Every person living in a private house dreams of making a quality roof once in a lifetime. Unfortunately, this is almost impossible to achieve, or at least it used to be. Now the situation has changed somewhat. With the advent of progressive technologies, the so-called "soft roof" appeared, which today has somewhat mixed reviews. Flexible tile is a durable and unique material of its kind, but let's talk about everything in order.
Metal tile: advantages and disadvantages
Today it is one of the most popular materials for roofing buildings. If abroad in this way they make a roof only for industrial buildings, then in our country these are mainly private houses, cottages and summer cottages. Of course, the metal has severalundeniable advantages. Firstly, it is a very durable material, and secondly, it is relatively inexpensive, and its choice is quite wide. Nevertheless, there are also disadvantages in the form of a lot of weight, excessive noise, especially if the installation was performed incorrectly. Do not forget that the metal, whatever one may say, is prone to corrosion, therefore, in conditions of high humidity, it quickly loses not only its attractive appearance, but also its properties. So, the cheapest options for metal roofing will last no more than 20 years, as consumer reviews clearly indicate. Flexible shingles have succeeded in this regard, and now you will understand why.
About the bitumen base in detail
Soft tile has such a name for a reason. It is able to bend to a certain angle and at the same time retain its elastic properties. Due to the similarity to roofing material, many believe that the basis of flexible tiles is cardboard, a material that rots. But everything is somewhat different. And, apart from the external similarity of shingles and armored roofing material, they have nothing in common. So, the first one is based on fiberglass, usually of increased strength. Of course, it does not do without a layer of bitumen. By the way, the performance properties largely depend on the quality of the latter. Various polymer additives and an external protective silicone layer make the soft roof durable, resistant to frost, etc. factors. It is safe to say that approximately 85% of consumers leave positive reviews. Flexible roof tileshas a much smaller waste, so it will cost a little more than a metal roof. Now let's talk about what people write.
Flexible tile or metal tile: customer reviews
Many consumers say that in practice, not everything is so bad with metal products. Despite the fact that such tiles are very noisy and a lot of waste appears during installation, with the right approach, they have excellent performance characteristics. Approximately 70% of metal tile buyers say that it is more expensive than bituminous, but now we are talking about a quality product with a high zinc content. In addition, absolutely everyone is satisfied with how the metal copes with wind and mechanical damage.
With a soft roof, too, not everything is so simple. On the one hand, these are low-cost rolled coatings (roofing material, lynocre), and on the other hand, elite materials such as bitumen with a long service life. If the roof needs to be done as quickly and inexpensively as possible, then everyone advises giving preference to roofing felt and linochrome, but when quality is more important to you, then bitumen is better. As you can see, it is rather difficult to answer the question of which is better: flexible tiles or metal tiles? Reviews say that all materials are good, but only if they are of high quality. Beyond that, a lot depends on the manufacturer.
"Ruflex" - flexible tiles: consumer reviews and expert advice
Bitumenoustiles from this manufacturer are known throughout the globe. It is characterized by high quality and performance characteristics. The main advantage, according to most consumers, is that such flexible tiles can be used both in very cold regions and, conversely, in very hot ones. Experts also note that Finnish soft tiles are suitable for pitched roofs with an angle of inclination from 11 to 90 degrees, and not every manufacturer can boast of this. The warranty period declared by the company is 25 years, but in practice this figure is longer. The main focus of the production of the Ruflex company is flexible tiles, reviews of which are almost all positive. Products are of high quality, light and withstand temperatures from -45 to +110 degrees Celsius.
Flexible tile "Tilerkat"
This type of roofing material does not need a separate presentation. This is a fairly well-known brand, which is distinguished by an affordable price and acceptable quality. So, the service life, according to consumer reviews, is more than 20 years, while the one declared by the manufacturer is 15. In principle, Tilercat "prima" shingles have positive reviews. They note the extremely simple and quick installation, as well as the high strength of the product. But many notice that the coating begins to fade after a few years, although the paint does not fade. Since Shinglas, which produces this type of roofing material, is a domestic company, this is a very affordable choice with goodquality.
Tegola - Italian quality and price
Many say with confidence that this is the best flexible tile. Reviews in about 95% of cases are positive and, moreover, enthusiastic. The fact is that the term of operation of the Tegola soft roof declared by the manufacturer is about 60 years. But you will have to pay good money for this. It is worth noting that your roof will be reliably protected, because the tiles are not subject to rotting and corrosion, as well as temperature effects. It should be noted that the company has taken care of a wide variety of colors. In total, in the assortment you can find more than 70 cuts from various lines (premium, exclusive and super). Of course, the Tegola flexible tile has positive reviews for a reason, but due to the high quality of this roofing material.
What else is worth mentioning?
As noted above, the weight of shingles is very small. So, for 1 square meter there are only 5 kilograms of soft roofing. This significantly reduces the load on the house, but does not worsen the protection from precipitation. By the way, the sound insulation of a bituminous base is much better than that of a metal tile, pay special attention to this. It should be noted that soft tiles in some cases are the only right solution. So, on roofs with complex geometry, it is extremely difficult to work with metal sheets that are practically not subject to processing.
Conclusion
So we talked about what is better: metal or flexibletiles. As you can see, the choice is not so obvious. In some cases, it is advisable to use one roof, in others - a completely different one. However, it is important to pay tribute to quality. For example, a domestic manufacturer is not always bad, for example, Shinglas shingles, reviews of which are mostly positive, are not so expensive and are of very high quality. As for brands such as Tegola, not everyone can afford them, but such a roof is done once in a lifetime, you can be sure of this. Despite the fact that there are a variety of reviews on the network, flexible tiles are quite popular and in demand on the market.
