Most roofing sheets in Kenya fall into two families: tile profiles, pressed to look like clay tile, and box profiles, with wide flat ribs built for long spans. They're both steel and both KEBS-certified, but they behave differently on a roof, and picking the wrong one usually shows up as a bigger labour bill or a roof that doesn't look the way you pictured it.
Tile profiles: made for how the roof looks
A tile profile is pressed into ridges that copy the look of a clay-tile roof. You get that appearance without carrying the weight of real tile, so the timbers or steel underneath don't have to be built up to hold it. Within our range there are three:
- Premium Tile is one of our most popular ranges. It has a standard tile corrugation and a UV-resistant paint finish at an accessible price.
- Maisha Tile is the lightweight option, popular as an alternative to conventional roofing tiles and suited to almost any architectural style.
- Roman Tile is the premium choice, with deep ridges that give the look of Roman clay tile. It is the most rigid profile we make.
Box profile: made for coverage and span
Box profile has wider, flatter ribs. Each sheet covers more roof, so there are fewer overlaps to fix and less labour on site. It's built for long roof runs and works as wall cladding too. That's why you see it on farmhouses, factory sheds, hangars and commercial buildings, and it's an economical alternative to imported box-rib sheeting.
Side by side
| Tile profile | Box profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Looks like a clay-tile roof | Clean, modern, industrial lines |
| Best suited to | Homes, apartments and other roofs where appearance matters | Sheds, farm buildings, warehouses and large commercial roofs |
| Coverage per sheet | Standard | Wide, so fewer sheets and fewer overlaps |
| Structural load | Much lighter than real tile | Light, and suited to wide-span framing |
| Also used as wall cladding | Rarely | Yes, commonly |
How to decide
Who will see the roof? On a family home or an apartment block facing the street, the tile look usually earns its place. On a shed at the back of a plot, it doesn't.
How long is the roof run? Long, uninterrupted roofs are where box profile saves the most time and money, because wider sheets mean fewer of them to lift and fix.
What is your budget per square metre? The two families are priced differently, and within the tile family Premium Tile, Maisha Tile and Roman Tile each sit at a different price point. Current indicative prices are on the products page.
Still deciding?
Send us your roof dimensions, location and budget on WhatsApp and we'll suggest a profile and a gauge before you order. It's part of our roofing consultation service and it costs nothing.