Perplexing Tile Roof Leaks

Some roof leaks are tough to locate.

Perplexing tile roof leaks.

If your roof is old the chances are that your tiles have been fixed using mortar. Consequently i have been hired to track down some of the toughest leaks in town. Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. More discussion on walking on fragile roofs is later in this article.

The case of the outside wall. Our photo above left shows broken clay roof tiles a very common clay tile roof defect that is also a common leak source. There is no such thing as a tile roof leak where the repair can be done without first deconstructing the area of tiles and flashing. We recommend against walking on clay tile roofs as you are likely to damage the roof leading to the need for costly repairs.

If the roof is in a tree zone leaves are washed into the watercourses and over time this leads to clogging and eventually blockage during heavy rain. While some issues will go beyond your roof and will be related to other things to do with roofing or the installation methods some of the common issues with clay tiles are. And once in awhile even professionals are baffled by a roof leak and must do a little detective work. Some leaks are so inexplicable only a highly trained professional can figure them out.

Leak repairs to tile roofs cannot be repaired by sealing anything on top. The water courses will leak and on concrete roof tiles water will also leak over the upstream edge of the tile. Tiles that are broken or have large cracks need to be replaced in order to fix the leak. Use a hammer to assist in the removal but be careful not to damage any of the good tiles.

Clay tiles may leak because of several reasons. The first leak seemed simple enough. It must be sealed below the tiles. The resultant overflow will cause leaks.

For this you will need to remove all damaged tiles using a pry bar.