Tile: The most aesthetically appealing and durable roofing material is tile. Properly installed, these roofs will last a lifetime. Although older roofs may use clay tiles, concrete is the more common material these days. In addition to the traditional round red-clay tiles (sometimes called Mission, Spanish, or Barrel) many builders offer a flat concrete tile. These flat tiles often give the impression of a slate roof.

Recently light-weight cement tiles have been developed that are suitable for re-roofing projects. In this case, all previous roof coverings must be removed.

Clay and cement are environmentally friendly consisting of natural materials (clay or sand and cement). In addition, most tile roofs will last from 50 to 100 years. During that time, shake and asphalt roofing should be replaced four or five times. Tile roofing is also more energy efficient, reflecting solar rays and creating a better R-factor.

Tiles will become brittle over time and the homeowner should avoid walking on the roof. If the home has a roof-mounted air conditioning unit, the access area of roofing should be composition shingle.

Composition Shingle: A composition shingle is made from a combination of various materials, usually felt or fiberglass impregnated with asphalt and coated on the surface with mineral granules. The shingles are applied over a base of wood sheathing and building paper. There are many grades of shingle and these are usually evaluated in terms of weight, surface texture, and their life expectancy. In other words, a 25-50 year laminated shingle would be superior to the standard 15-20 year product.

In Las Vegas you can expect to replace composition shingles within 20 years.

Cedar Shake: Luxury homes built in the 60's and 70's often sported cedar-shake roofs. Most of these roofs have reached the end of their useful life and show visible signs of warping and cracking. Rather than replacing the shakes, it is recommended that you re-roof with tile.

Tar and Gravel: Although seldom found in residential homes of today, many older Las Vegas homes were roofed with tar and gravel. This roofing was suitable for flat or moderately pitched roofs. Many re-roofing jobs for low sloping roofs use a Modified Bitumen Roofing - (TorchDown) system which may last from 10-20 years.