Tile roofs often depend strongly upon the underlayment to provide moisture protection from structural components and depending on the type of tile used, different materials absorb and wick moisture more than others. Built up roofing may be required as proper installation with low sloped roofs that struggle with drainage. This can require multiple layers of roll roofing to create a moisture barrier. It can be difficult to determine whether adequate installation methods were used regarding the underlayment of tile roofs.
Mechanical damage to shingles is visible in various places on front shed roof. Damaged shingles will not function properly allowing water intrusion and result in damage to roof decking and structural components. Evaluation and repair of all damaged shingles by a licensed roofing contractor is recommended.
Similar to asphalt shingles, proper flashing techniques are imperative to prevent water intrusion. Tile to wall flashing generally will require a different piece of flashing not found in traditional flashing methods for asphalt shingles; tile flashing generally requires pan flashing after the counter flashing. Pan flashing creates a channel by which water travels off the roof whereas traditional flashing methods would deposit the water onto the roof covering material.
This photo of a clay tile roof is an HVAC customer of mine who told me she has had several leaks with this roof. Several areas have leaked around penetrations. One area was around a skylight. I would suggest from what I see in the pictures for her to have a licensed roofing contractor check for improper flashing. The stucco in the photo at the side wall comes all the way down and meets the mortar that has been built-up on the tile next to the wall. The short ridge at the top of the hip that goes back to the wall has been patched and there is evidence of moisture intrusion on the roof structure inside the attic. Without removing tile it is impossible to determine if the roof has proper flashing installed.
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The phot is a tile roof using an interlocking tile. The field appears to be in good functioning condition. It appears to have some moss starting to grow. Some maintenance is due to clean the tile surface. I see one tile on the ridge that has a broken corner that is exposed. However, this is not likely to cause any leak issues.
I chose to include a photo of a concrete tile roof of a single family home. Several repairs had been noted, however no broken tiles were seen at the time of the inspection. This tile roof appeared to be in satisfactory condition.
I chose to review an article outlining the different types of tile roofing. Low profile has almost no curve, or are flat entirely. Medium profile tiles are generally made of clay and have an S shaped dip, while high profile tiles have a larger dip and are generally barrel tiles.
These are interlocking roof tiles. In the middle of one tile, there is noted damage that runs the full length of the tile. The cause of the damage is unknown; however, there is imminent risk of moisture intrusion. Consultation with a qualified roofing contractor is needed.
The profile on tile roofs can vary. Profiles are categorized as low, medium and high. It is highly recommended that medium and high profile tiles have a bird stop installed along the each beneath the starter course to keeps birds and pests from entering the space under the tile. The birdstop will also prevent the wind from entering these spaces and loosening the tiles. A birdstop can be provided by the manufacturer or created onsite with mortar.
The tile roof is an interlocking concrete tile. The valleys are closed valleys with a visible metal valley exiting the eave. There was debris build up of pine needles in the valleys from nearby trees. The current tile is installed with screws as fasteners and mortar. The chimney was larger than 30 wide, but did not have a cricket installed. The skylights are newer with the correct flashing. The roof vents are all installed properly. There are some broken tiles that need repair and/or replacement. Observation inside the house showed no signs of any water intrusion.
Clay tiles Clay tiles come in four profile classifications, flat, low, high and accessory. They can also be classified as side, interlocking or overlapping, each installed in their own way. Quantities per square can be from 75 to 400 and weigh between 500 to 1100 pounds. Manufacturing process involves using a casting process, placing fine wet clay in a kiln until vitrificaion takes place. Vitrification turns the clay into a glass like material. Installation can be on solid underlayment or on battens and installed with fasteners or adhesive foam or mortar. Headwall and sidewalls should always have counter flashing, with the exterior cladding acting as the counter flashing being acceptable. Valleys can be open or closed, with open valleys performing better, not obstructing material in the valley. When inspecting clay tile roofs, it is not recommended to walk on a tile roof. When inspecting the aging of the roof, dislodge some of the flaking. If there is algae and/or lichen, the aging process is slow and natural. If the clay underneath looks clean and bright, the deterioration is faster and newer.
Properly installed, tile roofs typically hold up good during weather conditions. Fasteners and the appropriate adhesive support the durability of the tile life. High winds can loosen the tile causing tile to fly causing potential surrounding damage. Without fasteners being properly installed, the wind can get beneath the tile.
Reference from the illustration gallery on tile roofs.
Clay and concrete are the most common types of materials used for tile. In the past years, tile was made from fiber cement. Roof tile is divided into 4 classifications, flat profile tiles with a surface rise of a 1/2 inch or less, low profile tiles have a rise with a width ratio equal to or less the 1 in 5, high profile tiles have a rise to width ratio greater the 1 in 5, and accessory tiles used in conjunction with low, medium, or high profile field tiles.
Concrete tiles can weigh exceptionally more then asphalt shingles. The weight varies between 800lbs, to 2000lbs per square which is four times more then a typical asphalt shingle. A home should be adequately built to support the load of the roof. If a home was originally built with a lightweight covering, then it is likely that it would require substantial reinforcing work done prior to the installation of a concrete roof.
Compression cracks are the result of a roof covering bearing too much weight upon the structure. These can be seen as horizontal cracks along the edges of drywall where the wall meets the ceiling or vertical cracks at the top of king studs surrounding a wall opening.
During the time of inspection, I observed multiple cracked, chipped, and otherwise damaged roof covering tiles which is believed to be made of a concrete meterial. It’s recommended that a certified roofing specialist is hired to further evaluate and make corrections as needed.
Here’s a picture of a roof with tiles cosmetically the roof is in good shape. You can see one broken tile there is no trees around the area do was no storm recently reported it’s an easy fix it would be written up in my report to be repaired by a qualified Roofing contractor.
After taking a course from internachi my essay will be about tile roofs and what I learned I’ve learned all roof coverings are able to hold moisture and contract fungus Moss mold and magma in dry and Human Condition different climates also.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Tile Roofs
Beyond review the different tile types and styles this article discusses the use of bird stops. A bird stop should be installed along the eave beneath the starter course. Bird stop will not only keep bird and insects out but also limit wind entering and loosening tiles.
In this photo this roof is covered with high profile concrete tiles. This roof was installed in 2013 so you will basically no aging to the tiles. This roof should have at least 1 layer of 30-pound asphalt sealer for underlayment being that the roof is at 4&12 slope.
In this photo you can see several tiles missing or out of place. A large number of them seem to be broken due to wind and impact damage. However, following the path up the roof seems to sway back and forth. I would recommend to my client that a professional be called to asses if the roof can be repaired or if a complete replacement is necessary.
