Clay tile roofing is one of the oldest and most used types of roofing in the world. There is evidence of its use dating back 10,000 BC, and in locations from North America, to Egypt, to Rome. Its popularity has fluctuated over time, but it is always there somewhere. A well cared for clay roof can last for many years. Clay tiles have many advantages which include durability and heat deflection.
Disadvantages of clay tile roofing
Clay tile roofing has been replaced in modern construction as it does come with certain disadvantages. The first is the weight of the individual tiles. If a home already has this type of roof, then the roof was built strong enough to support it. If a homeowner is installing them for the first time, they need to be sure that The roof can support the weight. They may need to consult a structural engineer to add support beams before beginning installation. The other real disadvantage is its cost. Though much more expensive than other types of roofing materials initially, the fact that they probably may never need replaced should be considered.
There are no tile roof in my immediate vicinity. So unfortunately, I had to use a google image. This particular image says it is bird droppings accumulated in the valley of this tile roof. Any organic matter, bird droppings or leaf matter, that gathers in a valley like this, tile or shingle, is going to accelerate the deterioration of the valley material. The ridge caps and rest of the tiles appear to be in good condition.
This is a photo of the inside of a garage door. The labels on the sides are on the bottom bracket area. The general label is on the door at head height. However, there is no label at the button opener on the wall.
This picture shows a close up of a tile roof. It shows the overlap and underlap features of this design which appears to be in good working order, but some signs of wear and weathering is apparent. This design is a pleasing to the eye.
For my research article I read up on walking a roof. I realize as an inspector its not absolutely essential that I walk the roof but getting on the roof to perform the roof portion of the inspection is much more thorough. There’s only so much you can see and report accurately about from ground level… First it must be safe to walk the roof. A wet slippery surface would be to dangerous. The article touched on the proper shoes and/or boots to wear. Shoes with soft bottoms and that can grip the surface well should used.
This image is of composite roofing tiles being installed on a counterbatten system. I really like the look of the composite roofing tiles.
The above image is of a tile roof. The tiles appear to be in good condition. There are no visible broken or missing tiles. Inspecting tile roofs can be more of a challenge because walking on the tiles is not recommended as they can be damaged. Inspections can be done from the ladder as well as telescoping pole with camera attached if needed. In the future drones could make roof inspections safer and easier to perform.
I have just finished reading the article “Ladder Safety” and feel it is an important resource for inspecting tile roofs. It is an eye opener to learn how many deaths and injuries occur every year from falls from ladders. This article gives ways to stay safe while using ladders as well as explains the option of using a telescoping pole with camera for difficult roof inspections.
This medium profile clay tile roof is only a few years old, so it looks to be in pretty good shape. There are a couple areas of concern however. There is a chipped edge of a tile on near the eave which may have been cause by footfall, though there are no other obvious signs of broken tile. Additionally, a tile near the dormer window has a hairline crack almost along the entire length of its peak. This could be caused a shrinkage crack from the drying or firing process. The hip tiles appear to be in good shape as well as the mortar they are sealed with. The last picture, though hard to see here, shows green biological growth on the headwall flashing. The headwall flashing appears to be some sort of fibrous material. That, along with the fact that this part of the roof gets very little sun exposure, means that some moisture is retained without ever experiencing fully dry cycles. This growth will need regularly spray washing to ensure more buildup of moisture holding growth does not occur and potentially seep through to the underlayment.
A lot of people prefer the aesthetic look of tile roofs over that of asphalt shingle roofs. The suggestion in the videos to takes a good look at the neighboring houses is helpful for many potential issues, especially this one. If you see asphalt roofs on all the surrounding houses and this particular house you are inspecting has a cement tile roof there could be some significant structural defects in play as a result. Compared to the 200-300 pounds per square for an asphalt shingle roof, cement time squares could weigh 5-10 times as much… up to 2,000 pounds per square. The article titled “Mastering Roof Inspections: Tile Roofs, Part 4” has some really great pictures showing cracking from compression damage caused by the weight of a tile roof. The article goes on to describe problems with interlocking edges, missing/loose tiles, fastener failure, and the end of a tile’s useful life.
This is a picture of a clay tile roof. You can see that the tiles are held together with mortar and as an inspector, one should check for any problems with the bonding. Although mortar is not always the solution to fixing problems for a clay tiles roof because it eventually dries, cracks and allows water intrusion.
This is an image of the edge of tile roof with metal weather blocking installed. The weather blocking is installed properly and will effectively stop wind blown rain from entering the underside of the tiles. The tiles appear to be in good condition.
This is an image I found in the gallery, that shows the proper installation of clay roofing tiles. From this image and the course material I have learned that the fragile tiles need to be supported by and fastened to the appropriate size wood strips for the tile profile. The wood strips hold the tiles in place and also provide support.
This tile roof image shows a few discrepancies. First there is a broken ridge tile at the end of the ridge that exposes the underlayment and roof system to moisture intrusion. Also the flashing on the vent is bent up and may allow water to run between the fold in the flashing. The fixtures on the eve tiles are withdrawing and the positioning of the tiles leaves an opening to the roof system possibly even the attic that could allow moisture and rodent access. No flashing is installed on the rake and the wood looks to have suffered from exposure.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Tile Roofs, Part 1
Tile roofs come in different styles and profiles. The profile is generally broken into flat, low, high profile, and accessory tiles. Flat profile tiles have a surface rise of 1/2 or less. Low profile tiles have a rise of 1:5 or less. High profile tiles have a rise of greater than 1:5. Accessory tiles are used in conjunction with tiles at ridged, rakes, hips, and valleys.
The roof was installed in 04/10/2000 and is approximately 16 years old, the typical lifespan of a concrete tile roof is 25 years. During inspection of the roof it was noted that there were loose tiles along the front left corner and numerous broken/cracked tiles in the field. Repair/replacement by a qualified roofing contractor is needed to prevent further damage from water intrusion
I inspected a flat concrete tile roof just over 20 years old. This home is located in Florida with a few over hanging oak trees. There were a few tiles that were cracked along the the full width of the tile and two tiles over the overhang area of the garage that were broken and collapsed in where leaves and twigs have collected. At the back of the house is an addition which has a flat roof installed. There is an excessive amount of leaves and branches laying on top of the flat roof area and in the valleys of the tile roof. The build up of leaves is holding moisture against the tiles and should be removed. The gutters were also filled with leaves and should be cleaned out.
Did a visual inspection of this tile roof. Everything appears to be in order. All flashing, roof louvres. plumbing stacks appear to have been installed correctly. The only thing I found to be missing is the bird stops at the bottom eves. Noted. On to the interior to do an attic visual to look if there are any leaks…
This tile roof appears to be in good condition. No cracks or missing tiles. Cap tiles are in place. No discoloration or biological signs.