Tile roofing is the way to go for homeowners looking for a classy, beautiful, and rich look and feel of their home. Fortunately, several tile roofs are available today, giving you a chance to build your home with the exact look you fancy. Contrary to what many believe, tile roofs are not just about the appeal. They come with tons of other benefits you shouldn’t overlook, including durability, longevity, and energy efficiency.
If you are in Los Angeles, CA and are looking to enjoy these and many other benefits with tile roofing, contact the Los Angeles Roof Experts. We are fully licensed, insured, and bonded roofing experts to ensure you get value for your money.
An Overview of Tile Roofs
As a property owner, you may be looking for a roofing option that will stick around much longer and still be as beautiful and robust as it was on the day of installation. Well, tile roofs offer that and more. When installed properly, some tile roofs can serve you for over 100 years or more, thus saving your time and money.
Tile roofs comprise a system of overlapping tiles attached securely to a roof deck or solid substrate on a sloped roof. Tile roofing requires special skills that only a specialized roofing contractor can possess. The contractor must also have extensive experience with handling various types and shapes of roofing tiles.
Installation of tile roofs can occur on any building or structure, including commercial, residential and historical buildings. Therefore, if you are a homeowner, a business person running a resort or restaurant, you might consider this roofing type. Tile roofing is also suitable for churches and museums.
Tile roofing is not a new form of art in the building & construction industry. It has been around for years. Like other roofing products, tile roofs are meant to protect the inside of a structure against the harsh weather elements outside. They are made from natural, recyclable, and locally available materials like clay, concrete, and slate. These materials provide fireproofing and durability, the two qualities that continue to set tile roofs apart from other roofing types.
Concrete tiles offer additional benefits such as energy efficiency, versatility in color and design, cost-effectiveness, and better protection against strong winds, freeze/thaw, and hail climates. Generally, all tile roofs provide lifelong durability that you can’t find in other roofing materials.
Types of Roofing Tiles Available Today
As earlier mentioned, there are many types of roofing tiles to choose from today. The most common ones are:
Clay Roofing Tiles
They are the original form of tile roofing. They are still a favorite of many for their strength and durability. They also are moldable and come in a variety of colors. Clay tiles can retain their color for the length of time they last. Traditional clay tiles come in red or orange color, but today you can find them in practically all colors. Some manufacturers combine them with metal accents to give them an old-world look or copper for guttering.
Concrete Roofing Tiles
Also called cement roof tiles are made from a mixture of sand, cement, and water, plus various dyes for color. Since they are in a fluid nature before curing, concrete tiles are molded into different textures and shapes in the factory. Therefore, you can still have concrete tiles that look like clay tiles, slate tiles, or wood shake shingles for your roofing. Additionally, concrete tiles provide better resistance to hail damage and wind than other tile roofs. However, clay tiles can last longer than concrete tiles.
Slate Roofing Tiles
They are made from rocks. They are quite popular, too, mainly because of their durability, natural appearance, and longevity. Like the two types above, slate tiles also come in various textures, designs, and colors. Their colors depend on the mineral content of the rock from which they were formed. You might find them in black, gray, red, rust, or even purple. Slate tiles are unique in their look. Thus, some clay and even synthetic roofing tiles mimic their texture and shape.
Metal Roofing Tiles
They are an excellent alternative to the roofing tiles discussed above. These tiles are best used on structures that may not support heavier products like concrete tiles. With metal roofing tiles, you will find almost any shape and color of tiles that interest you. The majority of metal tiles are made of steel. Others are made from copper and aluminum.
Composite Roofing Tiles
They are made from sustainable products like plastics. They are an excellent alternative to asphalt roof shingles. They are light in weight and so, are a favorite of most roofing installers. They also come in various colors and shapes, and some are designed to look precisely like Spanish tiles, slate tiles, and cedar shakes. Some composite roofing tiles come with a warranty of up to 50 years.
Solar Roofing Tiles
They are the newest concept in the building and construction industry. We have always had solar panels mounted on rooftops to provide solar energy to homes, commercial buildings, and other structures. However, solar tiles are practically an addition to our markets. On top of protecting the inside of your home from external harsh environmental factors, solar roofing tiles will power your home with their fully integrated solar system. The tiles also come in a beautiful, seamless design and one that will compliment your home’s architecture.
Benefits of Tile Roofs
As earlier mentioned, tile roofs are an excellent way of giving your home a classy, beautiful, and rich look and feel. They come with many other benefits, which include the following:
Unique Designs for Your Specific Needs
One reason why tile roofing is gaining popularity today is that homeowners can choose a design that best suits their preferences. We all don’t have the same taste and likings, and our homes are structured differently. You will choose a different roofing design from your neighbor. Roofing tiles come in a wide range of colors from which you can choose. You can opt for a lighter or darker shade or even multi-color for your home or business. You can also decide to coordinate your roof’s color with the exterior color of your building.
Additionally, roofing tiles come in various styles and profiles. They can match any architectural style you have chosen for your home or business. You will find that some are designed to resemble other roofing materials such as slate and wood.
The roof’s beautiful design and color will be an attraction to anyone interested in buying your home. It raises the value of your home. When the time comes, you can be sure to sell your house faster and at a better price than if the roofing was from other materials like asphalt shingles.
Its Durability Saves You Time and Money
Many people choose tile roofing mainly for its durability. No one wants to keep changing their home’s roofing material, as it costs them time and money. Tile roofs that were in use so many years ago are still functional and great-looking today.
Tile roofs are also fire resistant. You don’t have to worry that fire might destroy your roofing at any given time. The roofs are also designed to withstand extreme winds. No amount of current can ruin your roof.
