Are silk matte roof tiles shiny or reflective?

Hello everyone,

in our new development area, the development plan states: "As roofing materials, non-mirror or non-reflective materials are allowed[...]

Now a neighbor has used silk-matte roof tiles that reflect so strongly in the summer that we even have to lower the blinds on the couch in the living room because it is so dazzling. The building authority says these are "silk-matte" tiles and not glossy tiles, so it would be acceptable. However, the development plan clearly states "mirror or reflective" tiles and not "glossy."

Does anyone know if this is permissible or not?

Thanks and best regards

You will have to hire someone to come by, take a look at the matter, and prepare a report.

I actually asked myself the same question. Our general contractor did not get the chosen bricks, so they ended up using ones with a noble engobe. When I saw how shiny they were, I asked my contractor the same question. We also have such a clause in the development plan. I was told that it is only meant to exclude glazed bricks.

However, the whole clause does not seem to be particularly legally solid even with a quick internet search. After all, for example, solar/photovoltaic panels reflect significantly more, and they are even politically desired. I think you just have to live with that. The period during which the sun reflects directly into a window is relatively short and moves throughout the year. Apparently, there was a successful lawsuit in Minden in 2015 with a similar development plan, but truly glazed bricks were used there.

ha - same here...
unfortunately, I am not able to use the search in a way that I can now find and link my posts and I think also photos related to this.

Anyway, I called our responsible building authority (in NRW) because of this, and the information was:
Submit an application for someone to come and take a look and make photos. That will cost you money for the guy who comes, and if he comes on a cloudy day, then you can’t see that it blinds, so your request will be denied. Oh, and of course, you’ll be the worst in the neighborhood because you went to the office...

in the end you have no chance - I was really annoyed every single sunny day in the summer for the last 2 years because it really blinds incredibly. Luckily, we have Venetian blinds, so I don’t have to darken completely. And this year, a thin translucent curtain is planned for the edge of the terrace roof, which should also reduce some of the glare...

but seriously - if I had seen these tiles at the building materials store on a cloudy day, I could have chosen them too. I actually like them matte that way. And how should I have known that they would glare so much in the sun - it never would have occurred to me.

Our neighbor has high gloss roof tiles, although the B Plan prohibits them, in black, really gaudy. But the rest of us on the street don’t do that, it’s a matter of taste and it doesn’t glare at me. His solar panels reflect much more in my opinion, and every building authority guy likes them.

Called the building authority

The villagers like that. First gentrify here and then sic the authorities on it. :D

No, the biggest risk with something like this is that the tiles will then be dutifully replaced, but since you’re already on the roof, you might as well install the photovoltaics at the same time. There’s really 0.0 objection to that.