Is This the Worst Roofing Material Known to Man?

[@gee3883]

They didn't read the book about the three little pigs.

[@JelMain]

They WROTE thee book.

[@gee3883]

@@JelMain ha ha really , says it all.

[@dalinean]

Here in Australia tin, corrugated iron roofs are very common with tiles being replaced by this lighter material. With newer materials rust has ceased to be a problem.

[@Everywhere2]

The house I grew up in in South Florida had a tile roof painted white - mainly to keep the house cooler in the days before air conditioning was common in homes (yes, I'm old). We had a severe hurricane about every four years and no house in our little neighborhood got damaged other than having fruit trees or palm trees come down. Then new-style stick building started as did the superstorms. I was amazed driving through a new upscale neighborhood after the first of them, seeing houses shattered, roofs flown away, only rubble left as though a tornado had gone through instead of a hurricane. In my old neighborhood - a few palm trees down, all else was okay, including the tile roofs - the same tile roofs that had always been there.

[@AuxHex]

That's the worst myth in the US that shitty buildings are better for hurricanes as they're cheaper to rebuild. The cheaper option is not to rebuild.

[@marazas20]

Lithuanian roofer here, despise the stuff, but whats really annoying is some people like the look of it and you cant convince them not to put that crap on their roof.

[@Fester_]

My 20' x 20' summer house uses felt shingles. + heavy underfelt + heavy DPV on top of 18mm ply. I did it. Tiles, not a hope, cost. Garden building just fine.

[@amraceway]

Tin roofs are far and away the best roofing material. Strong, long lasting, quick to erect and the cheapest.What is there not to like about them?

[@krnchippy]

Here in Brisbane Australia we have corrugated metal roofs, but also some tiled roofs. A while back we had a hail storm in our suburb (I don't mean little pea-sized hail like we had when I was in the UK). Basically all the tiled roofs were smashed to bits, hail going through the tiles, the tiles then going through the plasterboard/sheetrock ceilings. Metal roofs were just fine.

[@SkillBuilder]

OK maybe hail is the reason. The one thing I didn't factor in, but I wonder if a steeper pitch, say 35 dgrees would reduce the impact.

[@jamesgroff2512]

I've been in the US roofing industry for 20 years. In the end it comes down to cost. I prefer 100+ yr rated material like standing seam metal or tile, but at an install cost of 3x for metal and 4-5x for tile it's really hard to justify. With newer architectural shingles you can expect a 30-40yr service life if installed properly. They use newer engineered adhesives that fully bond the asphalt surfaces together and have almost eliminated wind issues. I wish we had more options for tile here in the US, but there are very few manufacturers and very little infrastructure to support them. All of that just raises the cost. But, by far the worst roofing material is the one installed by a bad contractor. And unfortunately asphalt shingles seem relatively easy to install and every schmuck in a truck thinks they can install them.

[@lewisbrand]

Artificial slate is a better fit ( for weight and cost reasons ) for replacing an asphalt shingle roof than ceramic tiles.

[@TheBrick2]

It what's the norm. It like over here (UK) timber houses are hard to sell and even mortgage even though correctly built nothing wrong with them. Industry, finance, society becomes accustomed to how things are done. Then transmen skills reflect the demand business grow etc Nothing wrong with it but its always harder to do thing different to the norm in a locality as it becomes expensive in materials and expertise.

[@Stabu]

I lived 12 years in the US and had a felt shingle roof on my house that was replaced once with another felt shingle roof. There were two reasons why we did this. The primary reason: I couldn't find a contractor in my area (New England) who would be willing to travel to my rural area and able to do a tile roof for me. My house had 2x6 (2 inches by 6 inches) joists supporting the roof and for them to do a proper tile roof, I would need to have replaced them with a 2x10 at the very least. This would have added massive amount of costs to the roof. I did look into metal roofing, but eventually run out of time as water starting pouring indoors and had no choice but to replace the roof with another shitty felt shingle roof.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

I’ve got 2x6” roof struts and a very heavy ceramic tile roof here in London BUT! The beams are from 1935 and like iron!

[@geo8rge]

You mentioned New England, was a slate roof a possibility?

[@Stabu]

@@geo8rge Yes, probably, but I didn't investigate it too much. I remember trying to find local companies who did slate roofs and couldn't find any. My neighbor had an over 100 year old slate roof that he tried to repair, but couldn't find anyone to do it. He did end up selling his slates to someone else who used them to make his slate roof. My understanding was that stone slates are even harder to find than the installers for those. My episode took place more than 10 years ago.

[@bobbrown1603]

You're misinformed. We don't have felt shingles- that must be a British term. Our common shingles are a mix of fiberglass and asphalt, with a granular mineral top coating. No felt anywhere in sight.

[@Lee-xs4dj]

@@bobbrown1603 Yes, we call them felt tiles in the UK. Same shitty stuff

[@lisab3396]

The popular replacement now in North America/Canada is Steel Roofing looking like European Clay Tiles. The simply nail 4x2's over the old Felt/Tar Shingles and then nail the Steel Shingle/Tiles on top. Two major major issues with that.... 1) Repeated "Expansion and Contraction" due to extreme weather changes causes the nails to pop and thus loose tiles and their new supports. 2) When it rains and or hail storms, the racket is like bing locked into a 40 gallon drum and 40 people banging heavy sticks or stones on it. But as you noted in the video, Is the roof rated to take the extra weight and plus the old shingles they fail to remove; And in addition, what is the lifespan of steel tiles vs clay, slate or fabricated stone tiles????

[@cefnonn]

I like your frankness. Genuinely these are good advice videos. Thanks.

