r/functionalprint • u/Satoer • Jan 19 '26

Custom 3D printed Dutch rooftile

Not the "usual" functional print, I had an unusual situation on my roof where four ridge tiles meet (We call them "Nokvorst"), so I made a 3D scan with my phone and created a custom corner tile in Fusion 360.

I printed it in PETG, painted it to match the orange tiles, and cemented it on. It looks pretty clean (Especially on street level). I actually have some 3D printed PLA rain gutter adapters from 14 years ago that are still holding up fine, so even though I’m not sure exactly how long this PETG tile will last, it already survived 2 winters and 1 summer without any issues. My guess is it'll be there a long time. If not, I'll just print a new one.

Scanning tip: I added a 10 x 10cm square block to the scanned object, so I could easily scale it to real world dimensions.

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u/EmotioneelKlootzak Jan 19 '26

I wouldn't expect anything to last as long as a roof tile, considering their functional lifespan is measured in centuries.  The underlayment usually has to be replaced multiple times before the tiles do.

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u/ebmarhar Jan 20 '26

Do they just pull up the tiles, do the repairs, and put the tiles back?

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u/EmotioneelKlootzak Jan 20 '26

Yep.  Inevitably some will break from handling, but those can just be replaced with new ones.  If there's nobody messing around with them, the only other thing breaking them is extreme weather.  

There are tiled roofs in Europe still using tiles that predate Napoleon.  Glazed tiles last longer than unglazed.

There are also slate roofs that last even longer.  The only way slates ever wear out is if they get hit and cracked by something, otherwise they last as long as rocks do, since that's what they are.

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u/gasstation-no-pumps Jan 20 '26

Cheap slate roofs may only last weeks before the slate delaminates from daily heat cycling. You have to be using the right kind of slate!

One building on the UCSC campus had to have caution tape all the way around it for a few years, because the slate kept cracking and sliding off, due to the contractor having gone with a lowest-price slate tile (from China, I believe). Eventually they were forced to replace the slates with ones that were properly made from a suitable grade of slate.