Tile Roofs
Ludowici Spanish	Ludowici French	Ludowici French	Altusa Spanish
Hawthorne French	Ludowici Spanish	Ludowici Spanish	Ludowici interlocking book tile
Gough SnoGuards on Altusa Spanish	Thermo-Ply repair on VandeHey French	Ludowici cut sheet

ABOVE:  Some Tile Roofs We Have Maintained Over The Years (Roof tile offers 3-dimensional and color effects):

BELOW:  TRADITIONAL ROOFING MATERIALS (Benefits: Longevity, Colorfastness & Aesthetics) ...

CLAY - offers a distinctive look with a wide range of styles, textures, and colors.  The leading American manufacturer, Ludowici, has been in business for over 400 years.  Many guarantee their material for 50 years.  Life expectancy is over 100 years and the material is colorfast.  Many clay tile roofs, like Ludowici, are vitreous and can be reused when over 100 years old.  Ludowici is recommended for quality and because they will likely still be in business decades later to purchase additional tile material.  Caution should be taken when importing clay tile that is not "vitreous" and spalls prematurely.

CONCRETE - offers many of the characteristics of clay tile and also affordability to projects that normally would not consider tile.  A one to two inch dead air space between the tile and it's underlayment adds insulation, thus increasing the r-factor.  Our experience with existing concrete tile roofs shows a life expectancy of 60 to 80 years.  Some roofs installed in the 1920's are in good condition; while others are requiring maintenance or replacement.  NOTE: Although more affordable, concrete tile's color begins to fade after approximately 8 years.  This happens when the surface begins to erode and the color of the aggregate begins to show through.  The predominant color will be that of the aggregate - example "tan".  (The same effect a concrete sidewalk experiences with weather.)

METAL (Painted and Copper) - The use of painted metal is relatively new.  Copper is preferred for the ability to solder flashings for water-tightness and longevity.  Powder coated metals are more affordable but do fail decades later.  When they fail, the steel will rust.  Some people are not aware that you can get a painted or powder coated aluminum, which will not rust when the coating fails in time.  Again, the greatest longevity is with copper.   With all metals, the designer needs to build-in thermal contraction and expansion due to the sun and the extreme differences of temperature with the seasons.  Many failures occur because this is neglected.