"tile roofs aren't exactly needy toddlers either."
Haha, true enough. Mine's been quietly minding its own business for about 12 years now—no drama yet. Still, I peek up there every couple years...better safe than sorry, especially on my budget.
You're right that tile roofs aren't exactly high-maintenance, but "maintenance-free" might be stretching it a bit. Even though tiles themselves last decades, the underlayment beneath can degrade over time—especially in hotter climates or areas with heavy rainfall. Checking every couple years is smart; look for cracked or slipped tiles, debris buildup, and signs of moss or algae growth. Catching minor issues early saves you from bigger headaches (and expenses) down the road...
Good points about the underlayment. A friend of mine learned that lesson the hard way. He bought this older house with a beautiful Spanish-style tile roof, and at first glance, everything seemed rock solid. A couple years in, after a particularly stormy season, he noticed some water stains on the ceiling—nothing major, just small discolorations. He figured it was probably minor, but when he finally had someone check it out, turns out the tiles were fine...but the underlayment was toast. Completely brittle and falling apart in places. The roofer told him it had probably been deteriorating for years and the storm just pushed it past its breaking point.
He ended up having to redo the entire underlayment, which meant pulling off all those heavy tiles, replacing everything underneath, and then reinstalling the tiles. Cost him a pretty penny and was a huge hassle. Ever since then, he's been religious about doing quick checks after storms or heavy winds—just to make sure everything's still in place.
I guess my point is: even though tile roofs look tough as nails (and mostly are), there's definitely stuff going on beneath the surface that's easy to overlook. Being proactive can save you a lot of grief later.
Speaking of storms...has anyone here noticed specific weather conditions causing more issues with their tile roofs? I'm curious if certain types of tiles or installation methods hold up better during extreme weather events like hailstorms or hurricanes.
"even though tile roofs look tough as nails (and mostly are), there's definitely stuff going on beneath the surface that's easy to overlook."
Yeah, totally agree. Tile roofs can last ages, but they're definitely not "set it and forget it." I've seen hailstorms chip tiles pretty badly, especially older clay ones... anyone else notice that too?
Yeah, hail damage is definitely something I've come across quite a bit. I inspected a house last summer where the tiles looked pretty solid from the ground, but once I got up there, several had hairline cracks and chips from a recent storm. The homeowner hadn't even noticed yet. Have you checked the underlayment too? Sometimes that's the sneaky part—tiles look fine, but moisture's already working its way underneath...
