Certifying a Tile Roof
Concrete and clay tile outlive the felt beneath them by decades. Which means a tile roof can look immaculate from the street and be at the end of its waterproof life.
The tile is not the roof
Tile is the rain screen; the underlayment is the waterproofing. On many Sacramento homes of a certain age the tiles have another fifty years in them and the felt underneath has reached the end.
A certification that looks only at the tile surface is close to meaningless on these roofs. The inspection has to lift tiles in representative locations and look at what is under them.
What we inspect
- Underlayment condition, by lifting tiles in representative areas rather than guessing from the surface
- Cracked, slipped and broken tiles, which are commonly caused by someone walking the roof
- Flashings at valleys, sidewalls, chimneys and penetrations, where tile roofs actually leak
- Ridge and hip mortar or mechanical attachment
- Attic sheathing condition, which reveals how long water has been getting past the underlayment
Tile lift-and-relay
When the underlayment has failed but the tile is sound, the correct work is a lift and relay: tiles carefully removed and stacked, new underlayment installed, flashings renewed, and the original tiles set back. It costs considerably less than a new tile roof and gives you a new waterproof life.
Broken tiles are replaced from salvage or matching stock, and some breakage during removal is normal on older tile.
Tell every trade to stay off it
Most broken tiles we find were broken by someone servicing something else — solar, HVAC, satellite, a chimney sweep. Tile breaks underfoot, and nobody reports it.
If you own a tile roof, require pads and ladder access from anyone who needs to get up there.
Common questions
How long does a tile roof last?
The tile can last many decades. The underlayment beneath it is the limiting component and typically needs renewal long before the tile does — which is why a tile roof can look perfect and still need work.
What is a tile lift and relay?
Tiles are removed and stacked, new underlayment and flashings are installed, and the original tiles are set back. It renews the waterproofing at considerably less than the cost of new tile.