Tile roof maintenance

When a tile roof is installed correctly, with careful attention paid to its layout and material, you should find that it lasts up to one hundred years, without the need for maintenance. This is due to roofing tiles’ resistance to adverse weather and animals / insects. In fact, the longer roof tiles remain solidly in place, the more resilient they become! However, not all tile roofs are laid down perfectly, and it can also become damaged by walking on top of it incorrectly or by not cleaning out the gutter lining the sides, or even in a freak accident like a tree branch falling down. If you notice a tile is damaged, it is essential you repair it quickly so that further damage to the tiles underneath is prevented and so that the overall integrity of the roof is restored.

For peace of mind, it is best to check your roof shingles and structure regularly, around once every six months. If you are inexperienced with tile roofs, ask a professional company to help you with any major maintenance or check ups.

How to Walk Correctly On Your Roofing Tiles

Although roof shingles and tiles are incredibly resilient to natural weather, they are not so strong when under the concentrated pressure of a workman’s boot. Knowing how to move across a tile roof is important; otherwise you’ll only make things worse!

First of all, do not allow any unqualified contractor to walk on your roof, for example, painting workers, decorators and so on, unless absolutely necessary. The idea is to distribute the weight of the person on the roof across a larger area than their shoe sole. To do this, you can make use of planks of light wood such as plywood, wrapped in protective foam, spread across the area of the roof needing maintenance. Always make sure not to walk on the delicate edges of the tiles.

Tile roof maintenance varies also according to your geographic location. Some areas must deal with extreme heat or cold as well as high winds. If you find that a lot of debris collects on your tile roof, then the best thing is to have a biannual cleaning routine, preferably carried out by a qualified contractor. Leaving anything solid on the roof can be a risk to its reliability, though rain and snow are not a problem at all.

The best way to avoid any major tile roofing maintenance is with proper installation. Allowing the roof to ‘breath’ by placing tiles in a way that sunlight can dry out humid parts is one such example (humidity can become a substantial problem if not dealt with). If you find that you have recurring problems or leaks, and that repairs or maintenance have not solved them, it is very likely that the root cause of the problem is within the internal structure itself. In these cases, it is best to contract out a reliable firm to carry out the work, unless you are very experienced.