Welcome to our world, a world of magnificently beautiful clay tile roofs.
Northern Roof Tiles is North Americas premier importers of fine clay roofing tiles. We have been in business for 22 years and in that time we have had the honor and great pleasure to have been a small part in many great projects.
We are specialists in clay tile who know and understand all aspects of these roofs. As our name implies we are headquartered in the north, near Niagara Falls, and understand the effects of our ever changing weather patterns and the probable long term effects on a clay tile roof. Our clay roof tiles are, of course, suitable for installation throughout North America.
Northern Roof Tiles is a good old fashioned ‘middle man’. On one side we have the tile makers and the other side you the client, be you the home owner, architect / designer, builder or installer. Our job is to bring both sides together and make sure everyone is happy. As a testament to our ability to do just that, each year between 75% and 80% of our business comes from repeat customers or existing client’s recommendation.
We have built our business based on Experience, Knowledge, Passion & Personal Service.
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Experience
Stuart Matthews, the founder of our company, has been in the roof tile business for close to 40 years, initially in England where he was responsible for up to 60 gangs of tilers, then moving to Canada in 1981. Stuart spent 5 years in the US before returning to Southern Ontario in 1991 to open Northern Roof Tiles.
This in depth knowledge allows Stuart to look at a project from the installers’ point of view and that experience is available to the roofer on all Northern Roof Tiles projects as part of our service.
Simon Matthews as been involved with the family business for the past 12 years and has a strong understanding of products, sales and installation. This year he assumes the position of Sales manager and with a plan to maintain the ‘personal service’ but to also expand the number of independent sales agents and specialty dealers who can service you the customer on a more local basis.
Adam Matthews looks after ordering and shipping as well as marketing. He may not be quite the ‘Certified Roof Tile Junkies’ Stuart and Simon are but what he does not know about tile he can quickly find out.
Knowledge
Close to 40 years in the industry has meant that after being exposed to the manufacture, sales and installation of roof tiles Stuart has gained an all-around understanding, which is now being passed on to his sons Adam and Simon, who are both very involved in the business, our agents and representatives and of course our clients.
There are few opportunities to learn the trade from books and only the Roof Tile Institute offers day courses for installers. This lifetime of learning is a huge asset and is available to all Northern Roof Tiles customers.
Over the years Northern Roof Tiles has worked with many different ethnic installers, from French speaking tilers in Quebec, Polish, Russian and Eastern European in New York, to Hispanic speaking tilers in most other markets. We may not speak their language but with our ‘hands on’ approach we can overcome any language barrier and pass on that special knowledge and enthusiasm.
We believe that on even the most complicated project, the ability to get the job done in a timely fashion is based on one third skill and two thirds organization. After all, people have been installing roofs like this for over 500 years. The advantage we have today is our ability to learn from their experience and utilize today’s technology and mechanical aids!
Passion
Northern Roof Tiles does not just sell clay roof tiles; we sell magnificently beautiful clay roof tiles.
Our enthusiasm for old roofs, our interest in architecture and especially the older buildings seen throughout rural England, France, Belgium and Italy has led us to not only appreciate their mellow beauty, but also develop ways in which they can be recreated today.
Many hours have been spent admiring old roofs and this passion has led us to an understanding of what we admire so much about them and how today we can recreate this appearance. We also believe one should not see the tiles but the roof as a magnificent whole.
Personal Service
Northern Roof Tiles is a company which was founded with the aim of providing a very personal service. We enjoy the opportunity to meet our clients and the design team, so we can fully understand your ‘dream’ and contribute the benefits of our experience, passion and knowledge.
Once the order has been placed the strength of our service is derived from our team, which has been carefully built over the past 22 years. The reliability of our tile makers, our shipping agent and customs broker, as well as our warehousing and the trucking company comes into play… a team assembled and fine-tuned over the years to best serve you.
Northern Roof Tiles has chosen its suppliers from a select group of the world’s great tile makers. The combination of old world craftsmanship, stringent quality controls and strict adherence to environmental obligations ensure a beautiful roof, which is suitable for installation anywhere in the Northern US and Canada and will stand the test of time.
We arrange for the tiles to be packaged and shipped, clearly marked for easy storage and sorting on site. We handle all ocean shipping, importation, payment of all duties, customs clearance, as well as warehousing at the port of entry. The tiles are transported to site on flatbed trucks, clearly labeled and with the correct delivery tickets. We can even suggest the way in which the materials are stored on site for easy blending or preparation before installation.
We like to be on site once installation begins, to ensure the crew fully understands the specification details. If there are any questions they can be addressed at this early stage.
We often return to site during the installation and especially when specific details, such as a tower, turret or eyebrow are being installed.
In this age of instant communication we are only ever a phone call or emailed photograph away. We encourage installers to call us as often as they feel necessary.
We all take tremendous pride in providing a service without equal in quality and versatility, so we can satisfy you our client. If you have questions on any of our clay roof tiles please do not hesitate to call us. We are ready to turn that dream into a reality.
Enjoy and thanks for visiting.