Yep, seen this plenty myself.
Yeah, mortar issues are sneaky like that. I've seen roofs that look solid from the ground, but once you're up there, it's a whole different story. Had one recently where the tiles themselves were in great shape, but the mortar was crumbling away like stale bread. Makes me wonder—anyone tried switching to dry ridge systems instead? Heard they're supposed to hold up better, but haven't worked with them much myself...
Dry ridge systems are definitely worth considering. I've inspected a few roofs recently that switched over, and the difference was pretty noticeable:
- Mortar was always the weak link—crumbles, cracks, and lets moisture in.
- Dry ridge setups seem to handle weather shifts better, especially in areas with freeze-thaw cycles.
- Had one client whose mortar ridge was toast after just 8 years; they swapped to dry ridge, and it's been solid since (going on 5 years now).
- Installation matters, though. Seen a couple DIY jobs that weren't secured properly, and tiles shifted around after heavy winds.
Overall, I'd say dry ridge is a solid upgrade if you're tired of dealing with mortar issues. Just make sure whoever installs it knows what they're doing...
- Agree dry ridge has perks, but wouldn't call tile roofs maintenance-free.
- Seen plenty of storm damage cases where tiles themselves cracked or shifted—not just mortar issues.
- Also, dry ridge systems rely heavily on clips and fixings... ever seen those degrade or loosen over time?
- Curious if anyone's checked long-term (10+ yrs) durability yet—might be too soon to fully judge.
Good points there, especially about the clips and fixings. I've seen a few dry ridge systems where the clips started loosening after about 7-8 years—usually due to weather exposure or poor initial installation. Tile roofs definitely aren't "set it and forget it," but compared to some other roofing types, they're still pretty solid. Guess we'll have a clearer picture once more of these systems hit the 10-15 year mark...
Yeah, fair points there about the clips loosening. Makes me wonder if these dry ridge systems are really as cost-effective long-term as they're advertised to be. I've seen neighbors with tile roofs who swear by them, but they still end up doing minor fixes every few years—nothing major, just small stuff. Maybe it's more about managing expectations than anything else? Guess we'll see how these newer systems hold up over time...
