Tile roofing in Idaho, and the weight question worth asking
Beautiful, extremely long-lived, and heavier than most homeowners realize. Here is what to know before you commit.
What tile does well
Tile shrugs off valley heat better than anything else we install, and a concrete or clay tile roof can outlast the person who bought it. It also does something no other system does: it looks better at year twenty than most roofs look at year five.
The structural catch
Tile is heavy. Going from shingle to tile is not just a roofing decision, it is a structural one, and on many homes it requires an engineer to sign off that the framing can carry the load. Any roofer who quotes you a tile conversion without raising that question is skipping a step that matters.
Repairs and walkability
Tile breaks when it is walked on wrong. That makes routine service more delicate and slightly more expensive, and it is worth knowing up front rather than discovering it when a satellite installer cracks four tiles.
Common questions
Sometimes yes, sometimes only with reinforcement. We look at the framing during the inspection and tell you whether it needs an engineer before anyone talks about price.
Fifty years and beyond is realistic for the tile itself. The underlayment beneath it is usually what needs replacing first, often around the 30-year mark.