Types of Tile Roofs – Advice From Minneapolis Tile Roofers
Deciding to use a tile roof on your home certainly makes a beautiful statement. Popular in certain regions and architectural home styles, tile roofs bring a one-of-a-kind look to your home. Before opting for a tile roof, there are lots of different types and pros and cons to consider. We talked with Minneapolis tile roofers to learn more…
TYPES OF TILE ROOFS
- Slate Tiles – These tiles are made of natural slate stone which brings a beautiful color and texture to your roof. It is an extremely durable and long-lasting option.
- Metal Roof Tiles – Metal roof tiles can be made of steel, aluminum, copper, or even zinc and can be made in many shapes and styles. Metal roofs can be noisy which can be a pro or con to different homeowners.
- Concrete Roof Tiles – More typical in commercial applications, concrete roof tiles can be made to look like other products, such as wood shakes, clay, or slate tiles, while offering the durability of concrete. They can be a tricky installation and requires trained professionals.
- Composite Roof Tiles – Composite roof tiles are a synthetic material combining natural and manmade elements. This allows the best of both worlds in terms of durability and lifespan of the product.
- Solar Roof Tiles – An environmentally-friendly option, solar roof tiles produce electricity from the sun rays that hit your roof. This can help cut down on your overall electricity bill, however is a larger upfront cost for installation.
- Clay Roof Tiles – Clay roof tiles have been used for centuries as a roofing material. Known for their Spanish, southwestern style, they are essential to the look of certain homes.
With any of the above tile roof options, they all share similar pros and cons when compared to other roofing options:
PROS TO TILE ROOFS
- Long-lasting – Tile roofs are an extremely long-lasting product and outlive many other types of roofs. Some tile roofs can last up to 100 years before needing to be replaced.
- Environmentally-friendly – As most tile roofs are made out of materials from the natural earth, they do not have a negative impact on the environment and instead are a great use of our planet’s resources.
- Minimal maintenance – Tile roofs are rarely prone to leaks due to the overlapping of the large tiles. Unless they are subject to a heavy storm, they are relatively maintenance free.
- Lots of finish options – Tile roofs come not only in many different materials, but also in many different shapes and colors. A very popular option is the bright orange color of clay tiles in Spanish and Mediterannean design.
CONS TO TILE ROOFS
- More expensive – As these materials last for an extended period of time, they are a more costly upfront purchase. The quality and durability of tile roofs comes at a bit of a higher price.
- Tricky installation – Installing a tile roof will require trained tile roofers more so than any other type of roof. In order to install the tiles properly and ensure a watertight seal, professional tile roofers will need to be hired for the job.
- Heavy, brittle material – The tiles for tile roofing are heavy and brittle. During installation, this means they are more prone to breaks and some excess material should be purchased. You will also need to make sure the structure of your home can handle the weight of a tile roof.
