Mangalore tiles

[1] Tiles were first produced in the city by German missionaries of the Basel Mission of Switzerland, who also established weaving enterprises.

[8] These tiles are native to Mangalore, a city in the former South Canara district on the western coast of India.

[9] Plebst's factory was the first industrial tile plant in India, located on the banks of the Nethravathi river, near Morgan's Gate, around 100 metres (0.10 km) from Ullal bridge.

The tiles produced by the factory were in great demand throughout the Indian subcontinent and East Africa.

[11] Abundant deposits of clay, plenty of firewood from the Western Ghats and cheap skilled labour helped the industry flourish.

[10] Mangalore tiles are said to provide excellent ventilation especially during summer and are widely considered aesthetically pleasing.

Over a period of time, these tiles can become dark to black from constant exposure to soot and smoke.

Clay tiles offer natural solar insulation, thereby reducing the expense on electricity for heating or cooling.

Since these clay tiles are molded under extreme heat, they are resistant to damage or destruction from fire.

Clay tiles are commonly used in coastal areas and regions that experience heavy rainfall.

Clay tiles for a sloping roof offer water proofing in areas where it rains quite often.

The tiles get their red colour from the high proportion of iron compound found in the laterite clay.

At helm of the industry the production of Mangalore tiles was prominent in South Canara, Malabar District along Chaliyar and Quilon along Ithikkara River.