Storms and weather
How do tile and shingle roofs hold up in hurricanes, heat and salt air?
Tile did better after Hurricane Ian, and heat wears shingles faster.
The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) studied 3,646 single-family homes, 327 light commercial buildings and 133 multifamily buildings in Southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian in 2022. Roughly half of the shingle roofs had damage, and roofs 10 or more years old were especially vulnerable. Tile showed strong improvement over 2004. About 40 percent had some damage, but serious damage was rare except on roofs more than 20 years old. Metal performed best, with about 12 percent damaged. See our guide to metal vs tile roofs for that comparison.
Age matters for both. IBHS says shingles 10 years or older were the most vulnerable, and tile showed serious damage mostly after 20 years. FRSA's tile brief says broken tiles usually come from large hail or flying debris, not from wind alone.
Salt air is a coastal issue. The 2026 Ninth Edition of the Florida Building Code, effective December 31, 2026, adds fastener corrosion rules. FRSA reports that nails are covered within 3,000 feet of a saltwater coastline and screws within 300 feet, and that final adoption was still under way. The tile manual itself has no changes to its tables this cycle.
Heat is the shingle's enemy. InterNACHI notes hot climates can shorten asphalt shingle life a lot. ARMA says algae streaking is most widespread in the Gulf States, which is why algae-resistant shingles are worth asking about.
