Environment Times is raising money for the homeless this winter by creating a 'virtual ecohouse'. Wienerberger is one of the donors. They write: Don't slate it! Our Sandtoft roof brand introduces the new Rivius tile to its slate range - – a product that boasts all the aesthetic beauty of slate, with all of the benefits of a clay roof tile.

The Rivius tile is an authentic alternative to slate, a material that is time consuming, complex and costly to lay.

Rivius is an interlocking clay tile with no need for double lapping, meaning it is faster to install. In turn, it is far cheaper to use due to its large format, with money saved on labour costs due to the quicker install time and material costs, as clay is a more cost-effective material than traditional slate.

Rivius is manufactured using bespoke moulds, crafted from the imprints of Welsh and Cumbrian slate to ensure the intricate texture and defined detail of natural slate is reflected in the final clay product.

The tile creates previously impossible opportunities for self build projects, which would benefit from the look of slate but are looking for a cost effective product.

The new Rivius joins the New Generation portfolio- a range renowned for its interlocking format, easy to lay open gauge and is around 50% more cost effective than natural slate, whilst being a true authentic slate in appearance.

Richard Bishop, Category Marketing Manager for Roof at Wienerberger, commented: "Until now, slate's only tangible advantage over clay has been its texture and appearance. By developing the new Rivius tile we have been able to extract that superior, unique finish and combine it with the range of benefits of using clay.

"Rivius is pressed from natural alluvial Humber clay and is available in an Antique Slate finish, which will last the entire life span of the product. Furthermore, it boasts a high performance weatherproof design developed through intensive wind tunnel testing and is manufactured to Environment Management Standard ISO 14001. We can see Rivius being a very popular product in 2015 and beyond, and it's fantastic to be launching it to the market."

For more information on Wienerberger please visit www.wienerberger.co.uk
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