7 Best Synthetic Roofing Materials

Florida is no stranger to wild weather; high temperatures, heavy thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, waterspouts, and tropical storms that can all wreak havoc along the Florida coast. As a result of this weather, Florida has implemented changes to its building code to help ensure that homes are well protected against potentially harsh weather. The code covers everything, including stringent roofing requirements. 

While much of Florida favors options like Spanish barrel tiles, which are reasonably durable, synthetic tile roofing is an even better option that provides better durability without sacrificing aesthetics.

Benefits of Synthetic Roof Materials

Synthetic roofing has many benefits you don’t see with other roofing materials. These benefits include:

Environmentally Friendly

Synthetic roofing materials use renewable resources in their construction. For many brands, this means using recycled plastics and rubbers, which has many benefits to the environment: 

The use of sustainable and recycled materials keeps waste out of landfills. It also means a synthetic roof tile can be completely recycled at the end of its life.

• The manufacturing process is significantly less harmful than other materials because they have a low carbon footprint and don’t require fossil fuels or any mined materials. 

Durable

When it comes to durability, faux roof tiles surpass much of the competition in every category. Aspects of synthetic tile roofing durability include: 

• They are more impact-resistant, typically boasting a Class 4 impact rating, the highest a material can achieve. This means they will never crack, split, or tear when hit with hail or flying debris. 
• They are highly wind resistant, and can resist minimum winds up to the  maximum resistance up to 211 mph. 
• You’ll never have to worry about curling or moisture damage like mold, mildew, rotting, or warping. 
• Tiles are lightweight and can better handle snow loads and ice. Unlike other materials, they are also freeze-resistant, so there is no concern of cracking during temperature fluctuations. 
• They are fire-resistant, with Class C to Class A ratings, with Class A being the highest rating they can earn. 

This durability translates to longevity; a synthetic roofing material will last significantly longer than most other materials.

Low-Maintenance 

All of the features mentioned above mean your roof tiles are durable and low-maintenance. This level of durability means you don’t have to worry about repairs or replacements, and you’ll also never have to clean mold, mildew, algae, or deal with similar issues. 

These roofs will only require occasional cleaning to remove dirt and debris, which will only require mild soap and a water hose.

Multiple Style Options

A synthetic tile roof comes with style options that mimic popular materials without any of the drawbacks of traditional options. Brands offer one or more of the following styles:

Cedar Shakes

Synthetic Cedar shakes are molded to mimic the appearance of real cedar shakes, and feature an authentic wood grain texture. They come in a single and multi-width style to mimic natural shake options.

Slate Tiles

Synthetic slate tiles have the same texture as natural quarried slate, with dips and grooves that add dimension. They also come in a single and multi-width style to mimic natural slate options and an added enhancement could be a staggered installation to deliver a true old world style roof.

Barrel Tiles

Synthetic Barrel tiles mimic the look of the clay and concrete barrel tiles associated with Latin American and Mediterranean architecture. These composite spanish tiles are delivered from Brava Roof Tiles and come in a variety of colors to ensure the tiles match the both the expectations of the consumer and meet the requirements of HOAs requiring a tile product on their homes. 

Composite manufacturers offer a variety of colors for these styles, from traditional options to more unique colors that help you express your style. Some of those companies  also offer custom matching for a more personalized roof. 

The Best Synthetic Roof Brands

These days, many brands specialize in synthetic roofing materials. However, not all of these brands offer good products; if you’re investing in a synthetic roofing material, you want to invest in the best possible. Here are seven top brands and what makes their synthetic tile options worth considering:

1. DaVinci RoofScapes

DaVinci offers two faux tile roof options: cedar shakes and slate tiles. They have Class A fire ratings, Class 4 impact ratings, and wind ratings up to 110 mph. DaVinci tiles are also fortified with UV stabilizers for fade-resistant coloring. The Slate product has varying widths for a more realistic, dimensional look, with authentic color options. 

DaVinci Shakes are modeled after hand-split cedar to ensure that the tiles don’t repeat patterns for a more natural appearance. There are eight color options.

2. Brava Roofing Tile

Brava is another brand of synthetic tile that offers cedar shakes, slate, and Spanish barrel tile styles. Like DaVinci, these tiles have Class C and A fire and Class 4 impact ratings. They are UV and freeze-thaw cycle resistant, with minimum wind ratings of 188 mph but as high as 211 mph, depending on the installation method. 

Brava tiles are thicker than other faux tile roof brands and offer realistic appearances. The cedar shakes are molded from hand-split cedar shakes. The slate tiles come in standard and varying widths and have a natural quarried look. The Spanish barrel tiles mimic the look of traditional barrel tiles without the weight and fragility of traditional Spanish barrel tiles. They offer numerous color options, with Brava Shakes and Barrel Tiles also offering two cool roof colors each.

3. CeDUR Synthetic Roofing

Another brand of synthetic roofing materials is CeDUR, which specializes in synthetic cedar shakes. CeDUR products are engineered to mimic the look of hand-split cedar. CeDUR shakes are Class A fire-resistant, Class 4 impact-resistant, and wind-resistant up to 115 mph. The brand offers four color options with three different widths. 

4. EcoStar Synthetic Roofing

EcoStar is another leading manufacturer of synthetic shake and slate roofing. They offer ten styles: four for slate and shake roofing and two for synthetic flat concrete tiles. Products have Class C and Class A ratings and are impact-resistant.

5. Enviroshake Roofing

Enviroshake offers three products: Enviroshake, which replicates natural taper-sawn cedar shakes; Enviroslate, which mimics the look of natural slate; and Enviroshingle, which mimics the look of cedar shingles. These products can resist winds up to 180 mph, are Class A fire and Class 4 impact-rated, and are UV resistant, with cool roof color options. Envioslate offers the largest color section of all their products.

6. Euroshield Synthetic Roofing

Another brand of synthetic roof tiles is Euroshield, which specializes in shake and slate roofing. They offer numerous lines of Class 4 impact roofing that is resistant to high winds and meets Miami-Dade County certification.

7. F-Wave Revia Synthetic Slate and Shakes

F-Wave Revia synthetic roofing materials come in four distinct profiles, with three slate options and one hand-split cedar shake style. These products are highly durable, with Class 4 impact resistance, wind ratings up to 130 mph, Class A fire resistance, and UV resistance.

Getting Optimal Protection with A Synthetic Tile Roof

No matter where you live, a study roof is crucial to protecting your home and family. It is essential when you live somewhere like Florida, where severe weather is a looming concern for part of the year. For the best protection, the best choice is a synthetic roof tile, which provides superior protection and durability without sacrificing aesthetics. 

At Florida Specialty Roofing, we offer three brands on the list: Brava, DaVinci, and Ecostar. Contact us today to learn more and see which brand is best for your home!