For custom homebuilders, a tile roof offers stunning curb appeal and excellent durability.
In this introduction to tile roofing, we will lay out exactly why you need to consider choosing a tile roof for your next custom home.
So, if you are a home builder who wants to learn why tile roofs are an excellent option for a home, keep reading!
A Quick History
Clay tile roofs have been a premium choice in residential roofing for millennia!
In fact, archaeologists have found pieces of clay tile roofing dating back over 10,000 years!
Clay tile roofing originated in China and then spread to the Middle East.
Sometime after that, clay tile roofing found its way to Europe, who then brought it to the Americas.
Modern clay tile roofing is still manufactured like it was back then: 100% natural materials!
But clay tiles are not the only material roofers use to cover homes these days.
With modern advancement, we have also developed newer forms of tile roofing, such as Concrete, Slate, and Metal.
This brings us to our next topic:
Types of Tile Roofing:
As mentioned, tile roofing has evolved from its humble origins in ancient China.
With technological advancement, newer forms of tiles have been created.
This section will cover the most popular types of residential tile roofing: Clay, Concrete, Slate, Synthetic, and Metal tiles.
Clay Tile:
Clay tile roofing has been around for millennia, and for good reason: it's beautiful & practical!
A clay tile roof can last well over 100 years when properly installed and maintained.
Clay tile roofs require minimal maintenance, especially when compared with more common forms of residential roofing like asphalt shingles.
Because of their materials, they are naturally resistant to mold, rotting, mildew, and insect infestation.
Clay tile roofs offer excellent insulation, lowering homeowners' heating costs.
As for cooling, clay tile roofs excel at keeping costs down due to their UV reflectivity.
Another benefit of clay tile roofing is its resistance to thermal shock.
With asphalt roofing, rapid temperature changes result in the roof contracting and expanding, which causes damage to the roof.
Because of clay tile’s thermal resistance, it avoids contraction and expansion, preventing homeowners from paying for costly repairs.
Concrete Tile:
As you can imagine from the name, concrete tile roofs are strong!
They are made from four basic ingredients: sand, water, cement, and dye.
Concrete tiles are an excellent choice for homebuilders working for a client with a slightly tighter budget.
Just like other forms of tile roofing, concrete tile roofs require little to no maintenance after the initial installation.
Also similar to clay tile roofs, concrete tile roofing offers stellar thermal resistance and heat insulation, making them a cost-saving choice on both ends.
Concrete tiles offer another surprising benefit: salt resistance!
With asphalt roofing, exposure to excessive salt can leave nasty residues and actually deteriorate the roof’s surface.
This makes concrete roofing an excellent choice for custom builders working near the ocean!
Slate Tile:
Have you ever noticed that most asphalt roofs are gray and use square tiles?
Manufacturers design them to imitate the natural aesthetic of slate roofing.
Just like clay tile roofing, slate is an entirely natural roofing material.
Slate is a metamorphic rock created under immense pressure.
Because it is made under such intense geological pressure, slate is a dense material, which makes it energy-efficient for homeowners!
Unlike asphalt shingles, slate is entirely fire-resistant, making it an excellent choice for homes in wildfire-prone regions.
Another great benefit of slate is its low maintenance: outside of damage from falling debris, slate requires practically zero maintenance!
It also has a stellar lifespan. A slate roof can last up to 100 years in good condition!
Slate tile roofing is also an excellent choice for environmentally-conscious homebuilders.
Because it is a natural stone, it requires very little processing to be made into a roofing material, which makes it an eco-friendly choice for home builders.
Synthetic Roofs:
Synthetic roofing is a new technology that brings the aesthetics of a slate roof at a lower price point.
Not only do synthetic roofs offer the same aesthetic value as slate roofs, but they offer a lower weight, which is incredibly practical for custom builders.
With traditional slate roofing, additional structural support is often required to ensure the home is ready to handle the weight of the stones.
This is not the case with synthetic roofing!
Because of the lowered weight, Synthetic roofing is the perfect option for the homeowner who wants the look of slate but cannot afford the additional construction required to support it.
Another benefit of synthetic roofing is its ecological friendliness: not only is it manufactured with recycled materials, but the roof can once again be recycled after its lifespan.
Metal Tile:
Traditionally, metal roofing was only a popular choice with commercial buildings.
This is changing!
Lightweight, durable, and energy-efficient, there is a reason custom builders are starting to choose them for their properties.
Just like it sounds, a metal tile roof utilizes steel alloys to create an efficient roofing material for homeowners.
Metal tiles come in at a lower price than clay or slate roofing, making them an excellent choice for a client on a budget.
They are also significantly lighter than clay, concrete, and slate tiles, which lowers the stress on a home's structural elements.
Because of their durability, metal roofs need to be maintained much less frequently.
When they do require maintenance, the nature of the metal materials eliminates the need for certain types of care.
For example, metal roofs are naturally mold and mildew-resistant and do not attract termites.
Because of this, you will avoid paying for these types of maintenance with a metal roof.
How Ramon Roofing Can Help With Your Next Tile Roof
At Ramon Roofing, we are proud to say we specialize in bringing Texas the highest-quality tile roofs.
We welcome any further questions from custom builders about tile roofing because we are the experts and are here to help!
Please call or drop us a message about your next project.
Our Dallas/Fort Worth Office: 817-924-1645
Our Austin Office: 512-435-7636
Otherwise, leave us a message at: www.ramonroofing.com/contact-us