Here in the UK, we’re most accustomed to seeing slate tile and corrugated iron roofs, or occasionally an old fashioned thatched cottage out in the countryside. However, there’s a wide variety of interesting and unusual materials that have been used to build roofs through the ages that are still used around the world still today. From seaweed to rubber tyres, there are plenty of unusual and eco friendly roofing materials being used all across the globe. To find out more about just a few less commonly used roofing materials, see some of the examples below.
Plastic bottles
Over 7,000 bottles were transformed into a colourful shingle roof for a small cabin in Merton Abbey, London in 2013. Called the ‘Fizzy Bottle Project’, volunteers collected thousands of plastic drinks bottles which were then flattened and the labels removed, before being hole punched and fixed together to make roof ‘shingles’.
Porcelain
China’s fourth largest city, Tianjin, is home to one of the country’s more unusual tourist attractions – a house built entirely from porcelain. The Porcelain House (or China House) has a colourful mosaic roof built entirely from old ceramic vases and damaged antiques. Opened in 2007, it reportedly cost its owner an astonishing $300 million to complete.
Rubber tyres
A garden shed in the Netherlands was converted into a home-come-office using a range of recycled materials, including rubber tyres for the roof. Already incredibly durable, the tyres were insulated using stone wool to make them both water and weatherproof.
Seaweed
It’s probably not a substance you’ve ever considered, but seaweed is actually a very common roofing material on the Danish island, Læsø. Many homes here are built using a variety of seaweed known as eelgrass, which is very strong and can last up to 300 years! Homes are insulated by adding wool, which is also used to hold the seaweed roofs together.
Newspaper
In 1922, mechanical engineer Enis Stenman built a house made entirely out of rolled up and varnished newspaper, as a way to demonstrate how much society was wasting. The idea spread to Norway, who came up with a way to turn newspapers and solvent free glue into ‘logs’, which can then be cut and used as a roofing material just like wooden logs would.
It’s important to protect your roof, whatever material it’s made out of, which is why at Kingdom Coatings we provide protection against the elements with our professional waterproof coatings. Our coatings are the perfect protection for tiled roofs, and ensure that your home stays waterproof and your roof remains in excellent condition for years to come. For more information about our coating options, give us a call or visit the website today.
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