Maintaining a Tile Roof

SAN RAMON — If your home has a tile roof, annual maintenance is critical for ongoing performance. While simply keeping your roof clear of debris will go a long way toward avoiding problems, there are other, more specific aspects of maintenance that need to be addressed, including the following:

Slipped or migrated tiles
Tiles located on hips and valleys of your roof are the most likely to become dislodged. Fortunately, these can easily be reinstalled using an adhesive and/or being drilled and re-nailed.

Cracked rubber collars
Located around roof ventilation pipes, rubber collars are an important component of leak prevention. Depending on the type of flashing present, you can usually remedy the situation by removing the old collar and slipping on a replacement. However, in some cases, replacement of the entire flashing is necessary.

Tile intersections
The intersections where two tiles come together are by far the biggest problem areas on a tile roofing system. A big part of the problem is sunlight, which erodes the sealant and membrane between the tiles. While annual resealing will keep these areas in good repair, for a more permanent solution, you should consider installing lead flashings.

Valley intersections
An inevitable problem with tile roofs is when debris builds up under valley intersections, which is a common source of leaks. To remedy this, you’ll need a roofing professional to clean the debris out of the valley and re-form the curves on the outer side. One preventative upgrade to consider is installing a triple-crown metal, which will allow the water to form down three channels instead of one.