Tile roofs are definitely durable, but calling them maintenance-free is stretching it a bit. Even with regular clean-ups, underlayment deterioration can sneak up on you...seen plenty of cases where tiles looked perfect, but underneath was a mess. Gotta check deeper sometimes.
You're right about underlayment issues sneaking up, but honestly, that's more about installation quality than the tile itself. I've seen roofs pushing 30 years with barely any maintenance because they had proper flashing and high-quality underlayment from day one. Sure, nothing's truly maintenance-free, but tile roofs come pretty close if done right. The real problem is when contractors cut corners—then you're stuck playing detective years later...
Had a property with tile roofing installed about 25 yrs ago—looked great at first, but around year 10 we started chasing leaks. Turns out the contractor skimped on flashing details. Tiles themselves were fine, but yeah... installation makes or breaks it.
Tile roofs are pretty solid, but "maintenance-free" is a bit of a stretch. Like you said, flashing and underlayment details are key—mess those up and you're playing leak whack-a-mole for years. I've seen roofs pushing 40 yrs still going strong, and others barely hitting 10 before issues pop up. Usually comes down to the installer's attention to detail (or lack thereof). Tiles themselves rarely fail...it's always the little stuff that gets ya.
Yeah, you nailed it with the flashing and underlayment details—those seem like small things, but they can really bite you later. I've been on jobs where the tile itself looked pristine, but underneath... total mess. Good installers make all the difference. Still, when done right, tile roofs are tough as nails. Just gotta keep an eye on the little stuff, and you're golden for decades. Hang in there, sounds like you're already on top of it!