They Are Hail Resistant
You may not control extreme weather conditions, but tile roofs give you the ability to control their effects on the interior of your home. Tile roofs come with an additional inbuilt layer of protection. The tiles in themselves are rigid and water-shedding. Clay and concrete tiles are mainly able to resist hailstones that are as large as two inches.
They are also seismic resistant. This means that you will not have a reason to change or repair your roof any time soon after the installation.
Go Green With Roofing Tiles
In everything you do, you want to ensure that you are not contributing to environmental degradation. That is why homeowners need to consider tile roofing instead of other roofing materials harmful to our environment.
First, tile roofs are highly sustainable. They have the least life cycle costs based on the roofing materials’ overall life plus maintenance requirements. The materials used in making roofing tiles are environmentally friendly. Manufacturers of roofing tiles do not deplete any limited resources. They do not use any preservatives on their products either. All waste materials are recycled as opposed to throwing them into landfills.
The long-life provided by tile roofs reduces your need to re-roof your home or business place any time soon. Constant re-roofing is likely to clog our landfills needlessly, with all the wastes that come from the roofing.
Additionally, tiles can cut the transfer of heat by a larger percentage than other roofing materials. They promote the natural flow of air, which leaves the inside of your building cool in summer and warm in winter. In turn, it keeps your heating and cooling costs low in winter and summer, respectively, saving you on energy costs.
Easy to Install/Maintain
Roofing tiles are effortless to install for professionally trained roofing experts. It benefits homeowners, too, as they enjoy reduced installation and maintenance costs. Roofing tiles may seem costly initially but are more affordable in the long-term than other roofing materials. They require less maintenance. After installation, you may never need repairs or maintenance until after several years. In case of damage, a little repair is necessary since tiles are installed individually.
The Installation
As earlier mentioned, the installation of roofing tiles must be done by a highly skilled roofing expert. Only an expert can plan and prepare well before the actual installation. A roofing expert is one who has acquired the necessary skills and experience in tile roofing. He/she must be licensed, insured, and bonded. You must consider their previous projects and whether the expert has previously worked on several projects that are similar to yours. If possible, look at reviews to understand the level of satisfaction of their past clients.
Roofing contractors can install roofing tiles on a new building or an old one requiring a replacement for its damaged roof. Either way, the right technique is needed for the best results. The right roofing expert will take you through the details before the actual process begins.
Here is a step-by-step guide for tile roof installation:
Planning for Your Project
Roofing is a significant undertaking for any property owner. Therefore, proper planning is required to ensure that the project goes well and delivers the expected results. The first thing you need to do is to contact the right roofing experts. Contact the roof expert of your choice to plan how and when you need the installation done.
A roofing expert will want to know the type of roofing tiles you want for your home or business building. Is it clay or concrete tiles? Roofing experts have extensive knowledge of various types of roofing tiles. Therefore, you can ask them for guidance in choosing the right tiles, based on your area’s climate, your building’s structural design, and your preferences.
The roofing expert will inspect the building to determine whether it will handle the weight of tiles. It is crucial, especially for older buildings that require a roof replacement. Some establishments will need some form of reinforcement to ensure that they can take in the tiles’ extra weight. Once it is determined that everything is okay with the building, you can develop the list of items needed for the project with your roofing expert’s help.
Some companies will provide all the materials you need for the job, then charge you a single fee for everything. It is essential to understand this beforehand to avoid any disagreements in the course or after the project. If you have a budget for it, let it be known early, then plan it together.
The Actual Installation
If the installation is being done on a building that already has an old or damaged roof, your roofing expert will begin by removing the old roofing. The amount of time needed for this depends on the type of roofing that needs to be removed and the building’s size. Their aides will always accompany roofing experts. They will also bring their tools for the job. If the building is not strong enough to withstand roofing tiles’ weight, an expert will carefully reinforce it.
For a new building, the job will begin with the installation of the underlayment. Underlayment is vital when it comes to tile roofing. It acts as non-slip walking surfaces to protect roof installers from falling while on the job. It also protects the roof from moisture, especially if it rains before the entire roof is fully installed.
The underlayment has to be carefully rolled out and then secured with nails. We may need a second layer of the underlayment, overlapping the bottom layer.
Once the underlayment has been installed and properly secured, it is time to install the tiles. Your roofing expert may need to install battens if your roof has a steep slope. Battens will help hold your tiles in place. Some tiles come with hooks or lips that hang on any available battens. However, some clips can be used to attach tiles on battens in the absence of hooks.
When installing tiles, it is advisable to start with one side and then work along the roof’s length. If you do not have battens, the roofing expert can nail the tiles directly to the sheathing. He/she might also cut out some tiles to fit into the tight spots. There could be some obstacles on your roof, such as chimneys that might get in the way of the roofing. If you decide to keep the chimney, roof experts will know how to go around areas like those to cover even the tightest spots. Other tiles that will be cut are those that run to the end of each row.
The last bit will be to install ridge tiles. After covering the fields represented by the roof’s broad surface, a roofing expert will have to cap the tops with unique ridge tiles. Ridge tiles are usually rounded and can either be overlapping or laid out from one end to another, depending on the design you prefer. They will help keep out the rain and protect your building from other extreme elements.
Find a Tile Roof Expert Near Me
If you are looking for a cost-friendly roofing solution, one that requires less maintenance and boosts the look and feel of your home or business premises, roofing tiles are the way to go. Tiles are great looking, strong, durable, and can considerably improve the value of your building. However, you need to work with a roofing expert to handle and install various types of roofing tiles. If you reside in Los Angeles, call Los Angeles Roof Experts at 818-928-8374. We have a team of roofing experts willing to take you through the process and work with you until you achieve the desired results.
