Why Roof Tile Is The Superior Roofing Product

Roof tiles... what do you think of? Picturesque vistas of the Greek coast, tranquil Tuscan villas overlooking rolling hills, French castles in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Spanish haciendas on the Iberian Peninsula, Mexican sun-kissed resorts, Scottish villages shrouded in mist, or perhaps Chinese cities that are so old that time seems to have stopped? The common denominator of all these beautiful areas, from China and Europe to Central and South America, is that they know the qualities of roof tiles.

Why then do we see so few tiles in the USA? I think it's fear. Architects and designers fear the additional design and structural support requirements of roof tiles. Roofers worry that they are over- or underestimating their need for roof tiles and are not technically savvy to install them correctly. All of these concerns can lead architects, designers and contractors to charge a lot more when working with roof tiles. This leads us to the fear of the builder; cost of the tile. Learn more here about this article.

Is roofing tile more expensive to use than the most commonly used roofing product in the US, asphalt shingles? Yes, the initial cost is higher, but be confident because the tile's most redeeming qualities offset that extra cost pretty quickly.

The first property of roof tiles that begins to offset their cost is their energy efficiency. Tiles are usually installed on what is known as a “floating system”. Each tile is attached to a batten strip of wood or other material that lifts the tile off the roof surface. This means that the tiles have no contact with the roof at all, creating an extra air space between the tiles and the deck. The air space insulates the roof terrace and thus the interior of the structure from 55% to 75% of the sun's radiant heat. This effect makes double-glazed windows so effective and keeps our coffee nice and hot in our thermos mugs. An interesting experiment to see this firsthand is to pour your next cup of coffee into a regular glass. 

The coffee simulates the radiant heat of the sun and the glass simulates asphalt shingles applied directly to the deck. Because the glass is in direct contact with the coffee's radiant heat, the heat comes right through the glass, ouch! Now pour the coffee into a fancy thermos mug, pick it up and viola, don't burn your hand. Just as the air space in the thermos mug keeps the radiant heat from the coffee from burning your hand, the air space under the tiles keeps the sun's radiant heat from heating your insides. A cooler interior means less work for the air conditioning system and that means savings in energy consumption.

The next property of roof tiles that makes up for their cost is their toughness. Tile is very sturdy. Water does not penetrate. Wind has a hard time damaging it as some roof tiles are rated for wind speeds of 150mph or more. Frosty temperatures cannot harm him. Tile does not burn. Most hailstones shatter on the surface of roof tiles. All of this combined can mean significant savings on insurance premiums. Check out online photos of wildfire areas that have devastated homes in Texas, California and other western states. 

Often one can find a house or two still standing in the middle of a fire disaster area. Usually it has tiles on it. Areas affected by large hail, covered primarily with asphalt shingles, all need to be replaced at the expense of homeowners and insurance companies, except for the few homes with tile roofs. Usually they only have superficial damage. Nowadays, tiles are manufactured that have hail protection class 3 and class 4. Insurance companies will discount premiums for using these hail-resistant and fire-resistant roof tiles. More money saved on insurance each month means you have more for better things.