[@betlw]

Attention span Houses are built for the initial owner who will in most cases only live there for 20 to 25 years before moving on. Visual bling is what counts eg granite counter tops and stainless appliances. Quality is seen as a cost driver no one cares about eg good foundation drainage or a well built roof, new owner by then.

[@HughJeffreys]

My parents replaced the galvanised iron roof on their 1919 home in 2019. Sheets where stamped with the makers mark and year, 1919. Original roof lasted 100 years before the joins in the short sheets started to rust through. New gal iron that went on was about half the thickness and will properly won't even last half the time.

[@tiddleswozere5266]

New roofing iron is high tensile, stronger, less likely to rust. And yes a lot thinner and lighter.

[@Tuckaway]

Yes , in the Bahamas most house roofs are felt shingles also. Like when a Welsh slate roof gets changed for tiles you need to fit much stronger timbers to carry the extra weight.

[@Nick3DvB]

I knew an old Suffolk farmer who lived in a 15th century timber frame farm house, he had a few yanks come by and told them "This house is older than your country, and it's just had a knew reed thatch, so at this rate it will probably out last it... " xD

[@abbersj2935]

Formed zinc. Lasts longer, light, impervious to heat, quick to install, better base for later PV installs. Job done. I've no problem with built up felt roofing, using three layer poor and roll, a roof I covered 37 years ago looks almost as new, (when moss is removed). No leaks even with built up kerbs for rooflights. Great stuff when done correctly.

[@josephnason8770]

Absolutely a huge variety of ceramic and concrete tile roofing materials available here in Sacramento and the higher end subdivisions will use this. We see it all over. But yes mostly asphalt shingles we call "dimentional" because they have raised surfaces for appearance. We don't call them felt. They work great in this particular climate. Our wood framed houses are alot of times cheaply built but when constructed well and to a properly engineered design are a good long lasting product. I built a room extension in Forres Scotland and was amazed at the awesome slate we pulled off to tie in the new roof. They were reused. Give me slate anyday. Played pool with a Scotch chippie up in Stromness. He told me indignantly, " Americans are stupid". I replied, "It is true Billy we do have alot of Scottish blood ancestry".

[@mb-3faze]

Don't forget earthquakes. My house in the UK has pantile tiles - one decent San Francisco style earthquake and all of those will be on the floor (and on your head).

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

Is your Scottish ancestry that makes you write “alot”² instead of a lot?😉

[@allangibson8494]

Heavy roofs will bring the house below it down in an earthquake.

[@gaugeonesteam]

I built a large log cabin (12' x 24') a couple of years ago. The kit came with felt shingles but I used corrugated bitumen sheets instead. Apart from a bit of colour fading, I reckon they're very good for a smaller structure. (I've recently seen a couple of new build luxury homes with wood shingles here in the south of the UK and they certainly look nice).

[@dillonresidence9690]

Well done, you are right I am sad now. PA USA

[@herbderb]

I helped my step-dad re-roof our home in late 90's. House was built in '55 and had 3 layers of felt shingles already. So that meant we had to strip it back to the plywood. Fresh tar paper underlay and new high quality shingles. It's still there today and looks as good as new. This was in desert southwest which I think was a huge factor. Horses for courses, as they say. Cheers!

[@nvelsen1975]

Imagine though how much you'd save on AC if you had had a tile roof with some air always trapped underneath, instead of a very thin shingle with insulating properties somewhere between 'it's not good news' and 'your power bill could be cut in half if the roof actually did anything'. If I run the numbers on my insulation tool it should hold roughly 0.3, while even my bad 1970's tile roof (before insulation) was a 1.5, meaning my roof insulates 5x better. Or put differently, you need 5x the AC to get it as cool. Since I fitted it with PIR blocks and plasterboard (fireproofing) it rates at 5.4 meaning my roof holds back 18x as much heat as yours probably is. Personally I'm having trouble imagining myself making a roofing decision going "Yes, let's save only a couple hundred now on a 8-11K investment, but quintuple my cooling costs and constantly feel warm and sweaty inside"

[@beardoe6874]

Using your shingle/tile for insulation is not really how things work. The insulation does the insulating and the shingle/tile can only try to work as a radiant barrier if it is built that way. The shingle/tile real job is to be a water barrier that can handle sun exposure. So your HVAC cost estimates are wrong. Personally I think comparing tile to asphalt shingle is unfair because the buildings beneath them are usually quite different. Asphalt shingle vs standing seam galvalume steel roofing is fair. It would be hard to build a house that could have asphalt but could not have steel. Depending on the climate, steel could last a century (for example in the desert where I live) and it usually has a 50 year warranty on the premium products. The downside of steel is that it needs a bit of specialized labor to do peaks and valleys so my plans are low slope single pitch shed roofs (with solar) and no penetrations if I can help it. Simplified to that level I can do the installation and hand seaming myself so the cost will not be high for me and I should never have to worry about roofing for as long as I live. The alternative view is held by builders who can save money on an asphalt shingle roof and make more profit on the sale because the average customer looks at price more than quality. Most of our housing is treated like a disposable commodity and isn't really built to last more than 60-100 years. I think it is silly but there just aren't enough people who want to spend 20-50% more for quality. They would rather get walk-in closets and granite countertops.

[@nvelsen1975]

@@beardoe6874 Yeah and a shingle roof is just a flat board and nothing typically and insulation is hard to fit. Tiled (at least concrete) you've got a wooden (or partial steel) grid to carry the weight, that creates space in which fitting 8-10-12 cm of insulation fits naturally without removing effective living space.

