Yeah, gotta agree with you there. Even the pricey stuff can buckle under that Texas sun. I helped install a Brava roof last summer, and honestly, it's held up surprisingly well. Here's my quick guide to surviving Texas heat with tile roofs: Step one, accept that the sun here is basically a giant pizza oven. Step two, pick something that's proven to handle thermal expansion—Brava's composite tiles seem solid so far. Step three, make sure your installer knows what they're doing. Seriously, I've seen some fancy tiles warp just because someone didn't leave enough room for expansion. And step four, don't panic if you spot minor warping after a couple summers—it's almost inevitable down here. Just keep an eye on it and address issues early. Bottom line, no tile is totally bulletproof, but Brava's definitely holding its own from what I've seen.
I've inspected quite a few roofs down here in Texas, and honestly, your pizza oven analogy is spot-on. I've seen some high-end clay tiles that looked amazing at first but started cracking after just a couple of summers. One homeowner I worked with had Ludowici tiles installed—beautiful stuff, pricey too—but they still had issues with minor cracking and shifting after about three years. To be fair, the installer didn't leave enough room for expansion, so that definitely played a role.
On the flip side, I've seen some composite tiles like DaVinci hold up pretty well under similar conditions. They're lighter and seem to handle thermal stress better than traditional clay or concrete. Brava sounds promising too; haven't personally inspected one yet, but hearing your experience makes me curious to check them out.
Bottom line is, no matter what brand you pick, installation quality is key. Even the best tiles can fail if they're not installed properly...seen it happen way too often.
"Bottom line is, no matter what brand you pick, installation quality is key. Even the best tiles can fail if they're not installed properly...seen it happen way too often."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've inspected roofs in Arizona for years, and I've lost count of how many times I've seen top-tier tiles fail prematurely just because someone cut corners during installation. Had a homeowner once who went all-in on some premium Eagle concrete tiles—looked fantastic initially—but the installer skimped on underlayment and didn't account for proper ventilation. Within two summers, there were noticeable issues with moisture buildup underneath and tiles shifting around.
I'm still a bit skeptical about composite tiles though. Seen some good results with DaVinci, but also a few cases where they faded quicker than expected under intense sun exposure. Curious if anyone's had experience with composite brands other than DaVinci or Brava? Are there lesser-known options out there that handle extreme heat well without fading or warping over time?
We went with composite tiles about two years ago—didn't go with DaVinci or Brava though. Ended up choosing CeDUR after a neighbor recommended them. Honestly, they've held up pretty well so far, even through some brutal Texas summers. Haven't noticed any fading yet, and they still look pretty sharp.
But yeah, totally agree on the installation thing. Our installer was super thorough about ventilation and underlayment, and I think that's made a huge difference. My brother-in-law had similar composite tiles installed around the same time (different brand, can't remember exactly), but his installer rushed things a bit. He's already seeing some warping and discoloration issues.
So maybe it's less about the brand itself and more about how carefully they're installed? Either way, might be worth checking out CeDUR if you're looking for another option to compare.
"So maybe it's less about the brand itself and more about how carefully they're installed?"
That's a fair point, but I'm curious—has anyone here had composite tiles installed for longer than five years or so? I'm wondering if installation quality continues to outweigh brand differences over time. It'd be interesting to hear if careful installation alone can prevent issues like warping or fading long-term, or if certain brands genuinely hold up better regardless of installer diligence.
