Roof Tile
Roofs of campus buildings when exceeding 3:12 are covered with straight barrel mission tile. It is a vitreous clay product laid in a variety of styles including mission, thatch, regular, random, cabana, and others. Covers are nailed to sleepers lapping over pans. Covers are fired in a natural color and glazed in other weathered and non-weathered colors. Most roofs are specified in five to six colors of light and dark reds, rose, brown, natural, and a sprinkling of buff.
Ludowici-Celadon is a common supplier of tile fired from clay quarried in southern Ohio. Other tile has been provided over the years by Denver, Texas, and California suppliers. Older tile is 18" in length, but now the use of automatic kilns provide a 16" standard length.
Campus roof tiles are long-lasting and resistant to rain and hail, but subject to breakage from wind and people walking on the roofs. Current tiles by Ludowici are incombustible, the absorption rate is a low 1% to 3%, the cross breaking strength is over 2000 pounds, and they provide a 50 year guarantee.