[@beardoe6874]

@@nvelsen1975 have you ever seen a roof? That's not how any of this works. With very few exceptions, every roof has a structure of rafters, joists or trusses that create a space for insulation. In the US, it is very common to have a flat ceiling made of drywall with many inches of blown in insulation on top with an unfinished attic above the insulation and below the top of the rafters. There are also false "cathedral" ceilings that look like they go up to the roof but they don't and leave a large space for insulation. Our roofs are not just a sheet of OSB with asphalt shingles on top.

[@herbderb]

@@nvelsen1975 I get what you're saying, but that house was a single storey ranch style with vented attic. The insulation was 12-18 inch thick fiberglass between/over the ceiling joists above the plasterboard ceilings. With 3-4 feet of vented roof void beneath the rafters and plywood sheathing. My home in Yorkshire is a very different beast. I think it's something like ~150mm of PIR and tile roof with vented ridge. Like I said, horses for courses. :)

[@garypoulton7311]

Agree, here in Norway, some houses have this stuff, most have steel sheeting of some form, and a few have slates

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Just watched this while investigating roofing as me and Al are finally tiling the porch roof today 🤞🏼😬🧱👍🏽

[@theinfernalcraftsman]

I understand your position. There are other factors to consider as well. Tile roofs don't hold up in much of our weather as they don't like hail etc. A quality asphalt roof will last well over 30 years. My parents house roof is almost 40 and still in like new condition. But there is allot of cheap stuff out there. My preferred roofing material is metal as it's cheaper than a quality asphalt roof and it keeps the house cooler as they reflect more heat. Our area had lots of cedar roofs from the 70s and 80s and that was really bad considering our 100+ temps and cedar easily catches on fire from grass fire embers. It's not an ideal roofing material but in our climate etc it works fairly well. When our roof gets replaced it will be metal as its basically a one time deal here and will never have to be touched unless hail dents bother you

[@BadUncleIke]

As a native of Florida I totally agree. They sell these things with a "30 year warranty". When they fail in 15 years they will hand you a check for a pro rated value of the cost of just the shingle. I installed a galvalume metal roof 25 years ago, it still looks new.

[@plumbobmillionaire6246]

Irish builder here, been building in Canada for 12 years now. The shingles work very well for seismic active areas as they flex. I’m not a fan but to do anything else is quite pricey. My house in Vancouver was build in 1992 and had its shingles replaced in 2011 but it was a poor job. I’ll be putting on a standing seam metal roof next year. A couple of my friends reckon the shingle was pushed to market by the oil industry

[@xr6lad]

In Australia almost all (there are always exceptions such as apartment blocks and some all concrete homes) are proper tiles or what we call colourbond steel (in various colours). There’s nothing more lovely than lying in bed at night during a heavy rain and listening to rain on the roof. Sends you to sleep. And no, normal rain you won’t hear a sound. Needs to be heavy.

[@brntuk]

The attitude toward houses and anything old is different in America, and it’s not a value that they hold in high regard. If a house is 70 years old the attitude is that it should be knocked down and something more modern put up. It’s difficult to sell old because new sells best. Americans don’t really live in history like Europeans, and especially Brits do. To an American something a hundred years old is unbelievably ancient.

[@Lou-Lou.]

Such a wasteful attitude 😢

[@vcsl14]

Americans have no culture or history

[@pppp67567]

Thanks for the insights!

[@davefarmery8180]

Funny because I'm from the UK and wouldn't thank you for a new house

[@Joe-jv5mm]

That's why 🇺🇸 has no Castle, they don't build to last😉

[@wave2k868]

Labour costs in the US are absolutely insane (British expat here), I paid 25k to have my felt roof replaced and it was mostly labor. I don't think I could afford tile with the US labor cost. They wanted 40k to renovate my small master bath !!

[@redx11x]

You could fly us over and we would have done it

[@mb-3faze]

Taking California houses as an example: 1) the roof pitch is often pretty shallow - often 18 degrees. You need a bunch of pretty strong timber to support tiles/concrete tiles. 2) we have earthquakes - in the UK, it seems roofing nails are at a premium because most pantiles are not even nailed down. That would be entirely undesirable in an earthquake. 3) to make a house structurally stable, the roof rafters have to have sheathing (ply or OSB) sheets all over to try and keep the structure as much as a box in a 'quake rather than a pile of matchsticks. This is also the reason why bricks are not used (to any great extent). Again, a decent quake in the UK and half the building would fall down. 4) In California (as far as I have experienced) the sarking is a kind of black paper and yes, it's vital to have ventilated roof spaces. But apart from all that, yes, asphalt shingles suck!

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

In New Zealand, and also Australia, sheet metal roofs are very common on houses, and often last over 100 years with some maintenance. They add strength to the roof while keeping the weight down, compared to tiles (a lightweight roof is a big advantage in Earthquake prone areas... such as three quarters of NZ and parts of Australia such as along the NSW coastal strip including Sydney). Special wind resistant fixings are available for use in those areas subject to tropical cyclones, to meet the upgraded building codes in those areas. My personal preference is almost always for aa metal roof. There are various never-needs-painting "Colorbond" types, as well as the original style plain galvanised corrugated iron sheets. They also work well for the capturing of rain-water that is safe for human drinking water. Especially in rural areas, hunters and fisher's cabins, and remote farm-houses, this is very common.

[@Festoolification]

Large country and no local materials will dominate building styles probably. Lightweight compact materials transported 100's if not 1,000s of miles. Stick built won't support heavy roof structure hence lightweight shingle and whole lot of building code compliance tilted towards holding the whole structure and roof down and hopefully not blowing away.

[@momouppa]

Use a metal roof then.

[@YarnOfMoo]

During the 90s I helped remove a worse roof, a tiled one which had been covered by some horrible mix of fibreglass, adhesive and sand. It stopped the old roof from leaking, but as it was airtight it led to a lot of rot inside

[@alan-sk7ky]

Many years ago 'This Old House' had Silva bros roof a place with recycled tyre rubber shingles, they were remoulded to a glass fible mesh to add strength and durability. I wonder where they went....

