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Tile vs Metal weight issue

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Guest User
9/29/2004
Our home is 27 yrs old with a tile roof and we live in S. FL so hurricanes are expected. We are going to get a new roof and we were thinking of replacing the tile. Hurricane history over the last several weeks has shown us that metal is the way to go. My husband wants to know if the weight of the tile is an issue of holding on vs the lighter metal. We know we probably don't have the hurricane tie ins that have been required since Andrew so we're going to look into that too. with this in mind please let us know if a heavier roof might be better in our case or does it matter?
Guest User
9/30/2004
Low weight metal roofing obtains wind resistance from the interlocking panels and the fastening methods. Heavy tile products are more dependent upon gravity to hold them in place. Look for products which have passed strong uplift tests.
Guest User
10/11/2004
This brings up the question of the heavy weight of the existing tile roof being a factor in keeping the entire roof structure (rafters, framing, etc) from being blown off the building. Do older roofs, without hurricane tie straps, depend on the wight to keep them down? Is extra strapping needed when changing from a heavy tile roof to a lightweight metal roof?
Guest User
10/12/2004
I believe that building codes call for the same strapping regardless of the roof covering. Your local building inspector would need to be consulted for the final answer on this though.
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