Roof tiles - Clay Tile and Concrete tile
Roof tiles generally come in two different types -- Clay tiles and Concrete tiles.
Clay Roof Tiles
Clay tiles give your home an impressive looking roof in addition to providing great protection, a long lifespan, and a variety of styles to choose from. Tile roofs can handle the toughest elements thrown at a roof, offering good protection against wind, hail, and rain. Also, since clay tile is fireproof it can reduce your homeowners insurance. Clay tile lasts a minimum of 40 to 50 years, and could last up to a full century! You can expect a warranty of 50 years or more from most clay tile manufacturers. While clay tile has a number of advantages it has two very specific drawbacks, weight and cost.
Clay roof tiles will typically weigh between 800-1400 lbs per square depending upon the style that you choose. In addition if the tile is not interlocking then you will need to add the weight of the mortar used to install it which could add as much as another 1000 lbs per square. The average residential house is not designed to handle such weight requiring additional bracing to be added during construction or as a retro-fit.
A clay roof tile roof is also one of the most expensive roofing options. The clay roof tiles themselves are more expensive than many other products but they are also more labor intensive making installation that much more expensive. However, the tile's longevity means when considering the expense over the life of the material it is much more reasonable.
Installation should be handled by a roofer with clay roof tile experience in order to get the maximum durability and lifetime from the product. Given the expense of the product you will want to repair the roof rather than replace it when ever possible. Be sure to use a qualified clay tile roofer as repair work done by a roofer not experienced with clay tile, could do additional damage to the roof.
Clay roof tiles come in a variety of textures, colors, and styles. The most common style of clay tiles are “S” tiles, also known as Spanish, Barrel, or Mission tiles. Another popular style is flat tile, also known as shingle roof tile. The variety of colors used in clay tile roofing can range from single color, to multi colored roofing arranged in a pattern or in random fashion.
Pros:
Long life
Long warranty
Strong material
Available in a variety of shapes and colors
Environmentally Friendly
Cons:
Material and installation expense
A heavy material not suitable for all roofs
Concrete Roof Tiles
Concrete roof tiles are made up of sand, cement, and water. They are very long lasting, and offer great protection against different elements as long as the underlayment and flashings are done correctly. The key to a successful concrete tile roof (as with many materials) is in the proper installation of these roof components.
Concrete roof tiles are very fire resistant and usually come with a top class fire rating. Concrete roofing tiles are very resistant to damage from hail, offer good protection against rain and can withstand wind speeds up to 125 miles per hour. They also allow snow to run off the roof more effectively than many other roofing materials. Concrete tiles can last the lifetime of the house, so manufacturer warranties are normally long and in some cases you may find limited lifetime warranties.
It is commonly mistaken that concrete roof tiles should only be installed on houses in hot climate areas. However, if certain installation precautions are taken you should be fine. Concrete roof tile was first created in Europe and has been used in cold climates there for more than 100 years.
Like clay roof tiles, concrete roof tiles comes in a wide range of colors, textures, and styles. They can be rough or smooth on the tile face surface, all one color, or may be prepared as a set of complementary colors. Concrete roof tiles can also be made to look like a number of different roofing materials such as clay, slate, or even wood shingles. However, if you must replace broken tiles, it is usually difficult to match colors with the original tile since the fading will take place over the life of the material.
While concrete roof tiles are not typically as expensive as clay roof tiles, they do require a similar level of labor to install correctly. You can purchase concrete tiles in standard weight or a lighter weight version. If possible the standard tiles should be used because lightweight tiles are less durable and are often more expensive.
Pros:
Long life
Long warranty
Strong material
Available in a variety of shapes and colors
Environmentally Friendly
Cons:
Material and installation expense
A heavy material not suitable for all roofs