[@paulthomas8262]

Note the modern tiles in Europe are composite. Some insulated and and also modular can be swapped out with vents, and other accessories. Mine are 3/4 inch thick.

[@caterthun4853]

Excellent talk

[@philiplancaster9682]

In the early seventies BG used nuralight flashings for weathering flues through roofs the top edge fitted under tiles as did the side edge but the bottom edge was fastened down with tar from a tar block. Even using the “special” tools provided as soon as it got hot the bottom edge melted and raised. I spent a few weeks retro fitting lead slates the following summer.

[@kathrynwhitby9799]

Nice one Roger. Nailed it with the flimsy timber-framed house building system they use. Of course they do at present have large tracts of forest to call on for materials.

[@debsmith5520]

0:38 Great video. There's an exception to your statement about tiled roofs lifespan - UK Local Authority owned homes 'need' (???!!) replacing every five years - don't know why, but that's how it is. Round my way, shiny roofed council owned homes stand out from space 😂....

[@niccat7051]

I have spent a lot of time in the US and have had dozens of conversations with my American colleagues about buildings and architecture! On many occasions when they have been visiting the UK and I have been travelling around with them I would always book a historical Hotel with a 200-year-old slate roof. They would always marvel at the insane amount of time and history in something that we Brits take for granted! Brick buildings with a proper slate roof and solid interior walls, are beyond the average American's comprehension!

[@fus149hammer5]

They obviously haven't seen our lashed up new builds.....😂

[@kathrynwhitby9799]

that's why theirs burn down so easily

[@fus149hammer5]

@@niccat7051 and don't forget their electrics!

[@g1mpster]

You spelled “budget” incorrectly. That’s a common British thing to do. Have you ever done the math on the cost of a tile roof vs asphalt? It’s one thing to argue that it’s less expensive in the long run, but you still have to be able to afford it in the short run. And then there’s all the homes that would have to be rebuilt in order to support the weight. So, maybe hold off on the insults there, mate.

[@doinggreat9197]

​@@kathrynwhitby9799And reduced to matchsticks in very strong winds.

[@vincentwilkes9611]

Ours was replaced by insurance due to hail damage about 4 years ago. Insurance companies are beginning to require replacement of the roof prior to the end of material life. They are forcing people to remove trees next to the house also.

[@stevebell4906]

Metal roofing is not even as heavy as the felt...and can be seamless from the ridge to the rake...and three feet wise with he edge seam overlapping....Making it much easier and faster to install..

[@cb1973-r9z]

In Portugal there’s a lot of the tile effect foam sandwich board being used nowadays. The sun causes some tiles become so brittle the break like eggshells.

[@peep39]

Roofing in America is a microcosm of the prevailing spirit here. Do more with less, and worry about problems later. Homes in America are big, like vehicles and the people too. Everything is big here. People want more space for less money. Homes are traditionally made with lumber because that's the affordable resource here. Shingles are light. Light means less structure. Less structure means more space per dollar. People are not interested in multi-generational homes here. Additionally, craftsman are gone. Skills are expensive. Labor is cheap. Those are resources just like building materials. This is not all based in avarice. Turning over homes is not necessarily a bad thing. They age. They wear out, like everything. Building techniques change. Requirements change. Tastes change. Even in the UK you are not driving the same cars you had 50 years ago. My main concern with the houses here are how they are recycled. They aren't. It's tragic the impact it has on the planet. Aside from that, what we have works for us. Would like to point out my father built his 30x40 garage in 1983 with his own hands and the shingles are still fine. I live in a home built in 1920 and it is on its third shingled roof.

[@davidbrewer7937]

I completely agree. I moved to live in Camada 25 years ago & cannot understand why people here accept asphalt shingles roofs of their homes... when our house burned down in 2017, I took the rebuild project & top of the list was a steel roof which has a warranty which will last until I am 95!

[@trevordarby467]

Brilliant great to watch he has a lot of knowledge and very skilled he knows his stuff from a tradesman myself carnt beat skiil builder

[@chrishb7074]

Saw some really cool interlocking clay tiles at a builders’ shop in Sweden today that looked like they could withstand all sorts of winters.

[@markgarland9000]

Initial cost of material and installation are the only advantage with felt roofs. I live in Oklahoma, USA. The southern facing roof surface is now trash..less than 20 years after install. The shingles were nearly black in color, but are now silvery gray and breaking off due to damage done by extreme heat and frequent high wind conditions. The east and west exposures- both 14/12 pitch- are just fine and good for at least another 10 years!

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

In New Zealand, and also Australia, sheet metal roofs are very common on houses, and often last over 100 years with some maintenance. They add strength to the roof while keeping the weight down, compared to tiles (a lightweight roof is a big advantage in Earthquake prone areas... such as three quarters of NZ and parts of Australia such as along the NSW coastal strip including Sydney). Special wind resistant fixings are available for use in those areas subject to tropical cyclones, to meet the upgraded building codes in those areas. My personal preference is almost always for aa metal roof. There are various never-needs-painting "Colorbond" types, as well as the original style plain galvanised corrugated iron sheets. They also work well for the capturing of rain-water that is safe for human drinking water. Especially in rural areas, hunters and fisher's cabins, and remote farm-houses, this is very common.

