Tile Roofs
Tile roofs are an ancient type of roof, but only became a mainstay of residential roofing in Tucson in the mid 80’s.
Most of the tile roofs in Tucson on houses built in the last 25 or so years are composed of concrete tiles as opposed to the clay tiles that were common before that.
Both clay and concrete tile roofs are relatively expensive systems. In general, they should be expected to last much longer than both built-up and shingle roof systems. Unfortunately, there were many poorly installed tile roofs in some of the larger tract developments in the 80’s and 90’s so the longer life span rule doesn't always apply.
Common Problems With Tile Roofs
Problems on a tile roof that's in the early or intermediate stages of its life, other than occasional wind damage, can almost always be traced back to the original construction of the building. Whether it’s the result of missing or poorly installed components or other traits that adversely affected the existing components, most leaks will be traced to something resulting from the original construction.
Often these problems will not appear for several years afterwards. For example, if a flashing that was supposed to be installed in a way that carries excessive water around a skylight and routes water back onto the tiles below is left out, water will simply gush under the lower tiles. Over time the water will degrade the underlayment more rapidly than areas that are not carrying as much water. That degrading of material over perhaps 10 years will result in a leak 10 years later, but the conditions were set during construction.
Solving Tile Roof Problems
The solutions to these problems are usually simply correcting the original defect, as well as the resulting damage. The difficulty has and will always be properly diagnosing the problem and sometimes multiple problems. It takes a trained eye and years of experience to correctly determine what needs to be done to stop a leak.
Call us today at 520-884-1288
Estimates Are Always Free!
It's important to understand exactly what you're getting when you need roofing service. So we're happy to take a close look at your roof, discuss your needs, and give you a detailed estimate - all at no cost to you.