Tile roofs come in a variety of styles and materials.  They consist of one piece “S Tiles” that are seen on many office building roofs.  There are two piece tiles, called “Pans and Tops,” that are placed on Spanish style homes.  The tiles are made of sand-cast, fired clay, concrete construction, and “light concrete.”  All tile roofs require roofing felt underlayment,  because the tile is simply a decorative watershed.

Uses:

Tile is installed most often to add beauty to a building project.  Tile roofing by itself is not waterproof.   A felt underlayment is required. 

Approximate Life Span:

Some tile manufactures proclaim their products have a 50 year life span.  The underlayment felt usually needs to be replaced on or before the 18^th to 25^th year.  The existing tile can be reinstalled over the new felt.  The slope of the roof is a determining factor in the life expectancy.  The greater the slope, the longer the felt will last.

Caution:

The Uniform Building Code has very specific installation procedures for mechanically fastening tiles in place.  Our experience has shown that approximately 75% of the tile roofs that have been inspected do not meet the Uniform Building Code.  These tile roofs lack the necessary perimeter mechanical fasteners.

Limitations:

• Slope requirements for the installation of tile roofs are a minimum of 3 inches of vertical drop for every 12 inches of run in order to meet the local building code and have an effective waterproof system.
• Tile roofs are difficult to walk on and break easily, especially the sand-cast and clay varieties.