Why a tile roof leaks
Clay and concrete tiles can last for generations. The waterproof layer under them, the underlayment, does not. When it dries out and cracks, water that gets past a tile reaches the wood.
So a tile roof leak is often an underlayment job: the tiles are lifted, the underlayment and flashing are renewed, and the same tiles go back, with broken ones replaced.
Signs a tile roof needs attention
- Cracked, broken or slipped tiles
- Leaks on a roof whose tiles look fine
- Debris built up in the valleys
- Mortar missing at the ridges
- Stains on the ceiling after rain
What tile work includes
- Broken and slipped tiles replaced
- Underlayment and flashing renewed where it has failed
- Lift and relay: the existing tiles reused where they’re sound
- Full tile roof replacement
- A written estimate first