Yeah, tile roofs definitely aren't maintenance-free. The tiles themselves are tough, sure, but like you said, it's the underlayment that gets overlooked. Seen plenty of roofs where everything seemed fine until you peek underneath... regular checks save a lot of hassle down the line.
"Seen plenty of roofs where everything seemed fine until you peek underneath... regular checks save a lot of hassle down the line."
Exactly. Had a property a few years back with a tile roof that looked pristine from street level—no visible cracks, no missing tiles, nothing obvious. But tenants started complaining about small leaks after heavy rains. When we finally got up there and lifted a few tiles, the underlayment was totally shot. Water had been seeping through slowly for who knows how long, causing mold and wood rot underneath. Ended up being a pretty costly fix.
Makes me wonder how many people assume tile roofs are bulletproof just because tiles themselves last forever. Anyone else dealt with similar hidden issues? How often do you all usually recommend checking underneath the tiles—every couple years or longer intervals?
"Makes me wonder how many people assume tile roofs are bulletproof just because tiles themselves last forever."
Yeah, I fell into that trap myself. Our house has a clay tile roof, and honestly I'd assumed it was good indefinitely. But then we had a chimney repair done last summer, and the roofer pointed out some damaged underlayment near the flashing. Nothing major yet, thankfully—but definitely a wake-up call.
Now I'm curious too... is this mostly an issue with older homes or does it happen with newer installations as well? And is there a particular climate or weather pattern that's rougher on the underlayment? Seems like moisture buildup would be worse in humid areas, right?
I've heard some folks recommending checks every 3-5 years, but now I'm wondering if that's enough. Maybe it's smarter to just peek underneath whenever you're already up there cleaning gutters or something...
