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3000
BC: the Romans take their
inspiration from Chinese roofs made of cut bamboo. Conical in
form, they slide together and lock. Subsequently, they invent
the canal tile made of clay, the oldest tile to combine
a flat part, the “Tegula” and a rounded part called
the “Imbrix”. |
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5th
century: development of the
flat clay tile. Based on the stone and slate “lauzes”.
It is better adapted to steep roofs. Watertightness comes from
one row of tiles overlapping the next, by an amount dependant
on the pitch of the roof. |
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1841
: the GILARDONI brothers invent
interlocking tiles in Altkirch in the Haut-Rhin. The
principle consists of gaining extra surface by replacing the
important overlap which is necessary to keep both flat and canal
tiles watertight by a system of interlocking lugs. These tiles
are pressed by machine which is why they took the name of machine
tiles. The tile developed by the Gilardoni brothers was rectangular
and large (15 to the m²). |
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1848
: LARTIGUE and DUMAS add an
interlocking system to the traditional canal tile.
It’s the birth of the roman tile. Very quickly,
other manufacturers follow this path with Meridionale tile (Southern)
with a slightly less pronounced curve and inverted interlocking.
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1875
: Royaux and Beghin create the
first interlocking tile small format (20 to the m²).
The idea is also developed in the South of France. |
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The short history of the clay tile:
