Roof stone tiles. How to fasten them

roof

I am watching a TV program where they are restoring a ruin into a cottage. One thing that left me aghast is the fact that the roof was made with flat, very heavy stone tiles. Ater they rebuild the roof frame with wood, they put the tiles back on the wood by drilling the tiles and using a long nail down through the wood. It's just a matter of time that the nice british weather promotes rust on the nails and a 50 kg tile slides down to kill the poor chap walking by.

I have no knowledge of roof restoration, even less with such unusual tiling, but what is the proper procedure to fasten them without breeding disaster ?

Best Answer

You can buy special metal brackets for roof tiles:

bracket

Most of the roofs I have seen have used nails, and only in certain places, relying for the most part on the friction and weight of the roof tiles to hold them in place. Whether brackets are required depends on wind speed, wind direction, subroof type, roof angle, roof shape, height, and other factors.

Regardless of whether you use brackets, nails, or screws, they must be stainless, galvanized, or otherwise protected from corrosion. Nails must have ring-threaded shanks.

(Source: manufacturer's instructions for various roof tiles sold in Norway. Check your local building codes and the instructions provided by the manufacturer of your roof tiles.)