tiles are comparable to cement-sand tiles. Other characteristics:

• the mass per square of the composite one is significantly less - 6-7 kg;
• the price is slightly lower - 200-300 rubles;
• composite tiles are not a fragile material;
• service life is shorter - about 50 years;
• Only flat slopes can be covered with hard cement-sand tiles.

Our works

Which is better: soft roofing or cement-sand tiles?

It is more difficult to compare cement-sand tiles and soft tiles, they are too different. Flexible tiles are fiberglass or other fabric base, impregnated with bitumen and coated on the outside with granular topping. From a distance, the soft roof resembles a ceramic one, but this is the only thing it has in common with a cement-sand roof.

Advantages of bitumen shingles:

• little weight;
• flexibility, the ability to cover domed, cone-shaped and other complex roofs;
• angle – from 11º (sometimes less) to 90 (sometimes even negative surfaces). The range of cement-sand tiles, as well as ceramic ones, is 20-60 degrees;
• no fragility;
• a huge range of colors and shapes of shingles.

Disadvantages in comparison with cement-sand:

• complex structure of the roofing pie, increased attention to ventilation;
• You can walk on a roof made of cement-sand tiles regardless of the weather without the risk of deforming it. Marks may remain on the flexible material in the heat;
• The maximum service life of a soft roof is 50 years.

One of the most traditional and long-used roofing materials is tiles. It is still considered the most prestigious and widely used roofing material.

Cement-sand tiles (natural tiles)

Cement-sand tiles have become widespread in the last ten years. It has all the advantages of ceramic tiles, but these tiles are much cheaper.

There is an opinion that installing a roof made of cement-sand tiles requires the installation of a reliable rafter system, which entails additional costs. However, the share of the self-weight of cement-sand tiles is not so large compared to the snow load. For a tile roof made of this material, the load is only 25-30% higher than, for example, the design load for roofs with a metal coating.

Cement-sand tiles are made from quartz sand and cement with the addition of pigments (dyes) by molding (without firing) tiles. The quality of cement-sand tiles directly depends on the production technology and the quality of the raw materials used in its manufacture. Pigments added to the cement mass before molding do not affect the strength characteristics of the tiles, but give them the desired color, which does not change under the influence of sunlight. Molded cement-sand tiles are usually coated with a special compound that improves the appearance of the tiles and seals their cement surface. The use of natural materials in the production of tiles makes it an environmentally friendly roofing material.

Advantages of cement-sand tiles

When choosing a roof for the roof of your house or building, you undoubtedly evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed materials. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Cement-sand tiles have a number of significant advantages:

But the disadvantages that do exist - a fairly large mass, low impact resistance, the relative complexity of processing the material - are minimal compared to the advantages of cement-sand tiles.

Leading manufacturers of cement-sand tiles (natural tiles) represented on the Russian market

If you have chosen to install a roof made of cement-sand tiles, then our company is ready to offer tiles from leading manufacturers:

AURA(Finland);
ORMAX ( Finland);
BENDERS (Sweden);
BRAAS (Russia-Germany);
SeaWave (Russia);
ESTSTEIN (Estonia).