Danum TLE roof tile disappointment

[Selfbuildsarah]

Started roofing and I’m slightly disappointed that the appearance of our Danum TLE roof tiles looks almost plum coloured instead of dark grey. Will the colour change when it weathers in? Certainly doesn’t look dark grey to me 🫤

[Mr Punter]

I see what you mean about the slight plum tinge but there is not much you can do about it now.  Once you have fascia, gutters and external wall finishes installed and after a year of weathering I doubt you or anyone would notice.  I had some dark grey Sandtoft 2020 clay tiles fitted on a project and was surprised that the grey colour was a coating rather than the natural clay colour.

[Selfbuildsarah]

It’s really bugging me. Doesn’t help that the houses near us have nice sharp looking dark grey tiles 🫤

[Selfbuildsarah]

I really shouldn’t have moaned. Things just got worse. A right old mish mash of colours now. Hideous. This was not part of my vision. Any suggestions? I suggested roof tile paint to my husband. He was not happy.

[Nickfromwales]

Apologies, but mish mash where? 
 

I hope you wern’t expecting the facias etc to match the concrete tiles?

 

The roof looks neat and presentable to me, and I’ve seen some PROPER shit-fests over the last 30+ years in the industry!

 

The only way to get consistency is by adopting an approach where you use the same material throughout….eg things which are RAL matched with a painted or powder coated product / finish(es).

 

 

Roof 90% complete here and no discernible changes until the material itself changes, eg when metal meets synthetic mill boards, and then again when they meet the powder coated drip, and that all changes at the windows.

 

All discussed and chosen before the foundation was laid, to manage expectations vs results and provide time for procrastination / options / avoid disappointment; accepting these differences but choosing colours and finishes which would then compliment each other.

 

It’s looking good currently, imho, so maybe hold off your final decision until the house has all of it’s makeup on, and the see if it’s actually way less ‘hideous’ than you think?

 

You’ll also probably look at the roof for the first few weeks max, then completely stop caring about it when you’re making far more important choices indoors. Looking at these things through a microscope is a quick route to the loony bin, and this is a conversation I have with all of my clients, well in advance, so they stay sane.

 

Storm in a teacup maybe ?

[Selfbuildsarah]

Black is black therefore only matches our windows. Grey is not grey as far as the Weinerberger company go. Still don’t want a plum coloured roof. If I’m buying a dark grey tile that’s what I expect to get. Sorry if I’m being pedantic. It’s called attention to detail.

[Russell griffiths]

35 minutes ago, Selfbuildsarah said:

Black is black therefore only matches our windows. Grey is not grey as far as the Weinerberger company go. Still don’t want a plum coloured roof. If I’m buying a dark grey tile that’s what I expect to get. Sorry if I’m being pedantic. It’s called attention to detail.

I do agree the tiles are a bit plumb colour

but if you want the same colour throughout then you need to pick a RAL  colour if you look on the chart there are probably a couple of hundred blacks. 
and the same with grey. 
stand further away and take a pic. 

[Nickfromwales]

51 minutes ago, Selfbuildsarah said:

It’s called attention to detail

Couldn't agree more, which is why we purchased / requested multiple samples of EVERY exterior material before the concrete was poured, laid them out to compare the actual products, cherry-picked the options that worked and binned the ones that didn’t pass muster.

 

The concrete was poured 16th March 2026 and all this was buttoned up and ordered before the end of 2025, trades vetted and selected. 
 

Client had a 4’ sample board made up in the site office after initial choices became a design freeze, with all the materials then fixed onto it to see the real items as they will be, for zero ambiguity or disappointment.

 

For completeness, I have never seen a “black” concrete tile, as none exist afaik, plus anything that dark just gets lighter with weathering; taking you back to my above point of not staring at it for too long, as whether it’s then or now, they’ll get lighter eg to the shade / colour you have.

 

Those should stay pretty much as is btw. 

[Onoff]

Paint with live yoghurt or spray with water/manure mix. That'll soon get a nice uniform, aged finish. 

[Nickfromwales]

1 minute ago, Onoff said:

Paint with live yoghurt or spray with water/manure mix. That'll soon get a nice uniform, aged finish. 

Dead man walking lol.

[Selfbuildsarah]

Who said I wanted a black concrete tiles Nick?

I’ve had samples of EVERY product. They are sitting outside my current house in a lovely coordinated heap and the black fascia still matches our windows.

Weinerberger cover themselves on their website by saying batches may vary. Order dark grey tile with matching dry verge and you get plum tones with a non toning/matching verge and I have to put up with it.

I’ll take Nick’s advice and stop staring at it. All good. Thanks Nick