While many people love the look of Double Roman roof tile, what most don’t realize is that not only are Roman profile roofs expensive, but they also require a lot of upkeep. Commonly known as Spanish tile roofs, Mission-style roofs, or Barrel tile roofs, Double Roman roofs feature two curves in the tile shape.
Double Roman roof tile comes in a wide range of roofing material and color options, including clay, metal, and stained or painted concrete roof tile. Many U.S. homeowners choose barrel tile roofing for their homes in areas historically colonized by the Spanish, including Florida, California, and New Mexico, among others.
History of Double Roman Roof Tile
Tile roofing is the oldest type of roof that our human ancestors developed when they first began building homes. Today, cultures in warm and moderate climates across the globe use tile roofing in their home and business construction. Double Roman profile roofs are the most famous, especially around the Mediterranean and in American movies and television based in cities like Miami and L.A.
Seven Common Problems with Double Roman Roofs
Despite their beauty and longevity, Double Roman tile roofs have some common problems. With such a wide range of roof material options, many Double Roman roofs have issues based on the material a homeowner chose for their tile roof.
1. Clay Double Roman Roofs Are Expensive
Clay is the most expensive Double Roman roof tile material, often costing as much as 30% more than concrete tiles, and as much as double the cost of metal tiles. You will also likely pay more in labor to install clay or concrete tile roofing compared to asphalt shingles or metal roofing.
2. Clay or Concrete Roof Tile Is Heavy
Clay and concrete Double Roman roofing tiles are so heavy that your roofing contractor will need to reinforce your roof frame before installing your new tile roof. This will increase the cost of installation in materials and labor.
3. Double Roman Roof Tiles Sustain Damage Easily
Hailstorms can break clay or concrete roof tile or dent metal tile with impacts from large pieces of hail. Windstorms can blow tiles off a roof or cause debris to strike the tiles with enough force to crack or break them.
Additionally, anyone walking on a clay tile roof can crack tiles underfoot, including solar panel inspectors or installers, pressure washers cleaning your roof, or home inspectors looking for signs of damage to your roof after a storm.
4. High Maintenance Is Necessary for Double Roman Roofing Tiles
Moss, lichens, mildew, and algae love the spaces between Double Roman roof tiles. You’ll need to have a tile roofing professional inspect your barrel tile roof annually for signs of moisture intrusion, cracks, broken tiles, and mold or algae growth.
Standard maintenance for your tile roof includes:
- Pressure washing any growth or debris off the roof surface
- Repainting concrete roof tiles as they fade
- Replacing broken or missing tiles
- Testing for water intrusion between the tiles
- Inspecting for impact damage after storms
5. Unglazed Concrete Roof Tile Fades Quickly
If you prefer the look and price of unglazed concrete Spanish tiles, paints and stains used to color the tiles can fade quickly compared to glazed concrete tiles or traditional terra cotta clay tiles. UV rays, humidity, and other elements can diminish the pigments in unglazed concrete tiles.
6. The Roof Lasts Longer than the Underlayment
While metal tile roofs can last 25-50 years, concrete tile roofs 35-50 years, and clay tile roofs can last over 50 years, the waterproof underlayment beneath them only has a lifespan of 20-25 years. To replace the waterproofing system, contractors must carefully remove the tiles on your roof to replace the underlayment then reinstall the tiles over the new underlayment.
7. Clay Double Roman Roof Tile Isn’t Suitable for Some Environments
Clay tiles don’t flex enough to handle rapid expansion and contraction due to sudden temperature changes, making them unsuitable for cold-weather climates. While concrete tiles do offer more climate flexibility, they also may crack in climates where frequent temperature changes occur.
The Benefits of Synthetic Double Roman Tile From Brava Roof Tile
Installing Brava's synthetic Spanish roof tiles for your next roofing project offers several benefits over using any of the traditional Double Roman roof tile materials. Composite roof tiles offer a natural appearance without the weight, which means you don’t need to reinforce the roof frame to install your synthetic barrel tile roof.
Composite tiles are also practically maintenance-free and never crack underfoot when you do need to have workers on your roof. Synthetic tiles also never fade and resist UV damage.
Our synthetic barrel roof tiles are more fire-resistant than traditional roof tile materials, offering both Class A and Class C fire ratings, as well as a Class 4 impact rating and wind resistance rating up to 188MPH with ring shank nails and up to 211MPH with high wind screw installation for your peace of mind.
Request a Sample of Brava's Synthetic Roman Roof Tiles
When you want to replace your roof with the appearance of Double Roman roof tile, trust us at Brava Roof Tile to offer stunning synthetic barrel tile options in several color options. Request a sample online or contact us today to speak with our team and learn more about the advantages of choosing composite Spanish tile roofing.
