Tile roofing is a visually appealing and durable choice for your roofing needs. While it's expensive and heavy, you are building your house using a material that could last up to 100 years.
If you are still unsure on what type of roofing to get, here are the pros and cons of tile roofing according to About Home to help you make your decision:
Pros of tile roofing
Long-lasting
When installed in the right climate, a tile roof can last for over 100 years. Usually made from clay and concrete, this type of roofing could withstand hail, high winds, and even fires. If you use tile, you would probably never have to install another type of roofing again.
Plenty of choices
Depending on the style of home you are going for, tile roofing has different shapes, style, and color to match the design you are going for; be it Spanish or Southwestern look.
More advantages to tile roofing include:
- Impervious to fire damage
- Resistant tophysical impact damage
- Can resist any kind ofenvironmental, rot or insect damage
- Withstands rain, snow or freezing/thawing weather without any damage
- Environmentally friendly and can be recycled
- Regulates the indoor temperature of your home because of the tile's thermal mass
- Requires virtually no maintenance
Cons of tile roofing
Cost
If you are on a tight budget, tile roofing's initial cost is a factor that you need to consider. A clay tile roof system is two to three times more expensive than an asphalt roofing system.
Installation
There is no DIY project when it comes to tile roofing. You will have to hire a professional roofing contractor to make sure that the tiles are measured accurately, laid in a specific pattern, and checked properly to ensure that no moisture gets through.
They're heavy
Before deciding to go for tile roofing, make sure that your house's structure can handle the weight of a tile roof which can weight about 850 pounds per square for clay tile and 950 pounds per square for concrete tile. So make sure to hire an engineer aside from a roofing pro to assess where the structural reinforcement goes. You'll be spending additional funds on the reinforcements to handle the weight of the tiles.
More disadvantages of tile roofing:
- Material is fragile and can break during storms or inspections
- Not usable for roof pitches below 4:12
- Takes a longer time to install than asphalt roofing. Be ready for additional time and labor costs.
