One of the more interesting roofing options are Tile Roofs. Tile roofs can consist of Concrete Tiles, Clay Tiles, Color Tiles, and Coping Tiles. They come in different colors and tile profiles. And they add "Spanish" flair to the home. There is even a Class 4 Hail Impact Clay Tile available for your consideration.
Tile roofs are so heavy that the roof framing has to be beefed up to carry the extra load. Instead of 2x8 Ridge Beams, they need to be 2x10, and instead of 2x6 Roof Rafters, they need to be 2x8. Depending on the roof span, they may even be 2x12 and 2x10 respectively. Houses needed to be framed for tile roofs, and internal attic wood bracing is also needed. They also have either a plywood deck or a 1x4 wood lathing deck in which the tiles are layed up on.
Leak problems are: broken tiles, debris accumulating in the roof valleys, improper or inadequate lead flashings at chimneys, plumbing jacks, metal heat stacks, and venting of some kind. Tiles roofs are a special breed and your roofing contractor needs to know what they are doing every step of the way, including knowing how to walk on the tile roofs and not break them! And they do require routine maintenance as do all other roofs.
Despite some of the issues with tile roofs, they can be a great alternative to asphalt shingles. One of the most beautiful roofs we ever did was a Color Tile roof on a Mexican restaurant. These were colorful tiles from Mexico, hand made, and in different molds in clay and similar colors, definitely not a machine stamped tile. They were a bear to lay up in rows on a wood lathing deck, but the final result was definitely worth it.
161 Old Mill Circle, Lewisville, TX 75057