The roof is considered an important exterior decor idea to uplift the beauty of the house and add visual impact on visitors and neighbors. Roofing tiles are a good idea to slide away water and increase the roof’s longevity. Various roof tiles are available in the market with unique textures and materials, such as asphalt, clay, ceramic, stone, etc.
Asphalt tiles are different in composition and appearance than the clay tile roof; clay and slate roof tiles were famous in the past due to their local availability, but as moved to the next century, metal and concrete tiles started replacing clay and slate, providing many roofing tiles types.
To know more about roofing colors, read A Detailed Information About Black Metal Roofing
Usually, we have to replace the roof in 20-30 years; however, using a tile roof will increase the durability of the roofs to 50-100 years. Tiling roof was first used by the Chinese to protect themselves from the elements. Later on, people across the world started using it. Roofing has evolved over time. There are multiple tile roof options for homeowners to choose from. Keep reading to find out the complete information on roofing tiles types.
What Is Tile Roofing?
Tile roofing is the most popular roof option for homeowners looking for a long-lasting option. The roofing tiles types keeps your homes creatively safe and beautiful. It is an alternative to roof shingles with a little difference such as shingles are less expensive, lightweight, less durable, and easy to install, unlike clay and concrete.
Different Types Of Roof Tiles
There are many types of roof tiles for you to choose from. The best material is one that fulfills the major criterion. Here are a few of them.
Slate roof tiles
These tiles are naturally manufactured from stone with a unique appearance. Slate roof tiles first appeared in the northeastern US due to its heavy deposit.
Pros
- Beautiful appearance
- Fire-resistant
- Durable
- Availability of a variety of color and texture options
- It can withstand rain and hailstorm
Cons
- Very heavy
- Expensive to install
- Difficult to handle making repair work challenging
Metal roof tiles
If your roof structure cannot support heavy materials, metal roofing tile is the best option. Amongst the other roofing tiles types, such as aluminum, copper, zinc, and steel, the most popular are steel and aluminum.
Pros
- Available in different shapes and patterns
- Lightweight
- Easy to install
- Durable
- Eco-friendly
- Less expensive
Cons
- It is noisy
- Easily gets dented, making the repair tedious
- Difficult to walk when wet
- Doesn’t provide much insulation
Concrete tile roof
There are various types of concrete roof tiles in the market. These tiles were developed in the mid-19th century and made from less expensive components. Over the period, these tiles evolved from handmade tiles to modern production methods.
Pros
- Less expensive
- It’s very attractive
- Excellent resistance to wind
Cons
- Very heavy and requires a roof structure to handle its weight
- Need professionals to install, adding to the overall cost
Composite roof tiles
These tile roofs are made from natural and synthetic materials such as asphalt, fiberglass, clay, and paper, providing the best substitute for asphalt shingles roofs.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Available in many colors and shapes
- Carry warranties of up to 50 years
Cons
- Need professional help in installation
- Frequent cleaning is required because it has gravel toppings causing the buildup
- Costly as compared to other materials
Solar roofing tiles types
An eco-friendly way to enhance the appearance of a home’s exterior is to use electricity-producing roofing tiles types tied into a battery assembly inside your home, drawing power from the sun. It is a new concept.
Pros
- A natural way to produce electricity
Cons
- Installation cost is higher because you have to hire a professional to install it
- High maintenance and repair cost
Clay tile roof
Clay tile types have an old history of being manually shaped, dried, and used, which is now replaced with a machine-driven process of making them. Irrespective of the process involved in making it, the outcome is amazingly beautiful.
Pros
- Available in a variety of colors
- It is sealed to resist absorbing water
- It is durable
- It can withstand rain, wind, and sun
Cons
- It is prone to breaking as it’s heavy.
Synthetic tiles for roof
Spanish Barrel
It’s an evergreen roofing tiles types beauty without spending extra cost. It is recyclable, fire-resistant, available in many colors, and requires less maintenance when compared to other roof tiles.
Cedar roof
These roof tiles are made from a composite material and are the best substitute for cedar shakes. It doesn’t crack, warp, split, and keep away the fungus because it doesn’t hold water. It is lightweight and easy to install.
Slate roofing tiles types
A synthetic slate tile roof will uplift the natural texture of the roof without paying a hefty price. It is affordable, easy to install, and lightweight.
