Roof Repairs Needed For Cracked, Chipped, Or Broken Concrete Roof Tiles

As with any other type of roofing, it's important to maintain concrete roofing tiles so they last a long time. While concrete tiles are durable, it's possible for a tile to crack or break, especially if impacted by a falling tree limb. Prompt repairs are needed, so a damaged tile doesn't cause a roof leak. Here's how your roofer can repair damaged concrete roofing tiles.

Fill Cracks With Roofing Cement

If one or more tiles have small cracks in them, your roofer might fill the cracks with roofing cement. The cement is pressed in the cracks with a caulk gun or putty knife and then leveled off the surface of the tile so the repairs are barely noticeable. Roofing cement can also be used to glue chipped pieces on a tile as long as the chipped piece is whole and fits back on the tile like a puzzle piece.

First, the roofer cleans the tile, and then the cement is applied. If the crack is deep, the roofer may check that rain hasn't leaked in already and damaged the underlayment under the tile. Tiles may need to be replaced if a crack is too big or if a tile is broken apart.

Replace Damaged Tiles

The first step in replacing a bad concrete tile is to find a new tile of the same shape, size, and color. If your roofer can't find an exact match, they'll find a tile that matches as closely as possible. The old tile is pried up and removed. Then the roofer checks the underlayment. If it is in good shape, a new tile is slid in and attached with roof adhesive.

If the underlayment is bad because of water damage, the roofer will patch it so the deck has protection against water damage. If the deck has water damage too, the water-damaged area will need to be replaced. Then new underlayment is patched on and the new tile adhered to the roof. The roofer might check the surrounding tiles too, just to make sure they don't have minor damage or that the deck under them isn't wet from the leaky tile.

Cracks in concrete roof tiles aren't always easy to see, so you may want to schedule periodic checks of the tiles so roof repairs are done before your roof sustains water damage. You may also want a roofer to check the tiles after a storm with large hailstones, since hail can sometimes crack or chip concrete roof tiles.

If your roof has been damaged and you're unsure how to go about fixing it, contact a roof repair service to help you get started.