[@Joe74854]

You give good advice I used a breathable membrane called proctor roof shield which my merchant and proctors web site say you don’t need to further ventilate if you use this membrane , disadvantage it cost a fortune , also not counter-battening, can I ask the reason apart from a bigger gap between tile and membrane why you mentioned doing this with concrete tiles

[@SkillBuilder]

The problem with concrete or slate is that there is hardly anywhere for water vapour to escape once it comes through the membrane so it condenses on the underside of the slates or tiles and drips onto the membrane. The water collects on the membrane and behind the battens. A membrane can't breathe if it is wet and it is even less effective if the moisture freezes. Then you have no breather membrane. Having counter battening allows air to move up and down the roof and it also allows the droplets of water to run down. In the U.K you hardly ever see counter battening so the recommendation is to drape the membrane between rafters. This will allow the moisture droplets to run down to the gutter. The problem is that roofer pull the membrane tight and they don't counter batten, so that is the worst scenario. In that situation you need to ventilate the roof space because you have disabled the breather membrane.

[@steve6375]

I once stayed with a family on Ontario. They had a tornado and went into the basement (storm cellar). When they came out, only the big old round-cornered Frigidaire was left standing where the house used to be. Big trees were stripped bare and had lengths of straw embedded in them (like sticking a drinking straw in a potato). We don't tend to get many tornados and hurricanes in Wiltshire. This, plus many more houses are rented in the US/Canada, may explain some of the differences in attitude.

[@geo8rge]

If I had to guess about why asphalt shingles are so extensively used in the US, I would guess that the original roofing sin in the US was the use of cedar shake shingles. Asphalt shingle replaced cedar shakes at the time everything was replaced with products derived from crude oil or natural gas, 1950s 60s. Asphalt shingles were convenient in that you could nail asphalt shingles onto a deteriorating cedar shake roof. I believe the general rule in the US you can have 3 layers of asphalt shingles after which all 3 layers and the underlying cedar shake roof all need to be replaced. It is also worth noting that much of the US is subject to violent hurricanes and tornadoes. So building a cheap roof rather than an expensive roof kind of makes sense. Another American custom is that the fate of houses are either abandonment due to poor economic conditions or demolition due the house being easier to demolish and rebuild than partially dismantle and repair. I have seen houses in desirable areas with stringent permitting requirements actually demolished and replaced with an identical in structure but modern building.

[@Blitterbug]

Yep, but as an American said elsewhere here, brick homes with tiled roofs don't budge in a hurricane. Tornado? Another matter!

[@allangibson8494]

Australia tried tile roofs - they shattered during hail storms and blew away in hurricanes / cyclones. Steel roofs avoided both problems - properly installed steel roofing is good to EF5 wind speeds. The house under the roof will be destroyed before the roof goes.

[@MrEsszed]

My brother lives in Alabama, he changed to a sheet metal roof, he added a layer of foam underlay to deaden the sound of rain, it works really well.

[@hughbrackett343]

Rain on a metal roof is one of the best sounds that exist.

[@Charlie-oj4wj]

What about summer heat ?

[@amraceway]

@@Charlie-oj4wj Aluminum foils reflects the heat but not the sound.

[@MrBollocks10]

Lol. We used to do that in Ireland. ...200 years ago. 😂 People won't stand for that anymore. You know it's raining.

[@MrBollocks10]

​@@hughbrackett343 For a day. Not a lifetime 😢

[@owenoneill5955]

I live in Bulgaria, See lots of them used here...cheap. The longest I have seen they are guaranteed for is 15 years.

[@DK-oy6ee]

Yep. We lived in the USA for a while. Big house but built like a garden shed.

[@zororat]

Would love to hear your views on synthetic slate such as Tapco and iko

[@BillyGold007]

My house has a roof made from asbestos tiles that is almost 70 years old and still as good as new. I live in the north of Scotland and the roof has been pummelled by storms for all these decades and is still great. Asbestos is a miracle material.

[@bobbrown1603]

Sure, just ask the installers who died from asbestos lung problems how much of a miracle they think it was. And everyone who handles bits and pieces of frayed tiles now and in the future.

[@westwonic]

Asbestos is only a problem when damaged, disturbed or removed.

[@paulthomas8262]

If you have a felt roof in the UK your insurance cost may be higher. Felt typically is done on sheds and in large sheets.

[@21stcenturycaveman33]

Ha, ha. Loved this early vid mate. Made me chuckle.

[@j.r.arnolli9734]

ceramic roof tiles on a sloped roof, EPDM on a flat roof. And, at least, 140mm (5.5") PIR underneath.

[@1255XL]

I wouldn't like to have a flat roof.

[@Candisa]

@@1255XL Same, the original plan for the renovation of my home called for a flat section with epdm, decided to raise the connection with the sloped roof and lower the open end allowing steel-PIR-steel sandwich panels. Ended up being cheaper and faster as well compared to more structure, insulation, epdm, ceiling... Flat EPDM roofs are great on fully concrete and steel constructions that are professionally inspected and maintained on a regular basis, but not on a typical house with a softwood+OSB roof structure that'll rot away beyond repairability before a leak becomes visible.

[@anthonyharvey5747]

Would the pitch of the roof cause a problem with a tile? Or would you think it would be a weight issue. due by now using smaller timbers??

