Some roofing tiles are made from concrete and are similar to the tile and stone roofing systems in many ways. Like clay tiles roofing, concrete roofs provide many of the same benefits including resisting damage from fire, wind, hail, and heat. Concrete roof tiles are made from mixing portland cement, sand, water and then placed in a mold to get the desired shape and thickness. You can imaging that during that process many shapes and styles as well as colors can be created through this process giving you a wide variety of concrete roofing looks and options to choose from. The biggest drawback to concrete is the weight of the tiles themselves. Concrete is very heavy and your roof substructure must be specially designed to support it. If you are considering clay tiles versus concrete, clay tiles will likely last longer.
ITEMS WE ALWAYS CONSIDER ON A CONCRETE ROOF
DEGREEE OF ROOF SLOPE:
If your roof’s slope is less than 18 degrees, concrete tiles may not be the ideal roofing material for your home. The slope may not be great enough to assist with water runoff resulting in excessive roof weight.
CONCRETE TILE WEIGHT:
If your roof’s slope is less than 18 degrees, concrete tiles may not be the ideal roofing material for your home. The slope may not be great enough to assist with water runoff resulting in excessive roof weight.
CONCRETE ROOF UNDERLAYMENT:
One of the great things about concrete tile roofs is that they last for a long time. However, the roof underlayment beneath them isn’t quite as staunch, and it may need to be replaced every 20 years. Concrete tiles are also somewhat fragile in spite of their durability, so make sure you only allow experienced concrete tile repair men on your roof, even for a seemingly easy repair project. The good news is that when it comes to maintenance, the most you’ll need to do (unless the concrete tiles incur damage) is lightly rinse them once a year.
CAN CONCRETE WITH STAND HAIL?
Both concrete and clay roof tiles are resilient, even more so than the more common composition asphalt shingles. In fact, based on field observations and laboratory testing, it has been established that hailstones less than 2 inches in diameter will generally not damage a competent and properly installed concrete or clay tile. Damage to tiles may be a result of mishandling during installation, improper installation, and foot traffic. In addition, it is not uncommon to see cracks or chips at the lower right corner of a tile. This condition usually results from improper spacing of the tiles during installation, restricting the tiles ability to expand. As much on a concrete roof as any other, you need an experienced and professional roofer to install or repair your concrete roof.
CRACKED OR BROKEN CONCRETE SHINGLE
If a concrete shingle is cracked or broken and can’t be repaired, you’ll need to replace the tile.
- Carefully pry up the tile (or tiles) just above the cracked or broken one.
- Break the faulty tile, and remove the pieces. Also pry or force out any nails.
- Spread a small amount of roofing cement along the underside of the replacement, and slide it into place. Adhesive, rather than nails, will hold this tile.
- We then press all tiles down gently but snugly.
FIXING A LEAKING CONCRETE ROOF
The problem is almost always with the membrane beneath the tile. In order to repair this, you’ll first have to find the area that is leaking. This can be tricky and should not be guessed at or you will be wasting time and money. Once you find the leak, you’ll need to take-up the tile around the leak, patch the leak with roofing cement, and replace the tiles. You do this by removing the tile over the leak, repair the area with asphalt roofing cement, and replace the tile. Our experts can do this quickly and correctly giving you a lasting repair.