Wet tiles + old wood = sag city.
That’s the bit that gets most folks—glad you reinforced before putting those tiles up. I swapped to composite a few years back and yeah, the upfront cost stung, but I haven’t had to patch a single leak since. As for noise, mine’s a little louder in heavy rain, but honestly, I kind of like it. If your warranty’s solid and you checked the eco-credentials, I’d say you’re ahead of the game.
- Composite’s been solid for me too—no leaks, no rot, and I’m not missing the constant patch jobs.
- I did notice the rain noise, but honestly, after a while it just fades into the background.
- Upfront cost was rough, but I figure it’ll pay off long-term.
- Curious—did you go with a lighter or darker color? I’ve heard the darker ones can get pretty toasty in summer, but maybe that’s just in my area (Texas heat is no joke).
- Any issues with moss or algae? My old clay tiles were a magnet for that stuff.
I went with a mid-tone gray, mostly because I was worried about the heat too. I’m in Oklahoma, so not quite Texas-level, but summers still get brutal. The darker samples I looked at definitely felt hotter to the touch when I left them out in the sun, but honestly, once they’re up on the roof, I haven’t noticed any difference inside the house. My attic insulation probably helps more than the tile color at this point. If you’re in Texas and have a lot of direct sun, lighter might be the safer bet, but I wouldn’t stress too much unless your attic’s already running hot.
Rain noise is a thing, yeah. First couple storms caught me off guard, but now it’s just background noise. Kind of like living under a metal roof—some folks hate it, some folks find it relaxing. I’m in the “doesn’t bother me” camp.
As for moss and algae, that’s been a huge improvement over my old concrete tiles. Those things were green half the year, no matter what I did. The composite seems way less porous, so nothing’s really stuck yet. I do get some leaves and gunk in the valleys after storms, but a quick rinse with the hose takes care of it. If you’ve got a lot of shade or trees close by, you might still get some growth eventually, but it’s nowhere near as bad as clay or concrete.
Upfront cost stung for sure, but between not having to patch leaks every spring and not worrying about hail as much, I’m feeling pretty good about it. Only thing I’d do differently is maybe shop around more for installers—mine was fine, but I’ve heard some folks had better luck with crews that specialize in composites.
If you’re on the fence about color or algae, I’d say focus more on attic ventilation and keeping gutters clear. That’s made more difference for me than anything else.
I’m with you on the attic insulation making more of a difference than the tile color. I went with a lighter shade mostly for peace of mind, but honestly, after a couple summers, I can’t say I notice much temp difference inside. The rain noise took some getting used to for me, but now it’s just part of the house’s “soundtrack.” I do wish I’d paid more attention to installer reviews—my crew was fine, but there were a few hiccups. Still, way less hassle than my old asphalt shingles, especially with all the hail we get here.
Can’t argue with you on attic insulation—people always want to talk about tile color, but insulation’s what really moves the needle for comfort and energy bills. I’ve seen folks go from dark to light tiles and expect miracles, but unless your attic’s a sauna, it’s usually not a game-changer. Lighter shades do help a bit with heat reflection, but not as much as people hope.
Rain noise is one of those things nobody warns you about until you’re lying in bed during a storm. Some folks love it, others can’t stand it. I’ve had customers ask if there’s a way to “mute” the sound after install...not really, unless you want to add more insulation or underlayment.
On installers—yeah, reviews are all over the place. Sometimes the best crew is booked out months, and you end up rolling the dice. At least composite tiles hold up better in hail than asphalt. I’ve replaced so many shingle roofs after just a couple seasons of bad storms—it’s wild how fast they get chewed up around here.