Tiled Roof vs Colourbond - pros/cons (and noise question)

Hi folks

We currently have a tiled roof but are considering (??) the option of changing to colourbond if/when we extend/build up.

I know there is a school of thought that says they are very noisy when it rains (some people seem to love that, others hate it). But I'm just wondering if that is still the case or if manufacturing advances and insulation requirements these days has cut down on noise level from rain??

And in general, apart from the noise from the rain (if that is still an issue), what are the general pros and cons of tiled or colourbond roofing - maintenance, energy efficiency, noise....

Thanks.
HHCIB

With a tiled roof there is ton's of weight sitting up there. Tiles can and do crack, then leak water all over your nice new ceiling. They do not need people to walk on them to crack, some just crack under the extremes of the sun's heat, or near a golf course ? look out for stray balls.

The tin roof on the other hand is much lighter, does not crack and if done properly will outlast you. Yes they are noisier, but I for one love the noise of rain on a tin roof, it sends me to sleep at night. With good roof insulation that noise is not deafening, but muted to a soft cry.

I have aways had tiles never had a problem,this time i am having c/b
that's what builder included.

We have a tiles roof now and I think the maintenance issue is something to consider. Fair enough the tiles are 20 years old, but you need to get them repaired/cleaned....

The new house has colorbond.

Although - I do agree that some 'looks' can't be achieved with colorbond so tiles are the only option.

Ask any SES member and they will tell you to go for colorbond and make sure you have eaves. They do a lot of call outs to homes where the tiles have moved in high wind, especially brand new homes. And no eaves is a recipe for overflow disaster in the guttering. Just my humble opinion of course.

I think you're going to get a different answer from every different person you ask. For me, I'm going from a colorbond roof to terracotta tiles. I personally hate the sound of rain on my roof (it sounds like I'm in a shed) and that's the last thing I want to hear in my home theatre. People say that tiles break with hail and whatever, however my parents have had a tile roof for over 35 years now and while they probably need a good clean (and yes, they do clean up really well with a high pressure cleaner) they've never had breakage problems, even through multiple hail storms over the years. Another thing people bring up with tiles is security, however to me it would be just as easy to remove a sheet of colorbond with a socket wrench as it is to remove a number of tiles to gain access to the roof space of a house.

So I guess in the end it's really up to you as to what kind of look you want your house to have. While I agree that a colorbond roof can look nice, the sound and insulation advantages of a tile roof win me over every time. Oh, one last thing - I'm comparing colorbond with terracotta tiles, not concrete tiles. The maintenance of concrete tiles (the coating is painted on, they're not colour fast like terracotta) is a show stopper for me - I love low maintenance and IMHO concrete tiles fail big time in this area.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Some good things to keep in mind.

Yes, I expect a different answer from everyone if I asked what everyone's preference was - I've already experienced that IRL (like I said in my opening post, some love 'em, some hate 'em). But I am more interested in just finding out about noise and general pros/cons of both.

Wondering about cost comparisons too?? Is one much cheaper than the other?
Is one hotter/cooler than the other? (or more energy efficient?)

HHCIB

Does anyone know the price difference between concrete roofing and terracotta tiles?

We had tiles in our last house & won the argument against my DH & we're having Colorbond in our new one. I really wanted colorbond as I reckon it looks better & I love the sound of rain, oh yes & security, I'm paranoid of someone lifting a roof tile & getting into the house (DH says they will just smash a window if they want to get in that bad...)

DH is a sparky & prefers tiled roofs for working in, not 100% why...access maybe??

We have Colorbond and have been surprised at how much the ceiling insulation blocks out the sound when it rains. We still hear it, of course though. In extrememly heavy rain we do have to turn the TV up.

You can install a noise insulation blanket beneath the sheeting if desired. Bradford make one called Acousticon™. There are, no doubt, others. Don't confuse this with foil sarking, which a lot of people (including us) put under the Colorbond roof. The foil sarking is there for thermal properties and dealing with condensation.

I have a colourbond roof, was standard with our builder, can hear rain on the roof but is gentle backgroud noise,(which I personally find soothing) anyway does not interfere with normal household conversation or TV watching etc.

I've grown up in a tin roofed house for the last 22 years and have got a colourbond roof on my house now. Can't wait for my first winter in it! I think another pro of a colourbond roof over a tile roof is that they're so much easier to walk around on. I just never feel secure getting up onto a tile roof.

(this but is opinion/conjecture only) but wouldn't the reflective properties of a colourbond roof be better for thermal properties than a solid material such as tiles which would store the warmth of the sun (each one suits a warmer or cooler environment kinda thing?)

I'd be interested in the thermal properties of colorbond vs concrete tiles
Do you know anything about it?

The builder estimated 2K for a colorbond roof, compared with the concrete tiles, so its a bit of money

im quite interested in this thread as one of the design convenants in our estate is that roofs cannot be tiled, so we have no choice but to go colourbond (not that its a bad thing, i personally like the look of the colourbond over roof tiles)..

theanonyuser - how much were you quoted for concrete tiles in comparison to the colourbond? how much roof area was that for?

Sorry, I don't have a cost for the roofing itself. Only a fixed price quote.
The variation to the fixed price quote to switch to a colorbond roof is approx. 2K as a ballpark figure.

My house is 24.7 squares, not sure about the roof size

Evidence of the bolded statement please? but a bit more disection as well


In 7 years I only had one tile crack. I've walked on them many times and weigh over 100kg, no problems walking on tiles



I have seen moss and lichen growing on tiled roofs but not mould, mould is a very different thing.



I'll bet you everything I have that a piece of colorbond will not last forever, a long time yes but not forever



I know many people with colorbond that have the insulation blankets + the biggest batts around and they still get rain noise inside.

If they will lock in less than $3k for colorbond instead get it

That is a great price IMO

I was quoted around 8k to upgrade and that was for 32sq house

all of this also raises another question for most people: "what is more cost effective?"

take into account initial outlay, thermal properties, (noise properties if this is important to some), maintenance, durability?

has anyone recieved consequtive quotes for both a standard concrete tiled roof, then a colourbond roof for the same job (preferably from the same person)? would be interesting to compare....


Cheers
Dan

Ooops my house is 24.7 not 27.4 squares. I will think about the price variation, I don't want too many upgrades

Tiles roof (basic tiles) and color bond should cost the same. However when you add additional cost for Sarking color bond will be a little more expensive usually 2K.

Some builders get confused about the cost. Because when you get a quote for roof tiles it is usually 6- 8K cheaper than a colorbond price. However you need to allow that on colorbond roof trusses you can save upto 30% so about $2-3K. Also a color bond roof quote also includes as standard roof plumbing + fascia and gutter, which is always extra on top of a tiled roof quote.