Serving Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers, and South Florida
Tile Roofs are undeniably the most popular type of roof in Naples and most of Southwest Florida. One of the reasons for this is the vast array of colors and styles to choose from!
There are, in essence, two kinds of tile roofs; concrete and clay. Each of these two tile roof types have a plethora of style, color and installation choices. Below are just a few examples.
Concrete tile
Concrete Tile is by far the most common type of tile roof you will see in SWFL. Most of the gated communities, with a few exceptions, have some sort of concrete tile installed. Concrete tile is available in three distinct profiles: Flat, Small S, or Large S. All profiles have many colors and textures to choose from as well. The flat profile especially has texture choices that can create a vibrant array of aesthetic choices for the consumer. As a general rule, the profile of the tile does not change the cost factor very much, if at all.
The cost factor usually is affected more by color choices, especially with some of the blends that can be obtained. Typical manufacturers of concrete tile include, but are not limited to Boral, Crown, Eagle, Hanson, and others.
Clay tile
Clay Tile is widely thought of as the most beautiful of tile roofs. The authentic look and feel of clay is what makes it a premium choice over concrete tile. Although clay tile is also available in the same three profiles, you won’t typically see a flat profile clay tile. There are a few of those, like the Ludowichi Tile on the Port Royal Club in Naples, and a few others. But, as a general rule, clay tile is in a Large S profile. Typical manufacturers of clay tile include, but are not limited to Altusa, Tejas Borja, USA Tile, Ludowichi, Verea, and others.
Installation techniques
The installation technique to be used is greatly dependent on several key factors.
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Location. Where is the home or building in relation to the shoreline?
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Roof pitch factor. How steep is the roof?
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Longevity. What is the anticipated useful life for the roof?
There are three basic types of tile installation: foam adhered, direct screwed, and batten & screws. Each of these systems have their own litany of requirements and flashing details, etc. Here are some simple guidelines to keep in mind. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, depending on many factors.
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Foam adhered
A foam adhered roof is typical for roof pitches under 6/12 and does not require flashings on the topside of the tile. -
Direct screwed
A Direct Screwed system is typical for roof pitches from 6/12 to 8/12 and in most cases require topside flashings. -
Batten and screws
A batten/screw system is typical on roof pitches of 8/12 and steeper and in most cases require topside flashings.
Underlayment
Perhaps the most overlooked but absolute most IMPORTANT aspect of a tile roof is the membrane system under the tile. It is frightening how MUCH attention is paid to the style and color, yet so LITTLE attention paid to the waterproofing side of the system. As a consumer, you must understand something important about tile roofs and that is that the tile itself is NOT the material that keeps water out of your home. It is the underlying membrane/waterproofing system, commonly referred to as the underlayment.
When it comes to the underlayment system of a tile roof, there are MANY choices. There are single-layer membranes, double-layer membranes, self adhered, hot mopped, organic felts, modified cap sheets, and many others! The following describe a select few choices of underlayment.
Self adhered – Commonly referred to as Peel and Stick
A typical self adhered roof has one layer of a tile manufacturer’s recommended tile underlayment such as Boral Tile Seal. An upgrade would be to go to a 2-ply self adhered membrane system such as Polyglass MTS and Elastoflex. The primary advantage of a Self Adhered Membrane System is that your insurance carrier considers them to be a Secondary Water Barrier (SWB). An SWB makes you eligible for discounts on your insurance!
Hot Mopped
This is probably the oldest form of tile underlayment. It’s been around for ages. Not too many roofers utilize a hot mopped system anymore, as there is safer technology with the use of self adhered membranes. A typical hot mopped roof utilizes an organic ceramic embossed 90# felt paper that gets mopped to a 30# felt paper dry-in using hot asphalt. The disadvantage to using this system is the mess, fumes and safety factor. An upgrade would be to utilize an SBS Modified Bitumen cap sheet, in lieu of the 90# organic felt paper such as Firestone’s SBS Cap Sheet.
As for warranties, there is no such thing as a Manufacturer Leak Warranty in the tile industry — No matter what anyone tries to tell you! The only leak warranty on a tile roof the consumer will receive is from the installing roofing contractor.
Ready to top your building with an aesthetically pleasing tile roof?