| Author | Message | ||
     Brycenesbitt (Brycenesbitt) Member Username: Brycenesbitt Post Number: 30 Registered: 08-2012 |
My question is: how do I tell if it's leaking? That's a serious question. Older houses had empty attics that could dry out a lot of minor leaks and suffer no damage over a long time. Now that same house with blown in insulation may dry out much slower. How can one be sure it's not leaking "a little"? | ||
| Mr_ludowici (Mr_ludowici) New member Username: Mr_ludowici Post Number: 1 Registered: 07-2014 |
I'm fairly late to the game on posting on this thread because I just found this forum, but I will say that the majority of the water is kept out by the tile but the underlayment is the final and ultimate barrier against water. Some water does get past the tile. Especially on a Spanish S tile roof. Replacing the broken tiles is only putting a bandaid on the problem. I install tile roofs and have found that most early 20th century tile installations only used one layer of #30 felt. We now use 2 layers because one layer will start to decompose before the expected life of the tile is over. | ||
| Cynthia Best |
I like Marie have a spanish tile roof that is leaking in several small spots. Everyone that we have had look at it wants to remove all of the spanish tiles and replace with shingles. I am sick at the thought. I am desperately looking for someone that is accustomed to repairing or replacing spanish tile. I'm sure the underlayment felt needs replacing but do I have to give up my spanish tiles in order to have that done? | ||
| Cynthia Best |
I like Marie have a spanish tile roof that is leaking in several small spots. Everyone that we have had look at it wants to remove all of the spanish tiles and replace with shingles. I am sick at the thought. I am desperately looking for someone that is accustomed to repairing or replacing spanish tile. I'm sure the underlayment felt needs replacing but do I have to give up my spanish tiles in order to have that done. | ||
| Marie Doyle |
My spanish tile roof has just sprung its 4th leak in 8 yrs. All small, all in different spots. House is 1920's, roof maybe also. Roofing contractor says it's probably time to replace the roof and cited "deteriorated felt" but we don't see many broken tiles from ladder. Is felt deterioration sufficient cause for replacement? Didn't sound like it from some of the other postings. I have spare tiles and like the roof, but the frequent leaks have me worried. Should I get a new roofing contractor? Replace the roof? Just keep spot repairing? Thanks for any words of wisdom! | ||
| Anonymous |
Marie, We have been in business (the slate, tile and copper roofing business)along time, what your contractor is telling you is the TRUTH. Spanish tile roofs keep out about 25% of the water the other 75% is kept out by the underlayment "felt". We usually remove sections at a time (starting with the leaking areas) replace the underlayment and reinstall tiles (replacing any tiles deemed unuseable with recycled tiles) then you have a new roof-basically. You know how we explain spanish tile roofs? And this is with no disrespect at all towards women I tell them your tile roof is like a woman with make up, take off the make up and that is your woman hence take off the tile and that is your roof. Good luck and hopefully this helps thousands of people with tile roofs understand that just because you see no tile missing and your roof is leaking does not indicate your contractor done something wrong just that they do not understand tile roofs. And believe me once you replace the underlayment (with a qualified tile roofing contractor) you'll be set for another 75-90yrs. | ||
| admin |
We repair tile roofs frequently and never replace the underlayment. We have found that the leaks are caused by either cracked tiles, faulty flashings or some other factor unrelated to underlayment. Tile roofs were installed for centuries without underlayment in Europe and you can go over there and see them still functioning today. It's hard to believe that a roof system created hundreds of years ago requires a roofing paper underlayment as an essential part of the roof system when roofing paper was not available nor used under tiles roofs for centuries. Some people would simply say that these roofs always leaked until they invented underlayment, but I find that hard to believe. There are too many old buildings with tile roofs which could not have survived if the roof continuously leaked. Nor can I imagine that people would put up with a leaky roof system. However, by removing the tiles and replacing the underlayment and roof flashings, you will probably find and repair whatever is causing the leak in the process. It's an expensive way to go, however. We do not install tiles roofs - we just repair and restore them. You can see some photos at http://www.jenkinsslate.com/photos_tile.htm. We do not travel beyond northwestern PA. A roof built in the 1920s has reached the point where the flashings probably need replaced. My guess is that you are having flashing issues, but it's hard to find roofers who can competently replace flashings on existing tile roofs. If you can find such a roofer, make sure they check out the roof thoroughly for cracked tiles, old bad repairs, etc.. Joe Jenkins | ||
| Anonymous |
I looked at the type of tile you show " your photos " I did not see any Spanish (barrel) tile. That is the type of tile being discussed. And we have also repaired 1,000 of tile roofs. And yes, flat inter-locking tile really dosen't need the underlayment, although I would highly recommend it. But the Spanish (barrel) tile DOES. Seen too many keep right on a leaken until the underlayment was replaced. And we can perform flashing work with anyone--ANYONE. Hey, that can be a demonstration in the next traditional roofing magazine. Install a "SMALL" tile roof(Spanish tile that is) over a bare wood surface a spray with a hose then install over a felt covered wood and spray. Let's see what happens! Need about a 5/12 to 6/12 pitch. One more thing MAYBE if you put the Barrel tile on in the traditional manner (cementing in place and cementing the overlapping side of barrel (top of tile) with actual cement) you may not need underlayment but I've only seen afew roofs done like that here "in the Northeast". | ||
| admin |
The problem with Spanish tile is that it is often installed on low-slope roofs, hence the dependence on underlayment. We don't run into Spanish tile roofs very often, but when we do and they're leaking, we repair them in the same manner as any tile roof - find the leak and fix it. It's usually a broken tile or bad flashing, but can also be something like an overlap issue (hip tiles not overlapping field tiles sufficiently, for example). I agree that I would recommend underlayment on Spanish barrel tile roofs and the deterioration of the underlayment, especially when the slope is low (i.e. under 8:12), could lead to water infiltration. Joe | ||
| Stephen Hazlett |
question folks, I have a tile roof to repair. Ludowici spanish tile. I will need to replace 7-10 tiles,plus relay about 10 bricks on an adjacent chimney. work area is about 16 feet from the eaves on a hip roof. How would you access that work area ? On a slate roof I would likely work off of hook ladders or remove several slates and install my jacks useing several levels of planks to get up to position. Is there a more suitable way for this type of tile roof? thanks for any advise, Stephen |
