Would tile roofs survive a harsh winter up north?

That’s a good point about install quality being a dealbreaker, especially with tile. I’ve walked plenty of homes where the tile roof looked ancient but was still doing its job - usually because someone took the time to get the underlayment and flashing right. The weight’s definitely a factor, though. Ever seen rafters bowing under a retrofit tile job? Not pretty. But yeah, rushed jobs and skipped steps are usually what bite people later. Funny how insurance seems to treat tile like it’s made of glass, but they’ll write off half a shingle roof in a heartbeat... kind of wild.

Yeah, insurance and tile is a weird combo. I’ve seen adjusters act like every tile is made of eggshells, but then they’ll shrug off a shingle roof that looks like it went through a blender. Weight’s a biggie too - my uncle tried to swap out his old shingles for concrete tile and ended up with some serious sagging. If the bones aren’t built for it, you’re just asking for trouble. But if the install’s solid and you keep up with flashing and underlayment, those old tiles can outlast most of us… as long as you don’t mind the occasional ice dam up north.

If the bones aren’t built for it, you’re just asking for trouble.

That’s what worries me. I looked into tile when I bought my place, but every contractor kept bringing up the weight. My house is from the 60s and I’m not convinced the rafters could handle it, especially with a heavy snow load on top. Plus, I’ve heard stories about tiles cracking from freeze-thaw cycles up here. Maybe they last forever in California, but up north? I’m not so sure. I do like the look though...

My house is from the 60s and I’m not convinced the rafters could handle it, especially with a heavy snow load on top. Plus, I’ve heard stories about tiles cracking from freeze-thaw cycles up here.

That’s a legit concern. I manage a few properties up in the northeast, and honestly, I’ve only seen tile roofs on two houses in the area. Both were custom jobs, and one of them ended up swapping out for metal after a rough winter. The weight is no joke - one of my clients had an engineer come out to look at their rafters (also an older home), and even with some beefed-up framing, he still seemed uneasy about adding that much extra load.

The freeze-thaw thing is real too. I remember this one place where the owner was set on Spanish tile because it looked amazing. First winter, we had a couple of those classic January thaws - snow melts during the day, then everything freezes solid at night. By March, there were visible cracks in some of the tiles. Maybe they used the wrong kind or skipped some sort of sealant, but either way, it was a mess to patch.

I get why you like the look - who doesn’t? But up here, most folks stick with asphalt shingles or metal for good reason. Metal’s loud in rain but shrugs off snow and ice like nothing else. One thing I’ve noticed: if you’re dead set on that tile vibe, there are some composite tiles now that look pretty convincing without weighing down your roof. No personal experience with them yet, but a neighbor just put some on his addition and swears by them so far.

Not saying it’s impossible to do tile up north, but unless you’re planning to reframe your whole roof or you’ve got a really beefy structure already, it might be more headache than it’s worth. If you do go for it though, definitely double-check with a structural engineer who knows local winters... contractors sometimes gloss over how much difference that snow load makes.

It’s always tempting to go for aesthetics, but around here function usually wins out when winter rolls around.

- Had the same urge for tile, but my attic’s got enough creaks as it is.
- Weight’s a killer - my neighbor’s 70s ranch nearly bowed after a heavy winter, and that was just with thick shingles.
- The freeze-thaw cycle up here is brutal. Seen more cracked tiles than uncracked after one bad January.
- Metal might sound like a drumline in a hailstorm, but at least it won’t cave in or shatter.
- If you want that Mediterranean look, those new composites are worth a peek. Lighter, supposedly tougher, and the color options aren’t half bad.
- I’d rather keep my roof intact than play “guess which tile’s gonna crack this year.”