[@petercollingwood522]

My brother who lives in England pointed me to this video. I live in Phoenix Arizona and the older homes are mostly all felt shingles, some newer ones too. But the biggest scam in US home building is the garbage we have on our house, built in 2000. We don't have these felt shingles, we have what are incorrectly called "concrete" tiles but are more akin to the cinder blocks that boundry walls are built out of and are in fact best described as compressed dust. Our house has already had to have several thousand dollars worth of work done on the roof and it was only built 24 years ago. There are numerous cracked "tiles" on the roof which is ridiculous and we now have to re-roof the whole thing because the membrane underneath is disintegrating from the Phoenix heat. As the contractor explained it to me it's the membrane which is the actual roof, the tiles are just for decoration. Now what pisses me off about all this the most is that I am from South Africa where my father worked for a roof tile manufacturing company called "Coronation Brick and Tile" before it was renamed to "Corobrick" and then "Redland Roof Tiles' and then "Coverland Roof tiles" so I know a few things about actual concrete roof tiles and the clay tiles that preceded them. In fact the tiles on the house I grew up in from the age of 1 to about 12 which were put on when the house was built in about 1910's to 1920's are still visible on Google earth. They are the same tiles I used to clamber all over as a kid at night counting sattelites and learning the constellations and they're still there - unbroken for going on a century. Trying to explain all this to my wife who is American is literally like pissing into the wind. She just cannot fathom how a roof can last for more than 20 years. American roofing is the single biggest scam in the entire US real estate scene.

[@jemmajames6719]

A roofer took the old lead of our bay. roofs and replaced it with this material ! My husband didn’t want the hassle and expense of arguing to get him to re lead it. So as well as our flat roofed kitchen extension that we will have to replace in about ten years time we will have to replace the bay roofs! The cheeky bugger to add insult to injury took the lead and sold it! 🤬

[@garethjudd5840]

Most of the homes in LA had the same tiles during all those fires.

[@jmc4733]

Totally agree with you, felt roofing is very cheap and useless. I’m in Canada.

[@skasteve6528]

On the plus side. When a felt shingle becomes detached in strong wind and flies around the neighbourhood, It is less likely to cause major injury. So it will lead to a less expensive law suit. Replacing the shingles and parts of the OSB every ten to fifteen years is probably cheaper in comparison.

[@SkillBuilder]

In the U.K we have public liability insurance in with our buildings insurance. If a storm blows your roof off and hits somebody who is standing out there watching the fun then the insurance kicks in.

[@kier4931]

I’m American and I think the felt shingles seem to work fine. The difference between the UK and American houses is that we build millions and the prices are quite good compared to most developed countries. Not far from where I live a brand new three bedroom home can be purchased for around 250,000 pounds. Part of the reason is the houses are built cheaply (felt shingles as an example) but the large supply keeps prices in check. In the UK the building quality is higher but prices are very high due mainly to limited land. Is it better to build higher quality homes that only a small group of people can buy or lower quality homes that are affordable to many people?

[@maxwheeler8387]

Has Roger looked at tin roofs, in particular the insulated tin roof?

[@rob5944]

I've a stone cottage with a slate roof that had a loft conversion about 25 years ago and we've been here 6 yearswith no problems. Some say the shingles can eventually become porous, but I can't see that as basically they're thousands of years old. Any thoughts please?

[@SkillBuilder]

slates can become porous but that is simply because there are different slate. The deeper they are in the quarry the more dense they are. You can also get impurities in slate which causes small holes but the best slates will last hundreds of years.

[@rob5944]

@@SkillBuilder thanks for that.

[@robertbamford8266]

Ok. Interesting. Live in US, but I’ve never heard of “felt” shingles. Around here (CA with no snow) it’s asphalt or shake/wood. With fire danger “dimension shingle” - thicker asphalt - seems to be the choice for appearance and fire resistance to replace wood.

[@hnybcraft]

In most of the US, metal roof is likely the best way to go. It tends to be hard to find contractors who know how to work with terra cotta tiles or other tile materials. Metal roofs are lighter than either, many roof contractors work with them, and they last a really long time.

[@geo8rge]

I have heard that rain and hail hitting a metal roof makes noise.

[@allenfreeman6783]

@@geo8rge It does and the sound is absolutely delightful. You've never slept more soundly than during a rainstorm under a tin roof.

[@mutton_man]

​@@allenfreeman6783 It rains so much in England. I think the sound of rain on a metal roof would become an annoyance.

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

In New Zealand, and also Australia, sheet metal roofs are very common on houses, and often last over 100 years with some maintenance. They add strength to the roof while keeping the weight down, compared to tiles (a lightweight roof is a big advantage in Earthquake prone areas... such as three quarters of NZ and parts of Australia such as along the NSW coastal strip including Sydney). Special wind resistant fixings are available for use in those areas subject to tropical cyclones, to meet the upgraded building codes in those areas. My personal preference is almost always for aa metal roof. There are various never-needs-painting "Colorbond" types, as well as the original style plain galvanised corrugated iron sheets. They also work well for the capturing of rain-water that is safe for human drinking water. Especially in rural areas, hunters and fisher's cabins, and remote farm-houses, this is very common.

[@avancalledrupert5130]

Yes but what about aesthetics. Tin roof looks 3rd world.

[@derick1259]

I wonder if it's related to housing association/local planning (zoning?) rules in places in the US where roofs have to have a uniform look and therefore there's underlying inertia to keep using the stuff.

[@JC-jv5xw]

I have never understood why the US, the richest country on Earth, builds their houses like sheds.

[@rob5944]

From what I can gather, slate roofs are ok providing there isn't any sign of white residue and obviously no craked, slipped or missing shingles. The better quality ones come from deeper in the quarry and they can resist the sun and rain for up to 200 years. The house had a loft conversion done 25 years ago and I'm kinda assuming it had a felt and re-batten done then.

[@mmroofs]

Tiles roofs in California get too much debris in valleys, ect, leaks like crazy from mud damming, etc...We have high levels of dust in the air here, the dust settles on the roof and clogs the flashings, it only takes about 5 to 8 years before your tearing out the valleys and doing dryrot repairs 😮

[@bobbrown1603]

Good point... hadn't thought of that.

[@bikerchrisukk]

Those shingles do seem bad to us in the UK, but I think we don't have their extreme weather and vast distances between places (resources and trades). Someone has probably done the maths that they can either have a completely destroyed stick build or a partly destroyed masonry / tile build. The stick build is quick to replace, while repairing a masonry build absorbs more time and cost. For a long time I thought it was crazy, but it's actually practical for their situation.

