MonierLifetile.com - Why Tile? What is Tile? Myths of Concrete Tile

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Myths of Concrete Tile

Myths are not fact, but are often touted as if they were. If you are looking for a new roof or a reroof, you might have heard one or two of these myths about concrete roof tile. We want you to know the truth about tile, not the myth or hearsay.

Myth #1: Tile is too heavy for my house.

Fact: Load capacities are greatly misunderstood. If you are building a new home, trusses are pre-designed to support the load of our standard weight tile. If you're reroofing, the load capacities of existing framing members are greater than you think. All of our lightweight tile is under 6 pounds per square foot which in many municipalities is the approved weight for reroofing without an engineer's report. If you're unsure, consult a structural engineer.

Myth #2: I can't use tile because I live in a cold climate.

Fact: Concrete roof tile is not just a product for the Sun Belt. Concrete tile roofs have been mainstays for hundreds of years in the coldest climates in Europe. Europeans have worked through their snow and ice concerns centuries ago and have developed a tile roofing system that will perform for centuries more. For more information on installing tile in cold climates, request a cold weather installation spec from the Tile Roofing Institute, www.tileroofing.org.

Myth #3: Roof Tile is only Mission looking - "round and red".

Fact: The myth of the "round and red" roof tile is simply not true. MonierLifetile offers tile in many shapes and colors from elegant Slate to sophisticated Split Shake and Traditions profiles, to the "ultimate shake replacement", Cedarlite. It is also available in Mission and Mediterranean styles like Espana and Villa - and yes, in "round and red".

Myth #4: Concrete tile is the same as fiber-cement products.

Fact: Not true. Fiber cement roofing products are made from cement and wood fiber cellulose. Cellulose is an organic material that is susceptible to moisture and resultant deterioration if the cellulose product is not formulated and manufactured properly. Many fiber cement products are failing on the roof and have resulted in lawsuits. MonierLifetile is concrete roof tile with no cellulose products whatsoever. We confidently stand behind our lifetime warranty.

Myth #5: Tile is not safe in Earthquakes.

Fact: To the contrary, a study commissioned by the National Tile Roofing Manufacturers Association suggests that concrete and clay roof tiles withstand seismic forces far greater than the 0.8g (gravity acceleration) that the Uniform Building Code requires for other building components. (See study bulletin under Tech Info/Technical Bulletins)

Myth #6: Roof tile is expensive.

Fact: With the rising cost of petroleum based products such as asphalt shingles, concrete no longer has the price separation it once did. Not only is concrete roof tile an affordable alternative, it is actually an economical choice if you consider the life cycle cost of the product. All MonierLifetile products carry a Limited Lifetime, non-prorated, transferable warranty.

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