Tile Roof Cleaning and Protective Treatment – Should I Do It Myself or Hire a Professional?

Tile roof protective treatment prevents frost damage and moss growth on tile roofs. The work should be done every 10 years. But should you do the work yourself or call in a professional? Read this article to make the right decision.

What Does Tile Roof Protective Treatment or Paint Coating Mean?

As a term, tile roof protective treatment can mean the same as tile roof coating. Generally, however, protective treatment refers to coating the tile roof with a clear coating, such as Tikkurila’s Kilpi Pro Block coating. Most manufacturers offer two types of products for tile roof coating: clear and colored coatings.

A clear coating, or protective treatment, gives the tile a dirt- and water-repellent, or hydrophobic, surface. This prevents frost damage and moss growth on the tile roof. However, a clear coating does not change the appearance of the tile.

Coating a tile roof with a colored coating, or so-called paint coating, on the other hand, gives the tile a surface similar to what it had when it came from the factory.

Individual tiles won’t be as uniform as factory-fresh tiles, but the final result when coated with a colored coating is still uniform and even in color and resembles a new roof in appearance.

A colored coating also makes it possible to change the color of the tile roof if desired.

When Should a Tile Roof Be Treated?

A tile roof should be treated when it is 10–15 years old or when the tile roof starts to develop moss, get dirty, fade, or the roof surface becomes porous.

Tile roof protective treatment is best done on a roof where the factory coating is still mostly intact. In this case, the tile roof will also look excellent after coating.

Tile roof protective treatment, or coating with a clear coating, is also sensible for an older roof in terms of roof protection. However, it’s important to note that the color of an old tile roof will not be uniform after treatment.

For roofs where the factory coating has worn off completely over large areas, a paint coating is recommended instead of protective treatment if you want the roof to look new.

Tile Roof Cleaning

The tile roof should be thoroughly cleaned before coating. Cleaning is done with a pressure washer using sufficient water volume and appropriate pressure. Note that a pressure washer will remove factory coating that is poorly adhered to the tile surface, making the tile more porous and, when unprotected, more susceptible to moss growth.

So if you don’t plan to treat or coat the roof after cleaning, pressure washing is not recommended.

If you only want to clean the roof but not coat it, cleaning should be done mechanically by brushing. After brushing, a moss killer can be applied to the roof to kill the moss on the roof.

How Is Tile Roof Protective Treatment Done?

Before tile roof protective treatment, it’s especially important that the roof is clean. First, the roof is cleaned with a pressure washer. After this, damaged tiles are replaced if any are found. Usually, spare tiles are left over from the construction phase.

Obtaining replacement tiles, especially for older roofs, is often somewhat challenging because tile manufacturers update roof tile profiles and old tile models may no longer be manufactured.

When the roof is clean and damaged tiles have been replaced, most coating manufacturers’ instructions are to apply a moss killer to the roof and let it work on the roof for at least overnight.

After this, the actual coating is applied to the roof. The coating is applied with a sprayer, brush, or roller. The most reliable way to get the coating evenly everywhere is to apply it with a sprayer.

Paint Coating or Protective Treatment?

As mentioned above, most coating manufacturers have two types of coatings for tile roofs. Below are the characteristics of the different coatings.

Paint Coating (For example, Tikkurila’s Kilpi Tile Roof Paint)

• A new, colored surface for the tile roof that matches the factory coating
• Recommended for projects where the old coating has worn off partially or completely and the porous tile surface is exposed to frost damage and moss
• Suitable for tile roofs of all ages, provided the tile is not broken, the roof has an intact underlayment, and the roof structures are in good condition
• Not suitable for clay tile roofs
• Provides protection for the roof for 10–15 years
• Paint coating can be used to change the color of the roof
• Protects the tile from frost damage and moss growth
• Applied in two coats with a high-pressure sprayer. More labor-intensive than protective treatment, and also more expensive

Protective Treatment (For example, Tikkurila’s Kilpi Pro Block)

• The best possible result when factory coating is still well preserved: typically, projects that receive protective treatment are at most 15 years old
• Also provides protection for porous or more worn tile roofs, but the appearance of the tile roof does not change
• Also suitable for clay tile roofs
• Does not change the appearance of the tile and does not create a new surface on the tile
• Makes the tile dirt- and water-repellent, so it protects the tile from frost damage and moss growth
• Provides protection for the roof for 5–7 years
• A more affordable option than paint coating

DIY Tile Roof Coating

You can also do tile roof coating and protective treatment yourself. You’ll need a suitable pressure washer for the job – household pressure washers don’t have sufficient pressure or water volume –, protective equipment, safety harnesses, and a paint sprayer or backpack sprayer suitable for applying wood preservative.

Not all professional-grade coating products best suited for the job are available at hardware stores, but some manufacturers sell their products directly to consumers as well. An effective pressure washer can be rented from an equipment rental company.

When Should Tile Roof Protective Treatment Be Ordered from a Professional?

Tile roof coating should be left to professionals if you don’t have the proper tools or experience in tile roof maintenance. When you order the work from a professional, you also get a warranty for the work.

By ordering the work from a company registered in the prepayment register, you get a household deduction for the work. The price of tile roof coating consists mainly of labor, so the household deduction portion is significant.

If you’re considering having the work done by a professional, you can contact us. A Väriset representative will be happy to provide an estimate for the method best suited for your roof.

Watch the video below to see how smoothly our professionals handle tile roof coating work: