Yeah, I totally get what you mean about the insulation making all the difference. When we moved into our place (also up north, not quite Minnesota but close), I was more worried about the tiles cracking or popping off from the freeze-thaw cycles. Turns out, the roof tiles themselves are pretty tough—what caught me off guard was how much trouble a little uneven insulation could cause.
We had this one corner over the garage where the insulation was thinner, probably from someone moving it around to run wiring years ago. That’s exactly where we started seeing icicles and water stains on the soffit after a couple of big snowstorms. I crawled up there with a flashlight and realized there was barely any venting in that section either. It’s wild how just a small gap can throw off the whole system.
After beefing up the insulation and adding a couple more vents, things improved a lot. No more weird drips or ice dams in that spot last winter. I do think people sometimes underestimate how much prep work goes into making tile roofs work in cold climates. The tiles themselves are heavy, yeah, but as long as your framing is solid and you’ve got good underlayment, they seem to shrug off the weather.
One thing I’d add—if anyone’s thinking about adding more insulation, watch out for blocking airflow at the eaves. I almost made that mistake stuffing batts in too tight and had to pull some out so air could actually move through. It’s a balancing act.
Honestly, I was expecting more issues with shifting or cracking tiles, but it’s mostly been about keeping moisture from sneaking in underneath. The structure and attic setup matter way more than I thought when we first bought the place. Kind of wish I’d paid attention to that before our first big melt... live and learn, I guess.
- Had a similar issue with insulation near the eaves—messed up airflow led to a bunch of icicles and some minor leaks. Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.
- Agree on tile toughness. Wasn’t sure at first, but after a couple winters, barely any shifting or cracks. The underlayment and framing seem to matter way more than the tiles themselves.
- Noticed you mentioned venting—did you go with ridge vents or just add more soffit ones? I’m still figuring out what works best for our setup. Ridge vent install seems like a pain, but maybe worth it?
- One thing I’ve seen: if snow sits too long in one spot (like shaded valleys), even perfect tiles can get water sneaking under. We ended up sealing some flashing joints just in case.
- Curious if anyone’s actually had a tile break from freeze-thaw up north, or is it pretty much always a moisture/venting problem? I keep hearing both but haven’t seen much real evidence of tiles popping off unless something else was wrong first.
Curious if anyone’s actually had a tile break from freeze-thaw up north, or is it pretty much always a moisture/venting problem?
I’ve never seen a tile just crack from cold alone—it’s always been water sneaking in, then expanding. Once had a corner chip off where ice dammed up, but that was after a gutter backup. Ridge vents seemed like overkill for me, but I did double up on soffits and it’s kept the attic way drier. Still, I’m half convinced snow sitting in valleys is just a fact of life up here…
I’ve never seen a tile just crack from cold alone—it’s always been water sneaking in, then expanding.
That matches what I’ve read—freeze-thaw cycles only cause damage if moisture’s trapped in or under the tile. I’m curious, did anyone try using a waterproof membrane under the tile? Wondering if that’s worth the extra cost for northern climates.
I live in Minnesota, and trust me, our winters are no joke. I went with a tile roof about 8 years back—mostly because I loved the look, but also because everyone kept saying it would last forever. Well, that “forever” comes with some fine print up here. The first winter, a couple tiles cracked right where ice had pooled after a thaw. Turns out, water got underneath and froze solid.
After that, I had a waterproof membrane put in when I replaced the broken tiles. Not cheap, but honestly, it’s saved me a ton of headaches since then. Haven’t had any more cracks or leaks, even after some brutal freeze-thaw cycles. If you’re up north and thinking about skipping the membrane to save money… I’d say don’t risk it unless you really like climbing up there to swap out tiles every spring. The extra upfront cost stings a bit but beats constant repairs.
Funny thing is, my neighbor skipped the membrane and he’s patching something every year. We joke that his roof keeps him in shape... but I’d rather stay warm inside.
