In previous blogs we have talked about the beauty and durability of tile roofs for many types of homeowners. But what about the expense?
It is true that these roof tiles can be much more expensive than a traditional shingle-style roof. However, in this context annuitized means that the price per year of such a tile roof is cheaper than that of a shingle roof because it will last much longer.
“Tile roofs are marked with high capitalized costs, the reduced annuity means that the effective cost of the tiles over their life span is significantly lower than a shingle roof.”
How much longer will a tile roof last compared to a shingle roof?
- A shingle roof has a “life expectancy of 15-30 years” according to USInspect.com. This span is significantly lower in southern climates due to extreme weather conditions.
- According to servicemagic.com a “tile roof may last 50 to 70 years.”
This means that a new tile roof could last more than twice as long as the traditional shingle roof! Additionally, tile is a great insulator and can help lower your energy bills giving you even more return on your investment (on top of that it looks awesome!).
Also, if you live in an area with a lot of storm activity, a tile roof could help protect your home from hail damage because tile resists damage from hail up to 1.5” (just bigger than the size of a golf ball) according to tileroofinginstitute.org. This means that in mild to moderate hail storms, your roof remains intact and needs no repair! Storms also bring a lot of winds here in the south. This is no problem for the tile roof, as some installations can resist more than 125 mile-per-hour winds – that’s in the mid-range for category 3 hurricanes (www.nhc.noaa.gov)! Seems pretty impossible right? The reason for this high wind-resistance is that the tiles allow airflow, which decreases wind stress.
One more benefit to tile roofs that I would like to discuss is the fact that they are fireproof. Traditional shingle roofs are made with some flammable materials. While there are high standards for flammability ratings in roofing, shingles are not considered fireproof by any means. However, a tile roof is a fireproof roof – it carries a class A fireproof rating, which means it will not burn.