The roof is one of the most important parts of your family home, for obvious reasons. It’s the first line of defense when it comes to protecting your property and your family from serious weather events, and this should be given serious consideration when deciding what type of roof you actually want looking over you.
Two of the most frequently used materials for roofs in the United States are tiles and shingles, with each one having its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.
With so many things to consider, how do you as a homeowner decide on the best materials for the roof of your home? Let’s go over a few of the most important components of this decision right now.
Appearance
It might not have much to do with how efficient your roof is, but the appearance of your roof is important for many reasons. The most important being that it can drastically improve or reduce the financial value of your home.
But in the tiles versus shingles debate, there’s no question that tiles have more versatility in design and appearance than do shingles.
With a tile roof, it’s more likely that you’ll be able to create a unique and personalized look for your property. So keep that in mind when you’re at the home improvement store determining what to put on the roof of your home.
Installation
When it comes to installing the materials on your roof, tiles and shingles are certainly nothing alike.
The installation of asphalt shingles is rather straightforward, as most have tabs that overlap one another and are then nailed down to the roof and seals. Many Do It Yourselfers choose shingles for their roofs for this very reason.
Tiles, on the other hand, are heavier and require you to reinforce your roof before they can be installed. The actual installation process is also much slower and more involved than with asphalt shingle installations. You can also consider a metal roof over a tile or single roof.
So do you want to go with an easy installation or one that takes more time but could provide other benefits down the road? Only you can make that determination based on your own personal situation.
Cost
Asphalt shingles are also much less expensive to purchase than tiles are, and it’s not just a token difference either.
For a 1,500-square-foot roof, installation of asphalt shingles will run you in the neighborhood of $3,250, while covering the same size roof with tiles will run you anywhere between 4 and 8 times that amount.
So if you’re on a budget, shingles are probably the way to go. But as with most things in life, you don’t want to make your decision based on only one variable. Take everything into consideration and make your decision accordingly.
Weight
As we referenced when talking about installation, tiles are considerably heavier than asphalt shingles. So if your roof is unable to support a lot of weight, you don’t want to install tiles on the top of your home.
Reinforce your roof or go with shingles or another roofing material altogether.
Climate
While asphalt shingles are popular throughout the United States, you’re usually only going to find tile roofs in southern states where traditional roofs may not be able to handle the unique conditions found in those areas.
Extreme heat can definitely have an impact on your roofing materials, so it’s really best to check with a professional in your area to determine what may be the best course of action for you and your situation.
Durability
This is an area where tiles are the unquestioned best choice. Tile roofs are known to last anywhere from 25 to 100 years if taken care of properly, significantly longer than asphalt tiles.
Depending on the types of tiles you use, asphalt shingles usually only last between 15 and 30 years and at times need a roofing repair San Antonio Team.
So tiles are a bigger investment up front, but are generally going to last you a much longer time than the asphalt shingle equivalent.
Maintenance
This is an area where, quite frankly, neither roofing material has an advantage over the other. Regardless of what you use, and how much it costs, you’re going to need to take good care of it in order to get the biggest return on your investment.
Your roof inspections should be preformed yearly for broken, cracked or missing shingles or tiles and those elements should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid more emergency roof repairs, widespread damage to your roof. Our roof inspection San Antonio specialists are always ready to help in this cases.
Your roof is like anything else. The more attention and care you give to it, the better it’s going to perform for you over time.
So take care of your roof, inspect in regularly and give it some tender loving care from time to time. It will pay dividends in the long run, regardless of what materials you’ve used.