[@DIYTipstricksandhacks]

Awesome timing, currently installing shingles on my gazebo 🤣

[@chriselfyn]

A lot of the people in our road of 1930s houses are replacing their old 'Dreadnought' clay tiled roofs with newer concrete tiles. Can anyone tell me if the concrete ones are better, or is it a just matter of the additional cost of re-roofing with traditional clay tiles?

[@SkillBuilder]

I can't imagine that the Dreadnoughts are at the end of their life, they are one of the best tiles out there.

[@antonyetheridge1050]

excellent as always bravo

[@frankryan2505]

I started roofing nearly 30 odd years back, all welsh and sandstone slate with lead work, you roof for posterity. Moved to Australia and learnt metal roofing, still talking 40+ years with a good install.. What i found shocking was a recent trip to Italy, i have a lot of family there so have been travelling over for the past 40 odd years.. Rented a beutiful villa in my mums hometown, bloody ashphalt shingles on the roof! Of all the places ive visited this is the last place i would expect to see that crap!

[@davidallen2058]

Colorbond corrugated steel roofing is better than the rest. Strong, secure, light, long lasting, adds strength to roof framing, quick to install, range of colors, can be walked on.

[@rosemarielee7775]

What do you think of the new plastic slate substitutes?

[@SkillBuilder]

I prefer them to these felt shingles and they are good on lightweight structures that won't take the load but give me a genuine slate any day of the week. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpW3ZoJ9rdWkd8U

[@bansoma]

They are cheap. But one word -- Tornados. We get so much damaging winds/hail, that using a cheaper roof makes sense much of the time. With the storms we get the life expectancy of a metal roof is about the same as an asphalt one. I'd still prefer metal, but its not as obvious of an upgrade.

[@SkillBuilder]

I will look at tornados, I didn't know they were so common that you would build to acommodate them.

[@Bluemart856]

Tiles are very durable but as a homeowner I can say it's hard to find a roofer that will fix your roof instead they want to take all of it off and put new tiles, so the lifetime average is more like 50-60 years not 100

[@David-bi6lf]

House opposite mine just had tiles removed, underneath all replaced, same tiles put back on and just new ridge tiles only and repointed. You don't have to have new tiles.

[@pppp67567]

Where's the link to regent's canal video?

[@Phil_AKA_ThundyUK]

Modern clay/concrete tiles have about a 30 year guarantee that's not bad, but my roof is 110 years old & only had one service on it so far to repair half a dozen courses, reset some, and replace a few cracked ones. I'll stick with my Rosemaries ta.

[@nickreid5297]

Australians and New Zealanders, of course, use the best roofing: Colorbond steel. It's corrugated iron, and it comes with paint already on it. It's relatively cheap, and doesn't require any more roof structure than those silly felt shingles do. It's guaranteed for 40 years, but should last much longer. And it looks great, and doesn't crack or leak like a tile roof. Finally, it's self-ventilating, which keeps the structure underneath dry.

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes but can a cat sit on it in hot weather?

[@nickreid5297]

@@SkillBuilder A very good question, though I'd need to watch the Elizabeth Taylor version of the film before I could give a complete answer. I suspect that it depends on the colour chosen, since Colorbond comes in both light and dark colours.

[@ajmaloleary3553]

I'd imagine that felt shingles don't hurt that much when they're getting thrown around by a tornado!

[@SkillBuilder]

Ah so standing out in tornados is a thing, I didn't know.

[@ajmaloleary3553]

@@SkillBuilder I don't think anyone chooses to stand out in a tornado!

[@woltews]

tile is brittle and can break from wind blown objects like rocks in ares like north america that get high winds ( over 100mph). Tile is also much heavier and requires a much more structured roof to support it , the developers dont live in the houses they build and can save a lot by building lighter roofs but charge the same amount !

[@johnsim3722]

They do have other materials they make shingles out of, such as rubber. That has a much higher live expectancy. I seen them using this on the TV program This Old House, a pretty neat show if you can find it (it used to be on Discovery and other similar channels in the UK before they moved to showing Alaskans trying to kill themselves with ever more inventive ways).

[@rbnhd1144]

This Old House is still being shown in the USA, its been on TV for 40 plus years, its on PBS The Public Broadcasting system, I hope that helps.

[@johnsim3722]

@@rbnhd1144 Like Skill Builder I'm in the UK, but your information will help those looking in the US. Funny we don't really use shingles so getting a show that shows these being used or even with alternative materials that we simply would even consider! We'd only use that type of material on a temporary structure, like a shed.

[@rbnhd1144]

@@johnsim3722 Thanks John, I know some people have access to US programming via the net or VPN's that's why I replied, I'm a Brit living in the USA, the strangest thing is I'm ready for a new roof, in fact someone is going to give me an estimate later this week, I'm expecting its really going to cost me but I need a new roof as the shingles / tiles are at the end of their life and I don't need water leak issue's. The house is 24 years old, the tiles are usually meant to last 20-30 years depending on brand and price. It was an education watching this video and realizing my roof wasn't much different to a shed roof lol, Everything in the UK does seem to last, I quite like my home but repairs and updates here cost a fortune compared to the same things in the U.K.

[@johnsim3722]

@@rbnhd1144 The buildings do look a lot more flimsy than we have in the UK! But bigger too. UK houses are getting smaller and smaller that some kids bedrooms wouldn't be allowed to be used to jail prisoners in! What they showed on This Old House for alternatives to shingles definitely looked good. But remember that even in the UK you're supposed to update slate roofs every 50-100 years depending up nail rot. Some last longer for reasons unknown to me (I'm not a roofer). VPN is definitely one option if you have it. I should probably get it as UK TV has definitely dropped in quality!

