3-Step Fall Maintenance for Tile Roofs

Fall rains and gusty winds put roofs to the test. Tile is a durable choice, but like other materials, it also requires care to protect your home in all weather conditions. Is your roof ready to face the fall? This three-point task list will help you ensure your home’s crown is in good shape. Remember to move carefully on the roof!

1. Replace Damaged Tiles with Intact Ones

Do you see cracked, broken, or even missing tiles on the roof? Water can get into unwanted places through damaged or missing tiles, so broken tiles should be replaced with intact ones as soon as possible.

Replacing tiles is not a complicated task: The damaged tile is removed by lifting the upper row, making it easy to lift out the tile that needs replacing. An intact tile is placed in the old one’s place, after which the upper row is pulled back into position. Tile replacement is usually also made easier by lifting the adjacent tile, as tiles also overlap each other slightly in the lateral direction.

2. Clear Debris from Gutters

An optimally functioning rainwater system directs water efficiently to the right place. Over time, the system accumulates leaves, branches, and other debris. Excess debris causes water to pool in the gutters and leads to gutter overflow during heavy rain—and with fall, more leaves will only keep drifting in. Additionally, water freezing inside the system can cause damage by breaking gutter pipes.

Gutters attached with external brackets are easy to clean from the ground with the right kind of long-handled tool. Otherwise, cleaning requires scaffolding or a lift.

Excess debris causes water to pool in the gutters and leads to gutter overflow during heavy rain.

The most important thing in gutter cleaning is to collect all moss, needles, leaves, and other debris from the gutters. Finally, it’s worth rinsing the gutters with a garden hose or pressure washer using moderate pressure. External cleaning of the gutters can be done either by wiping with a cloth or with a soft brush. When choosing a cleaning agent, keep in mind that some strong detergents may damage the paint finish on the gutters.

While cleaning the eaves gutters, it’s worth checking their condition at the same time. If there are scratches in the gutters showing bare metal, these spots should be touch-painted with paint intended for that purpose. It’s also good to check that the gutter attachments are secure, the gutters don’t leak, and water flows in the right direction in the gutters.

By emptying the system of debris, rainwater will flow cheerfully away from the sides of the house.

3. Remove Loose Debris and Moss from the Roof

Branches, leaves, and debris accumulated on a tile roof can be removed smoothly by brushing or blowing.

If moss is growing on the roof, it’s best to get rid of it as soon as possible. Moss binds water to itself like a sponge. The moisture festering in the moss causes frost damage as it alternately freezes and thaws, which weakens the tile’s condition and eventually causes it to crack.

Moss binds water to itself like a sponge.

If the roof is not about to be coated, moss should not be removed with a pressure washer but with gentler methods, such as a stiff-bristled brush. The force of a pressure washer wears down the tile’s coating. Once the moss has been removed, a vegetation control agent is applied to the roof. You can read more about moss removal in our article here.

While cleaning the roof, it’s good to check the condition of penetrations, ridges, and underlayment at the same time.

When Cleaning Alone Isn’t Enough—When Should a Tile Roof Be Coated?

From time to time, it’s worth taking a closer look at the tile surface. Tile roof coating work becomes necessary when the tile surface coating has worn down so much that the porous surface of the tile is exposed. The tile may also look faded. Coating done in time gives a tile roof a significantly longer lifespan, and additionally, a roof crowned with colored coating gives the entire home a sharp appearance.

If you’d rather spend your free time on something other than roofing work, we’re happy to do the job for you with the confidence that comes from years of experience. We’re happy to clean both large and small tile roofs with skill.

Request a FREE assessment visit from our expert: we’ll inspect the tile roof’s condition and if we see maintenance work as necessary, we’ll calculate a quote for the work.