Concrete Tile Roof Repair: Five Mistakes to Avoid

A roof.
  • 2-6 hours
  • Beginner
  • 20-1,000

Concrete tile roof repair can be a very challenging process. Although concrete tiled roofs are the most durable type of roof available, they are still likely to break. By avoiding some typical mistakes, you should be able to ensure that your home remains protected from the elements.

Replacement Tiles

As tile roof repair can be quite challenging, it can be easy to take the very fast route and not think about the tile you are actually replacing another with. It has to be exactly the same type of concrete and the same color of concrete. Ignore either of these issues and you will be left with an awkward-looking tile in among many others. Not only will it look bad, but it also may not click into place with the other tiles, meaning your house will be exposed.

Always Get a New Tile

Some do it yourself tips will suggest that you take a concrete tile from a less visible part of your roof to use as a replacement for another. Do not do this under any circumstances. It is lazy and it will leave another part of the roof exposed. A good idea is to have a supply of eight to 10 tiles you can keep in the garage. When a tile on your roof breaks, all you will have to do is remove the broken piece or pieces and slot in a brand new tile.

Be Gentle

Getting a concrete roof tile out of position can be quite difficult. Using a tool like a crowbar will help you prize a tile away. However, it is very important you take great care when doing this. If you are too violent when you use the crowbar, it will mean you may end up breaking another tile or causing one or two tiles to go flying across different parts of the roof. Only apply the pressure you need to.

Never Assume

There will be a reason one of the tiles becomes damaged or broken in the first place. It may be due to violent weather or a fault in the roof itself. Never assume the broken tile is a one-off. Always check the tiles directly around the broken tile. This could alert your attention to a bigger problem and save you a great deal of time from having to replace other tiles in the immediate future.

Watch Your Step

You might be so focused on replacing one tile you ignore a variety of other factors relating to the roof. The biggest danger is you yourself. Some tiles will be very difficult to reach meaning that you can forget about where you are treading and what the weight of your body is doing. Try not to directly place your weight down on a tile. This will place a huge amount of pressure on the tile and could cause it to break while you are replacing another tile.