Tile Roofs Deserve More Attention In Snowy Areas

Posted on: 6 February 2023

Tile roofs are pretty common in coastal and waterfront areas. They do a great job of protecting these homes from the high winds, fierce storms, and salty air. You don't typically see as many tile roofs in snowy areas. But that should change! Tile roofs have a number of benefits for homes in snowy, cold climates. Take a look:

Tile roofs aren't easily damaged by ice.

In many cases, ice is more of a threat to roofs than snow. Ice usually starts its time on the roof as water. Then, the water freezes, and as it does, it expands. If a little water was under or between your roofing materials, it will pry them up as it turns into ice. This happens quite often with shingle roofs when ice dams form along their edges. Roofing tile, however, is very heavy. Even if a little ice gets between the tiles, it won't easily separate the tiles or pry them up. This means you don't have to worry as much about ice damage and leaks in the winter months.

Tile roofs are impervious to wind.

Snow storms often bring wind along with the snow. These winds may not be quite as fast or strong as hurricane winds, but they can absolutely rip apart a shingle roof — especially when the shingles are a bit brittle from the cold. Tile, on the other hand, is heavy enough and sturdy enough that the wind won't bother it. A few tiles might be damaged if the wind blows a tree branch onto the roof, but having a few broken tiles replaced isn't difficult.

Tile roofs can support a heavier snow load.

Many roof tiles are made to be slightly slick, which means snow often slides right off their surface once that snow starts to melt. But even if the snow does not slip off the roof surface, you don't have to worry too much about its weight damaging the tile. As long as the weight is evenly distributed over the surface of the tile, and it generally is with snow, the tile should be just fine. You won't have to rake snow off a tile roof.

If you live in a snowy area and are considering a roof replacement, give roof tile a second look. You might think of it as a roofing material for beachy areas, but it has a lot of benefits for snowy and cold climates as well.

To learn more about roofing options, contact a residential roofing service in your area such as United Roofing & Restoration Inc.

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