Glaze and engobe – beauty on the roof

Clay tiles don't have to be just red! In the case of engobed or glazed fired roofing materials, one can choose from many colors, with a wide range offered by the company TONDACH.

Fired tiles are characterized by maximum resistance to UV radiation, acid rain, snow, and hail. Due to the manufacturing process, they are colorfast, and over time there is no change in color and they do not "fade," unlike colored tiles made from other materials.
Engobes refer to colored surface treatments for matte to semi-gloss tiles. It is a thin coating made from a ceramic mixture of suitable composition (water-dispersed clays dyed with natural iron oxides), which is applied to the dried tile, and the treated product is then fired. In Hranice in Moravia, in addition to brown and red engobes, a special shade of green can be ordered custom. Interestingly colored old grey and copper interlocking tiles from Stod are now appreciated not only by restorers of monument-protected objects but also by owners of luxury residences.
The production of glazed tiles occurs in the same way as for engobes, but the dispersed clays contain a higher proportion of vitreous additives, granting the tiles a high gloss. Glaze not only beautifies the product to the highest possible degree, but it also strengthens and protects it. In the range of the company TONDACH, tiles are produced in the desirable red and black "Amadeus" glaze, and there is also great interest in slate black and chestnut brown glazes. The glazes for the "beaver" tiles from the group’s plants in Austria expand the offering to include a range of three types of green shades, two types of blue, brown, red, black, grey, and even white. A special type includes dark red and black glazed "beaver" tiles "Amadeus" or the unique "Amadeus" natur, where a colorless glaze is melted onto a dried red tile.
Both types of surface treatments are significantly smoother than the surface of standard red tiles. This prevents soiling of the tiles and makes it difficult for moss to attach.
Fired roofing materials are produced on a natural basis, where a mixture of soil with clay additives is blended with water, air-dried, and environmentally fired in furnaces heated by natural gas. Thus, the tiles offer not only high strength and resistance to weather influences and chemical loads, but also the advantages of fired material—ecological and breathable.
The widest range of fired roofing materials, around 14 types, is offered by the company TONDACH. There is a choice of both colors and types and accessories. Due to the technology of tile production, the company guarantees their resistance to UV radiation, acid rain, snow, and hail. The tiles are colorfast, over time there is no change in color, and they do not "fade," unlike colored tiles made from other materials.