Do Plastic Roof Tiles Fade? How Long They Last, रूफ टाइल | Santiago

Mr Quyen - Santiago. Posted 03/11/2026

Two-storey house with a grey tile-sheet roof, Nghe An, Vietnam

Why do some plastic roof tiles fade?

PVC by itself does not stand up well to UV. When coloured PVC is the outside surface of a roof tile, years of sun break down that surface: the colour goes pale, the face turns chalky, and a thin sheet can turn brittle. Indian roofs get months of hard sun followed by monsoon rain that washes the chalky film off, so fading tends to show in patches, first on the slope that gets the most sun.

So whether a plastic roof tile fades depends on what sits on top of it. A tile sheet without a UV-blocking cap layer can lose its colour within a few summers. A sheet with an ASA layer is made to hold it.

What does the ASA layer do on a roof tile?

Santiago roof tile sheets are co-extruded as four layers in one pass, with no glue between them:

1. ASA top layer, which blocks UV and carries the colour
2. Virgin PVC layer
3. PVC core, the stiff body of the sheet
4. Milky-white PVC base, the side you see from inside the building

Because the layers are formed together, there is no glue line that can open up, and the ASA is part of the sheet rather than a coat of paint or a laminated film. Santiago uses virgin material, not recycled PVC. A dark underside can be made to order if you do not want the white base visible from inside, for example under an open veranda roof.

House under construction with a dark tile-sheet roof among trees, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

How long do plastic roof tiles last?

These are Santiago's figures for its ASA/PVC roof tiles 2.5 mm and thicker:

• UV test: no colour change after 2,000 hours of artificial UV
• Colour rating: 30 years
• Service life in real use: 25 – 30 years
• Warranty: 10 years for 2.5 mm and thicker, installed as Santiago recommends

The warranty is the shortest of these numbers because it is a written promise with conditions attached. The service life is what roofs in use actually reach, and the colour rating is what the ASA layer is designed for. A badly installed roof can fail long before any of them, which is why the warranty is tied to how the roof is put on.

What keeps the 10-year warranty valid?

The full terms are in Santiago's sales and warranty policy. Ask for them in writing with your quotation, and pass the installation points to your installer before the frame is built.

How do I check a plastic roof tile sample before I buy?

Santiago sends free samples; the buyer pays the courier. With a sample in hand, a dealer or homeowner in India can do the first five checks in an afternoon. The last one takes a summer:

1. Look at the cut edge. An ASA/PVC tile shows a coloured top skin over lighter PVC layers and a milky-white base. If the colour runs evenly through the whole thickness, ask the supplier what protects the surface from UV.
2. Measure the thickness with a caliper at several points and keep the smallest reading. It should be 2.5 mm or more.
3. Weigh a one-metre length of 2.5 mm tile sheet. It should come close to 5.2 kg (5.4 kg per m² of roof × 0.96 m cover width). A much lighter piece is a thinner sheet.
4. Ask for papers: the ISO 9001:2015 certificate (Santiago's is ICI-23087.D), Quatest test results, and the quality certificate (CQ) that comes with every lot.
5. Ask in writing whether the material is virgin or recycled.
6. Put the sample on your terrace with half of it covered by a board, and compare the two halves after the hot season.

The terrace test costs nothing but time, and it shows the sun of your own city rather than a laboratory lamp.

Are plastic roof tiles any good in the Indian monsoon?

Fading is one question. The other is how the roof behaves in rain and salt air. An ASA/PVC tile contains no metal, so salt air on the Konkan or Coromandel coast cannot rust it. Rain noise is about 80% lower than on metal sheet, which you notice most in the heavy monsoon bursts, and the space below stays about 6 – 8 °C cooler than under bare metal. Santiago gives a bending strength of more than 1,000 N. Leaks come from fixing mistakes, so the warranty table above doubles as a leak checklist.

Santiago has exported to India since 2023, with a Form AI certificate of origin available for each shipment and HS code 3925.90.00 on the documents. Standard colours are dark grey, red, blue, orange and chocolate; green, white and purple are made to order. Prices are quoted per order in writing.

How does a uPVC roof tile react to heat?

The short starts with a flame put to a stack of grey and red tile sheets, then Mr Quyen crouches on grey tile sheets in the Santiago factory. It ends on a blue warehouse roof where installers are laying new sheets, with Mr Quyen standing on the roof in a white helmet. A flame test is a demonstration, not a fire rating.

Heat test on Santiago uPVC roof tiles (Santiago video on YouTube).

More shorts on colour and heat for India

The clips below come from Santiago's own YouTube channel and were filmed at the factory in Vietnam or on Santiago roofs.

Frequently asked questions

Do plastic roof tiles fade?

They can, when coloured PVC faces the sun without a weather layer. Santiago ASA/PVC roof tiles have an ASA top layer that showed no colour change after 2,000 hours of artificial UV, and the colour is rated for 30 years.

How long do plastic roof tiles last?

Santiago ASA/PVC roof tiles last 25 – 30 years in real use. The warranty is 10 years for tiles 2.5 mm and thicker installed as Santiago recommends.

Are plastic roof tiles any good?

ASA/PVC roof tiles 2.5 mm or thicker suit Indian houses that want a tile look without rust. They keep the space below about 6 – 8 °C cooler than bare metal sheet and cut rain noise by about 80%, but need purlins less than 700 mm apart and a slope of 20 – 45%.

How can I tell if a plastic roof tile has an ASA layer?

Look at the cut edge of a sample. An ASA/PVC tile shows a coloured top skin over lighter PVC layers and a milky-white base.

Does the warranty still apply if screws go in the valley?

The 10-year warranty applies to roofs installed as Santiago recommends, and that means screws through the top of the wave over a purlin. Ask for the written warranty terms with your quotation.

Read more

• Why the ASA surface layer matters on a PVC roof
• How to check a PVC roofing sheet supplier
• Importing ASA UPVC roofing sheets to India
• Best roofing sheet for a house in India
• ASA/PVC roof tile sheet

Updated 03/11/2026. Santiago Import Export Co., Ltd, Vietnam. WhatsApp +84 935 391 495 (Mr. Quyen), hotline +84 965 437 316 (Mrs. Ly), email salessantiagoroofing@gmail.com.