Clay is a timeless roofing material many homeowners quickly consider over wood and asphalt roofing shingles. However, despite its appeal, clay roofing still has disadvantages, like its bulkiness, fragility, and maintenance needs.
What if you could choose a roofing material with all the benefits of clay tiles—without the disadvantages? With stone-coated steel roofing, you can!
Compare the features of traditional clay roofing and its superior alternative, stone-coated steel roofing, to discover how clay tiles stack up against the unbeatable durability of metal roofing.
Features of Stone-Coated Metal Roofing vs. Clay Roofing
Durability
Clay: Clay tiles are brittle and can be broken easily, especially by hailstones and storm debris, resulting in costly repairs.
Metal: DECRA® stone-coated metal roofing can acclimate to all types of weather and will not crack, chip, peel, or break. It also has the highest impact rating (UL 2218 Class 4), so you can be confident your roofing will stay intact during powerful storms.
Moisture Resistance
Clay: Clay has a porous composition, so if the special waterproof sealant on your tiles wears away, your roofing system may absorb water, accelerating the aging process. Your water-soaked tiles can also add extra weight to your roofing system, compromising your home’s structural integrity.
Metal: DECRA stone-coated metal roofing is entirely resistant to moisture, including rain, sleet, or snow, and can hold its own in Kansas City’s continental climate. Plus, they’re also resistant to mold and mildew growth, so your roofing system will stay looking great for decades.
Weight
Clay: Clay tiles are the heaviest roofing material on the market. They weigh roughly 1,000 pounds per square foot, meaning the average clay roof weighs between 20,000 and 50,000 pounds. Since they’re so heavy, clay tiles aren’t recommended for low-slope roofs.
Metal: Metal is much lighter than clay. Typically, DECRA stone-coated steel roofing systems weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds, so they put much less stress on your home’s structural support, and they can be installed on all types of slopes.
Ease of Installation
Clay: Since clay tiles are so heavy, they are challenging and time-consuming to install correctly, resulting in high labor costs. Your home may also need additional framing to support the weight of the clay tiles, which can add to the overall cost of your roof replacement.
Metal: DECRA stone-coated steel roofing is lightweight, so it’s much easier to install. Plus, your contractor can walk on your roof during your installation without damaging the high-grade materials, which makes the installation process move more quickly.
Appearance
Clay: Clay roofing is an attractive option that can range in colors, including shades of yellow, orange, and brown; and styles, including Mission, French, Spanish, and Interlocking Shingle.
Metal: DECRA stone-coated metal roofing can imitate the look of clay tiles with two gorgeous styles, Spanish Style Barrel Tiles and Mediterranean Style Scalloped Tiles, and several beautiful colors, like Terracotta, Tuscan Sun, and Granite Grey.
Maintenance
Clay: Since clay roofing is so fragile, it can develop small cracks that require ongoing maintenance to fix.
Metal: DECRA stone-coated metal roofing requires minimal maintenance over its long lifespan. Additionally, if one of your panels is damaged, it’s straightforward to remove and replace the affected panel without disturbing the rest of the roofing system.
DECRA Stone-Coated Metal Roofing Options You Can Choose to Match Your Home
If you’re convinced DECRA stone-coated roofing is the ideal match for your Kansas City home, choose from these two popular styles to give your home the attractive appearance of clay tiles without the high-maintenance upkeep and fragile exterior.
DECRA Villa Tile: Spanish Style Barrel Tile
DECRA Villa Tiles perfectly mimic the barrel-style tiles popularized in Spanish Colonial, Italian Villa, and Mission Revival styles. This roofing style comes in several attractive colors, like Amalfi Sand, Capri Clay, and Tuscan Sun, to help you find the perfect complement for your home.
DECRA Tile: Mediterranean Style Scalloped Tile
Instead of the half-dome shape of the DECRA Villa Tiles, DECRA Tiles have a wavy, “s-shape” to recreate the rippled, scalloped texture predominant in Mediterranean Villa architecture. You can find these tiles in a dozen colors, including Charcoal, Terracotta, and Garnet.
Install a DECRA Stone Coated Metal Roof on Your Home with Safe Harbor Exteriors
If you’re in love with the beautiful, timeless appearance of clay tiles, but don’t want to sacrifice the long-lasting durability of your roofing system, consider installing attractive, hassle-free DECRA stone-coated metal roofing with Safe Harbor Exteriors.
Contact us to get an estimate on your new roof today. We strive to give you a no-pressure sales experience and answer all your questions, so you can make the right decision for your home and budget.
