Roof tile frost resistance

What does roof tile frost resistance testing involve?

Frost resistance testing aims to reproduce how roof tiles behave during freezing and thawing cycles. It should reflect the natural effects of the weather on tiles as closely as possible. The test involves cooling, freezing and thawing the tile 25 times in succession.

This is very important in our climate, as winter can bring the worst possible conditions for roof tiles. At night, the temperature falls below zero, while daytime sunshine brings temperatures above zero. In this way, our tiles undergo repeated freezing and thawing cycles over several consecutive days.

Freezing and thawing cycles are particularly noticeable in years with rainy winters. During the day, rain falls and the tiles absorb water. At night, the temperature falls below zero, and the water inside the tile starts to freeze along with the tile. Winter itself is not so harsh on tiles if the temperature remains below zero throughout the day and night. These damaging cycles become more intense during the transitions from autumn to winter and from winter to spring.

For this reason, we advise our customers against buying roof tiles imported from warm countries. After returning from a holiday, we look at our photographs and fondly remember the beautiful roofs in Croatia, Greece or Spain. They certainly look lovely. I would happily use tiles like those on my own roof too. Unfortunately, products made for those markets rarely experience a real winter.

But let us return to frost resistance testing. The freezing and thawing cycles are not the end of the tests. Once a tile has successfully passed these cycles, it undergoes further tests: first for watertightness, then for mechanical strength.

Only a tile tested in this way can receive the necessary certificates and be approved for installation on a Polish roof.