I get the appeal—no more shingle confetti after every gust, and I’ve seen plenty of folks around here make the switch for that exact reason. But I gotta admit, I’m still a bit on the fence about composite tiles. My uncle swapped his out a couple years back, and while he’s not chasing shingles anymore, he’s had a different headache: ice dams. The composite doesn’t seem to shed snow as well as the old asphalt did, at least on his low-pitch roof. He ended up having to install extra heat cables last winter just to keep things from backing up.
And yeah, those things are slick. Nearly ate it myself trying to clear out a clogged gutter last fall—felt like I was skating up there. Not sure if it’s just certain brands or what, but it’s something I’d think twice about if you’re up there often.
On the plus side, no leaks so far and the color hasn’t faded much, which is more than I can say for my own roof right now... Just wish they’d invent a squirrel-proof version already.
I hear you on the ice dam thing, but honestly, I’ve had just as many headaches with them on old asphalt roofs, especially on anything low-slope. Around here (upstate NY), it seems like if your attic’s not vented right or you get a heavy freeze/thaw cycle, you’re gonna be battling ice no matter what’s up there. I do agree composite feels slicker underfoot—nearly lost my balance once too. Still, the lack of shingle bits in my gutters is a nice change... I’ll take that tradeoff most days.
Around here (upstate NY), it seems like if your attic’s not vented right or you get a heavy freeze/thaw cycle, you’re gonna be battling ice no matter what’s up there.
That’s spot on—ventilation and insulation are really the big players with ice dams, regardless of what’s on top. I’ve seen plenty of composite and asphalt roofs both get hammered by ice when the attic’s warm and the eaves are cold. Composite does seem to shed granules less, which is a plus for gutters, but I’ve noticed it can be trickier to walk on, especially after a frost. Had a client last winter who slipped and cracked a tile just trying to clear off some snow.
Curious—did you end up adding any extra underlayment or ice & water shield when you switched to composite? Sometimes folks skip that step thinking the new material will solve everything, but in my experience, that layer makes a huge difference, especially on low slopes. Also, have you noticed any difference in noise during rain or hail compared to your old asphalt? Some people say composites are quieter, but I’ve heard mixed reviews.
I’ll tell you, I thought composite would be the magic bullet for my ice dam headaches, but nope—still gotta deal with the same old freeze/thaw drama. I did spring for the extra ice & water shield, though. Worth every penny, especially since our roof’s not exactly a steep slope. As for noise, honestly, I barely notice a difference from asphalt. Maybe my hearing’s just shot after years of listening to tenants complain about squirrels in the attic...
Funny, I actually had the opposite experience with composite tiles and ice dams. I’m in upstate NY, so we get those wild freeze/thaw cycles too, but after switching from asphalt to composite (DaVinci, if it matters), I noticed a lot less trouble with ice buildup along the eaves. Maybe it’s the color or the way they shed snow, but my gutters aren’t turning into icicle forests like they used to. I did add a wider ice & water shield underlayment, though, so maybe that’s doing more of the heavy lifting than the tiles themselves.
Noise-wise, I totally get what you mean. I was bracing for a racket during rainstorms, but honestly, it’s not much different from my old shingles. The only time I really notice is when hail hits—then it sounds like someone’s throwing marbles at the roof. Not a dealbreaker for me, but it surprised my dog the first time.
One thing I will say: composite tiles are a pain to repair if you ever have to swap one out. I had a branch come down last winter and crack a couple. Getting replacements to match was easy enough, but actually popping them in without messing up the surrounding ones took some patience (and a few choice words). With asphalt, I could just slap a new shingle on and call it good.
I guess nothing’s really “set it and forget it” when it comes to roofs, especially with weird weather getting weirder every year. Still, I’d pick composite again just for the look and the fact that they’re holding up better than my neighbor’s 3-tab shingles. But yeah, if you’re hoping for a miracle cure for ice dams, there’s always heat cables... or just moving south.
