You’ve got to love roof tiles. Not only do they help protect you and your properties from the harsh elements – from sun to rain, storm to snow – they are also durable and can last for decades and sometimes up to a century. However, times and seasons take a toll on these tiles.
Different things might force you to consider replacing your tile roof, or at least a part of it. One of these is time. Others are a freak accident, like a serious storm, a bad leak, rust, damage from a broken tree branch, a fallen tree…
Whatever your reason might be, you should have an idea what the replacement may cost you. This will help you better prepare you for what to expect when reaching out to professional roofing companies. Since the cost vary based on a number of factors, let’s dive right into them.
What Types Of Roof Tile Materials Are There?
The biggest factor that influences the cost of replacing your tile roof is definitely the roof material you choose. The material and quality of your chosen roof tiles will decide how big of a project you are working on. There are a number of roof tiles, and below are some of the most common of them:
Terracotta Roof Tiles
There are myriad of reasons why terracotta roof tiles are so popular and loved all over Australia. Beside how beautiful they are, they are also perfect for the warm seasons. Terracotta tiles are designed from clay materials. They do a good job of keeping the heat out.
One of the secrets of the beauty of terracotta roof tiles is the firing process. Here, the colour is baked right into the material. This means it stays beautiful without fading for much longer, even over years of sun and rain. For this elegance, you would have to dig a bit deeper into your pockets.
Slate Roof Tiles
If you thought terracotta roof tiles are expensive, slate roof tiles take it up a couple of notches. Depending on the quality of the slate roof tiles you choose, they can get up to 5 times as expensive as Terracotta roof tiles. Naturally, this is not within the budget of most homeowners.
For that price, though, what you will be getting is a material that can last over a century. Slate roof tiles are heavy duty, in every sense of the word. They are heavy and incredibly durable. No matter what weather condition you throw at them – rain, wind, sun, or storm – slate roofing materials can withstand them, no problem.
Concrete Roof Tiles
Not all roof tiles are as expensive as slate and terracotta. In fact, concrete roof tiles are the least expensive of them all. If you want a tile roof that looks like terracotta or slate at a fraction of the cost, then concrete roof tiles are the best fit.
In case you are wondering why concrete roof tiles are relatively cheaper, it isn’t because of low quality. It is because of the low production costs. It is simply cheaper to produce concrete roof tiles. And even if they are not as durable as slate, they can last a lifetime.
Clay Roof Tiles
Clay roof tiles are reminiscent of the old days. This is why clay roof tiles are the oldest roofing material on this list. They’ve been found on buildings that date back to millennia ago. This signifies how durable they can be.
One caveat is how heavy they are. Even though their heaviness make them more durable, they are best suited for new buildings with a solid roofing structure to carry the weight. If your house is older, you may have to reinforce your roof to use clay roof tiles.
Solar Roof Tiles
Solar roof tiles are the new kids on the block, and they are getting popular fast – for good reasons. Solar roof tiles double as protection for your house and a source of electricity for your everyday activities. With solar roof tiles, you can save more on electricity bills.
Another good thing about solar roof tiles is how they can be designed to look like different roofing tiles, like asphalt shingles, slate roofing tiles, or terracotta roofing tiles. With many solar roof tiles providers offering warranty ranging from 25 years to infinity, it is easy to see why the package is so tantalizing.
The Shingles
Shingles aren’t new, but they are just now gaining more ground in Australia. While roof tiles are still the majority, you can now see more asphalt shingles on new homes. Because asphalt shingles are designed to look like tiles and come in different designs and colours, they look good on homes.
Another type of shingles you may find are the timber shingles. These are made from Western red cedar and are well known in the US. Now they are more available in Australia and are usually used on the patio or on a pergola, even though it isn’t strange to find them on a whole house.
Other Factors That Affect Costs
The type of materials you go with is just one of the many factors that affect the cost of replacing your tile roof. In this section, we will quickly look at some of the other important factors you may have to consider:
Style Of Roof Tiling
When tiling your roof, there are different styles you may choose from. Each of these styles have an influence on how much it would cost to install them. And while some of these styles are simple, others are more complex. Below are some of the most popular roof tiling styles:
- Flat Shake: Flat shakes are the simplest designs and are consequently the most affordable of them all. Even, though there are no grooves or watercourses, the flat surface allows water to flow freely off the roof.
- Mission: Mission is a style popular for its Mediterranean look. It has very pronounced and distinctive ribs with many small watercourses. It is a bit more expensive to install than a flat shake. It is also known as Double Roman.
- French: French is the direct inverse of the Mission style. While the humps are more on the mission styles, it is the indents for French. This design allows water to move really faster. Its cost is similar to that of Mission.
- Spanish: Spanish is a style that works beautifully in rainy areas, because of the wide watercourses on its rows of waves. An inverse style of Spanish is Scandia. It looks like Spanish turned upside down.
- Riviera: This style looks similar to Mission. However, instead of rounded bumps, the bumps on Riviera are flat, creating a dramatic shading pattern that some have come to love. Its cost is similar to Mission.
Pitch Of Roof
Another factor that affects the cost of replacing your tile roof is the pitch of the roof. As a rule, the higher the pitch, the higher the cost of installing the roof tiles. This is for a couple of reasons.
First, it is riskier working on a higher pitched roof, especially if it is steeper as well. Usually, more safety tools and equipment are needed to be able to effectively work without too much risks. Also, it is more difficult to stack tiles and materials for easy reach while working on the roof.
Size Of Roof
If your roof is small, the price is more affordable than if the roof is big. As more materials, tools, manpower, and time are needed, bigger houses naturally have to invest more in covering the width of their roof.
Scope Of Work
Depending on how much work needs to be done on your roof, your cost may increase or not. If you have other installations to add to your roof, like hips, ridges, and valleys, these would require extra work and materials, bringing up the cost of the roof replacement.
Change Of Materials
If you are switching roof material choice, there may be additional charges to consider. For example, if you had been using lighter metal roofing sheets in the past and would like to move to heavier, more durable roof tiles, you may need to further reinforce your roofing structure to support the extra weight.
Many factors go into replacing your tile roof. But is the investment worth it? Absolutely! This is why it is important to work with highly qualified professionals who are passionate about delivering a great job. With a team of highly skilled and extremely efficient workforce providing Roof repairs Melbourne for years now, Roof Makeover Specialist is a name to be reckoned with within the industry. When your roof is properly done, you are looking at decades of a good investment well executed.