Tile roofs are becoming quite common in the United States. If you live along the coast, there is a good chance that a high percentage of your neighbors have tile roofs on their homes. And you're increasingly likely to see a tile roof or two when driving down the street in a northern, moderate climate. Why aren't even more people switching to tile? While each homeowner probably has their own reasons, there are some common misconceptions floating around that may be keeping tile roofs from becoming even more commonplace.
Misconception #1: The heavy weight of tile means it won't work on older homes.
Tile roofs are heavy. Tile weighs more than metal roofing, and it weighs a lot more than asphalt roofing. It is true that many older homes were not built to support such a heavy roof as a tile roof. However, it's not true that this has to keep you from getting a tile roof. A roofer can pretty easily reinforce your roof in a few places to make it better able to support the weight. Often, all they have to do is add a few more beams or enforce a few connections. It's rare that a home cannot be modified — quite easily — to support tile if a tile roof is what you want.
Misconception #2: Tile roofs don't perform well in the snow.
For years, tile roofs were really only seen in coastal areas and hot climates. They were favored in these areas because they are impervious to salt damage, stand up well to UV rays, and can withstand tropical storms. Tile roofs didn't catch on as quickly in snowy areas since these areas don't experience those weather conditions. But this is not because a tile roof can't withstand snow. Tile roofs actually perform really well in snowy climates since they're heavy and not easily lifted off the roof by freezing and thawing ice.
Misconception #3: It's hard to find someone to repair a tile roof.
Repairing a tile roof is not a DIY project. You will need to have the roof repaired by the pros. However, if you were able to find a company to install your tile roof, that same company should be more than capable of repairing it. And really, it's not a good idea to repair any roof yourself, even if you do have the tools. One mistake could lead to costly water leaks.
Do you like the idea of a tile roof? Call a company such as Link's Contracting Inc to get a quote. This material could be more realistic for you than you realize.
One day when we were all sitting in our living room, I thought I felt a drop of water fall onto my arm. At first, I figured it was my imagination, but when the second one fell, I knew we had an issue. Although it wasn't raining that day, it had rained the day before, so I started looking for the source of the problem. After looking in my attic, I could tell what the problem was, and I knew I had to fix it. I started looking for ways to stop the water immediately, but it just wasn't working for me. Fortunately, roofers came out, fixed the problem, and showed me what I needed to do to clean up the mess. Read more on this blog.