[@rbnhd1144]

@@johnsim3722 John the homes may look flimsy and sure they are compared to British Brick home that will last for years, T.B.H. I do like American homes and still I like homes in the UK, they are more compact and energy efficient. While homes have got smaller in the UK homes here have got bigger, I only need a 2 bedroom home but three beds is usually the minimum, it helps are resale time, these days they sell 3-4 bedroom homes with a lounge and a family room, its crazy really and a waste of materials and energy, People in America always want bigger, or at least that's whats pushed on us, Cars and Homes. When we came to live here in the 70's the over sized furniture blew us away, but you need large furniture to fill the rooms. America is a massive country so everyone should get a decent plot, sadly on estates I see some homes in corners with half a front garden, one over looking the other, that's the greed of the developers. I used to live in Wyoming, we had a home at street level with a full sized unfinished basement below, this doubled the size of the home, the laundry room and heating system and hot water boiler is usually located in a part of the basement, many people finish these off and make play rooms, extra bedrooms/bathrooms, sewing rooms or bars, and storage. I do miss my basement. Ask me anything, if I can answer I will.

[@petervisor]

My 1938 San Francisco cottage has felt shingle. A falling tree branch poked a coin sized hole through it. The next year, a heavier branch speared its way down through my neighbors felt roof into his living room! Love the trees. Loath the cheap construction.

[@bobbrown1603]

How do you think a tile roof would have faired in that situation? Cracking, maybe?

[@petervisor]

@@bobbrown1603 Yeah, good point. Tile would probably have shattered. Oh! We have another poor roofing material here in California: there are a lot of flat roofs, because we don’t get snow. And roofers (yes, it’s a big trade because our roofs don’t last long, as mentioned) will lay down tar paper and then cover it with bitumen. It’s very much like asphalt shingles, but with more leaks.

[@stevo728822]

In Australia and New Zealand don't they use steel corrugated panels?

[@walsakaluk1584]

Yes and throughout Asia as well. It's cheap, light and fit for purpose if the correct installation method and fasteners are used. You can even get clip locked screwless panels.

[@davefarmery8180]

I think something like Tapco synthetic slate that works out at 12kg psm would work well in America

[@mysterycrumble]

cracking vid once again. god i love this channel.

[@therealdojj]

It's the weight ultimately

[@zteaxon7787]

Steel roof is lighter at 7.5 to 12.5 kg per square meter. Felt is 9.8 to 19.5 kg per square meter. According to chatgpt. Steel is more expensive material though at $54 to $129 per square meter compared to $16 to $59 per square meter for the felt shingles. A 60 m² roof would cost $960 to $3,540 with felt shingles and $3,240 to $7,740. So I'd say price is the reason, not weight.

[@therealdojj]

@@zteaxon7787 they used to do a rubber tile, that looked like slate, but the weight saving was 1lb for the rubber Vs 7lbs for the slate So it was all about the weight They did a big thing about it on This Old House which is why I said it would be due to the weight 😉

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

I'm in the last home I'll ever buy. It was reroofed back in 2015 or so I'm told ( by home owners ins agency nonetheless .... didn't know that there was a dbase on roofs my surprise there ) ... It's asphalt shingles as well. I don't want to have to reroof it ever again before I die so thinking about standing seam metal roof. My roof is pleasantly simple not a jagged mess of small disparate sections so metal roof should be doable ... I've just never been in a house with metal roofing during a hail storm to "HEAR" and / or see how it stands up to hail.

[@dougwait5311]

I'm in Australia where metal roofs are pretty common (and the choice is either concrete or terracotta tiles or metal - I've never seen felt shingles in Australia). My house has a metal roof and with the insulation in the roof you barely hear rain or even hail. It is certainly not a noise problem except in the most violent heavy storms where you would probably be distracted by the storm anyway. Cannot understand the felt shingles used in America in any area that is subject to major forest fires. It should be compulsory in those areas to have non-flammable roofing materials.

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

@@dougwait5311 Thanks!

[@123a-o5d]

Need some real-life numbers here to compare things. Roof structure costs, maintenance costs, expected lifespans, installation costs, how well they cope with earthquakes / hurricanes etc, expected lifespan of the house.

[@vistron888]

Installing shingle isn't particularly cheap either. Saw something about solar panel roof tiles ages ago but hasn't come to fruition yet. Maybe will do soon. On a tangent, out of all the trades I've come across, roofers are probably the worst when it comes to cowboys and ripoffs. Most people are not going to get on their own roof and see what is going on.

[@alanc1406]

I like the look of my shingles on my shed roof . I wouldn't use them on a house but they look great on the shed

[@paul756uk2]

I love the glazed tikes they use un Germany. You see roofs there that are decades old and look like new.

[@westwonic]

They use the same glazed tiles in Norway

[@amarmot3635]

Asphalt (felt) shingles are available with a 50 year warranty. In high snow load regions, asphalt makes the most sense.

[@willthecat3861]

The so called "Architectural" shingles are heavier (maybe 50 % heavier) than the so called 3-tab shingles. Both made from asphalt, fiberglass backing, and mineral granules. We call them 'asphalt shingles' here. They may call asphalt "bitumen' in Britain. The asphalt shingle the sell here seem heavier than the 'felt shingles' they sell in Britain (maybe not?). Wherever they are used here, I see lots of roof vents. Several homes in my area have ceramic tile, or steel 'tile' roofing.

[@ranger178]

we used to have slate roofs but they were too expensive only thing that wore out on them was the nails wore away I put plastic slates that are at least 50-year life they claim.