Flat shingle roofing tiles types
These roof tiles allow you to be creative. It doesn’t interlock. It is available in multi-color and multi-dimensional patterns.
Glass roof tiles
Glass roof tiles are not very common. It is mostly installed in a small part of the roof rather than the entire area, mainly for decorative purposes.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Adds aesthetics
Cons
- Not weather-resistant
- It may break in extreme weather conditions
Porcelain roof tile
These roofing tiles types can be considered a unique roofing material to serve the dual purpose of functionality and add aesthetics. It can withstand decades of weather elements. A few pros and cons are
Pros
- Cold weather resistant, making it a perfect choice for Portland winters
- Long-lasting
- Less maintenance
Cons
- It is hard to install
- The cost of installation is high
Rubber tile roof
These roofing tiles types are made of synthetic polymers or rubber, for which the materials come from recycled items such as old tyres.
Pros
- Environment friendly
- Looks like traditional tile roof materials like slate
- Lightweight
- Less expensive
- Non-porous
Cons
- Susceptible to fire
Plastic tile roof
It’s an eco-friendly tile made from elastic recycled plastic with a long life.
Pros
- Durable
- It’s lightweight
- Less-expensive
- Weather and impact resistant
Cons
- Can’t outlive traditional materials like slate
- Highly flammable
- Not suitable for areas that experience natural fires
Ceramic tile roof
These tiles are the outcome of natural clay without having any drawbacks of traditional clay tiles and perform better with varying temperatures.
Pros
- They don’t absorb water because of the natural base material of white clay
- Offers extra protection from the weather
- Best suited for high and low-slope roofs
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Algae and fungus resistant
Cons
- Even a small error in installation may lead the tiles to fly away
- They don’t have an insulator so you have to pt an additional layer for protection from extreme weather conditions.
Stone tile roof
Stone roofing tiles types are manually split to give a proper shape and size. The installation process is unique because the larger ones are placed on the lower side and the smaller ones at the top, leading to lapping.
Pros
- They don’t lie flat
- Porous
Cons
- Susceptible to moss-building
- Repair costs may go up if you don’t scrap it off early
Interlocking roof tiles
A strong connection is created by interlocking the channels. It requires expertise to form a perfect beautiful line on the building. Some common interlocking roof tiles are Wood Shake, French, Slate, Smooth, and Glazed.
Scalloped roof tiles
These roof tiles have a curved bottom edge extending fish scale appearance to the roof. It looks unique.
French tile roof
These roofing tiles types have a robust interlocking design that offers a low profile. It is a timeless design with two flutes on the tile’s surface.
Terracotta roofing tiles types
It is made of hard-fired clay. It is synonymous with clay roof tiles, also referred to as ceramic roof tiles. It’s difficult to differentiate between terracotta and clay tiles. The only noticeable difference is color. Terracotta has a unique red or orange tone, and clay tiles have red, gray, or white.
Spanish Tile Roof
These roofs have a wavy S shape forming a barrel roof tile creating one of the most recognized tile roof designs.
Mission roof tiles
Mission roof tiles have separate barrels installed to form a concave and a convex shape of the roof. The various styles of these tiles are Greek, Italia, Palm Beach, Roman, and Straight Barrel.
Read The Best 17 Types Of Roofs: The Complete Information for more ideas
Conclusion
There are a variety of roofing tiles types to suit your requirements. Each comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Some are aesthetically amazing, weather-resistant, and with many more qualities, while others have few weaknesses. Choose the design and material that goes well with the local weather conditions and your home design. After reading the article, we hope you find a suitable roofing material and design for your beautiful house.
FAQs
Which Type Of Tile Is Best For A Roof?
Most roofing tiles, such as ceramic, slate, clay, composite, and many more, are good for roofs; however, you should consider the functionality and aesthetics of the home’s exterior to get the best result. Some of the factors like durability, weather resistance, and budget should be looked into before concluding to buy. If you want a long-lasting roof, go for steel or aluminum; clay is the best option for natural and durable roofing tiles types because it can last up to 100 years.
Which Roof File Is Most Expensive?
Slate is the most costly roofing tiles types in the market. The cost is almost ten times that of asphalt shingles, but the best thing is its durability. It can last up to 200 years due to its amazing properties.
Are Tile Roofs High Maintenance?
Tile roofs are long-lasting; however, regular inspection of the chipped tiles is required for quick repair for durability. The lifespan can easily be increased with timely recognition of the problems.
