Concrete roof tiles are formed from a mixture of cement, sand, limestone and water. The exact concrete mixtures vary, but all contain some mixture of cement, ash, sand and other binding materials. These types of roofs is long lasting and durable; with the right customization they can look fantastic.
Types Of Concrete Roof Tiles
Concrete tiles are very customizable. Concrete can be textured and dyed to suit your tastes. The color is spread through the whole tile, rather than just a coating on the top.
High Profile Concrete Roof Tiles
This type of roof tile has larger curves when looked at from the end, with a height to width ratio of 1 to 5 or more.
Low Profile Concrete Roof Tiles
This roofing has a smaller curve with a height to width ratio of less than 1 to 5.
Flat Profile Concrete Roof Tiles
This type of roof has flat concrete tiles with no curves.
Cost Of Concrete Roof Tiles
Entry To Mid: $5.00 to $7.50 psf
Expect to pay $5.00 to $7.50 psf for both materials and installation. This equates to $500 to $750 per square.
Mid To High End: $7.50 to $10.00 psf
Expect to pay $7.50 to $10.00 psf for both materials and installation. This equates to $750 to $1,000 per square. Learn more on concrete roofing tiles prices.
Pros Of Concrete Roof Tiles
Durable And Resistant
Concrete tile roofing is an extremely durable and resistant material. Concrete tile will resist many types of weather and extreme conditions. It will survive high wind speeds, heavy rains, and extreme temperatures. Furthermore, it is one of the most fire resistant types of roofing because it is not combustible.
Long Life Span
Concrete roof tiles also have a very long life span. Most concrete roofs are given a 50 year rating. But the actual life span of the roof may be less if it is not carefully installed. If the underlayment and battens system is not installed well, the roof may only last 40 years or less. The underlayment system is likely to be the first part of the roof to go.
Low Maintenance
Concrete tile roofs are actually fairly easy to maintain. They aren’t completely problem free, but most repairs are minor and easy to fix. Repairing broken tiles is extremely easy. The only difficult problem to solve is a leak. Leaks are hard to find if the battens were not properly installed. The battens should not be installed directly onto the deck of the roof.
Word Of Caution About Moisture
To prevent this part of the system from lessening the lifespan of the roof, make sure the battens and underlayment are made of quality materials. This will also prevent the concrete tile roof from being penetrated by moisture. If moisture gets under the tiles, the roof will not last as long, so a proper installation is the key to getting the roof to last as long as it is supposed to.
Disadvantages
If you’ve noticed, one of the trends of concrete tile roofing is that it is extremely difficult to install. If installed properly, concrete roof tiles are the perfect materials to create a beautiful and durable roof.
Very Heavy
Concrete tiles are extremely heavy, so they cannot be installed on just any roof. A roof must have adequate support to hold the weight. So before you try to install a new concrete roof on an old home, you need to make sure the roof has the proper support.
Tough Installation
Concrete tile roofing also has to be carefully cut with a specialized saw. And handling the heavy tiles during installation makes the entire installation process more difficult. Inexperienced roofing installers will not have the expertise to do this correctly.
Expensive
All in all, concrete roofing tile is more expensive than many other types of roofing, but less expensive than clay tiles. The benefits may justify the extra costs depending on what you are looking for in a roof. Click to compare roofing material costs.
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