I get the draw of a green roof, but I’ve run the numbers on a few projects and the installation costs plus ongoing maintenance just don’t pencil out for most folks. Asphalt’s still the workhorse for a reason—cheap, decent lifespan, and easy to repair when something inevitably goes wrong. Metal is great for longevity and energy efficiency, but like you said, it’s a big upfront investment. If you’re not planning to stay in the house long-term, it’s tough to justify. I’ve seen some people go with synthetic shingles as a middle ground—worth looking into if you want something a bit more durable without the sticker shock of metal.
I get where you’re coming from on asphalt being the default, but I’ve had a different experience. We replaced our roof with architectural shingles about 12 years ago—figured it was the safe bet for our budget at the time. But honestly, between the hailstorms and the summer heat here in Texas, they haven’t held up as well as I’d hoped. We’re already patching spots and dealing with granules in the gutters.
I keep circling back to clay tile. Yeah, it’s pricier up front and heavy (needed to check if our framing could handle it), but I’ve seen houses in my neighborhood with tile roofs that are pushing 50 years and still look solid. Plus, they seem to shrug off hail better than anything else around here. Maintenance is less of a headache too—just the occasional cracked tile.
Synthetic shingles sound interesting, but I’m a little skeptical about how they’ll age. Anyone actually lived with them long-term? For me, if I had to do it again and could swing the cost, I’d probably go tile or maybe even metal despite the sticker shock... just tired of replacing stuff every decade or so.
Man, Texas sun and hailstorms are brutal on shingles. I feel you on the granules in the gutters—mine looked like someone dumped a sandbox up there after last spring’s storm. Clay tile’s got that old-school charm and yeah, seems to just laugh off hail most of the time. The weight is wild though... my neighbor had to beef up his rafters before switching, which turned into a project and a half.
Metal’s got my attention lately too, mostly because I’m tired of climbing up there with a bucket of tar every few years. Only thing is, my uncle put metal on his place and the rain sounds like a drum solo during storms—he says it’s “soothing,” but I’m not convinced.
I’ve only seen synthetic shingles on newer builds around here, so not sure how they’ll look after 20 summers. Anyone actually have them for more than a decade? Curious if they fade or get brittle in this heat. And does anyone regret going with metal once the weather gets noisy?
I get the appeal of metal, especially after patching up asphalt for years, but I’ve actually seen a few folks around here regret it once the Texas heat really kicks in. Not just the noise—though yeah, it can sound like a marching band up there during a storm—but the way it radiates heat back down into the attic. My cousin swapped to metal thinking it’d be cooler, but his AC started working overtime. He ended up adding extra insulation just to keep the house livable in July.
Clay tile’s a beast for hail, no doubt, but I’ve seen more than one job stall out when the rafters weren’t up to snuff. That weight’s no joke. I’ve helped tear off a few old tile roofs and it’s a workout just getting the stuff down.
Synthetic shingles are kind of a wild card. I’ve only worked with them a handful of times, and the oldest I’ve seen was maybe 8 years in. Still looked decent, but who knows after 20 summers. I’d probably lean toward a high-end asphalt or maybe even a composite shake if I had to pick tomorrow. At least you know what you’re getting into with those.
Not just the noise—though yeah, it can sound like a marching band up there during a storm—but the way it radiates heat back down into the attic.
That’s the part that always gets me with metal roofs around here. I manage a few duplexes in central Texas, and one of them has a standing seam metal roof. It looks sharp and the owners were sold on the “forever roof” idea, but every summer I get calls about the AC not keeping up. We had to beef up the attic insulation and even then, you can feel the difference compared to the asphalt shingle places. The tenants joke about frying eggs in the attic. I will say, though, it’s held up like a champ through hail and wind, so there’s that.
Clay tile is gorgeous, but I’ve seen more than one insurance adjuster raise an eyebrow when they see it on a 1950s ranch with 2x4 rafters. The weight is no joke, and I’ve had to pass on a couple of those jobs just because the cost to reinforce everything was more than the roof itself. Plus, if you ever have to get up there for anything—satellite dish, chimney sweep, whatever—good luck not breaking a few tiles.
Synthetic shingles are interesting. We tried them on a small office building about six years ago. They still look pretty fresh, but I’m with you: hard to say what they’ll look like after a couple more Texas summers. The warranty sounds good on paper, but I’m always a little skeptical until I see how something ages in real life.
If I had to pick for my own place, I’d probably stick with a high-end architectural asphalt shingle. They’re not flashy, but they’re predictable and easy to patch if something goes sideways. Composite shake is tempting, but I’d want to see more long-term results first. At least with asphalt, you know what you’re getting into—plus, every roofer in town knows how to work with it, which helps when you need a quick fix after a storm.
Funny thing is, no matter what you pick, the weather here will find a way to test it. Just comes down to what kind of headaches you want to deal with.
