Inspected a place last winter with clay tiles—original roof from the ‘70s, barely any issues except a couple cracked tiles. Meanwhile, the neighbor’s asphalt shingles were half missing after a windstorm. Tiles are a pain to fix, but they sure last if installed right.
Inspected a place last winter with clay tiles—original roof from the ‘70s, barely any issues except a couple cracked tiles. Meanwhile, the neighbor’s asphalt shingles were half missing after ...
That’s a great real-world comparison. You’re right, clay tiles can be a hassle to patch, but they really do take a beating if they’re put in right. I’ve seen cases where folks just swap the broken ones and the roof keeps going strong for decades.
One thing I always tell people is to check the underlayment every so often—tile itself is tough, but if water gets underneath and the barrier’s shot, you’ll get leaks you never see coming. Did you notice what kind of underlayment was used there? Sometimes older roofs have felt that’s pretty much dust after 40+ years... Wondering if that’s part of why some tile roofs outlast others.
Sometimes older roofs have felt that’s pretty much dust after 40+ years...
That’s what worries me, honestly. I keep hearing how tough clay tiles are, but if the underlayment is toast, isn’t it just a ticking time bomb? I’d be paranoid every time it rained. Maybe I’m just overthinking it, but I feel like with my luck, I’d get the one tile roof where the barrier fails first.
if the underlayment is toast, isn’t it just a ticking time bomb?
That’s a fair concern. The tiles themselves can last a century, but if the felt or synthetic underlayment underneath has broken down, water can sneak through and cause rot in the decking. I’ve seen tile roofs where the tiles looked perfect but the wood underneath was shot. Out of curiosity, have you had anyone check if your underlayment is still intact? Sometimes you can replace just that and reuse the original tiles, which saves a lot of money.
I get where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t call it a ticking time bomb unless you know for sure the underlayment’s shot. Sometimes it’s just a section or two that needs replacing, not the whole thing. When I redid my roof last year, half the underlayment was still fine after 30+ years, which honestly surprised me. If you can reuse your tiles, that’s a huge cost saver—those things aren’t cheap. But yeah, ignoring bad underlayment is asking for trouble down the road... water always finds a way.
