Your roof protects your home from the wild outdoors. Orange County weather brings humidity to the coast, while the inland serves up dry heat. While the weather is nice, it must stay outside. Tile roofs match the Mediterranean architecture so popular here. And while they offer incredible durability and strength, sometimes a tile roof repair is necessary. Keep reading to get to know your tile roof, how it gets damaged, and why it is important to complete repairs as soon as you notice the need.
Why Tile Roofs?
Homes, condominiums, and commercial buildings in Orange County lean into the area’s deep Spanish and Mexican influences. Adobe exteriors and tile roofs go hand-in-hand for this architectural style. But the reason for this goes beyond how well they look together.
Both of these materials help keep the building interior cool due to their natural thermal properties. In addition, S-style tiles allow air circulation to keep things even cooler.
Californians vibe on the environment, and roof tiles come from natural materials that are easily recycled.
A well-constructed tile roof protects your home for 50 years or more with proper maintenance. This makes them a great investment in home protection.
How Roof Tiles Get Damaged?
Roof tiles may be constructed to last up to 100 years, but that doesn’t mean they are indestructible. Wind, weather, people, and time conspire to shorten the life of a tile roof.
Weather Exposure
Santa Ana winds notoriously play havoc on roofs, necessitating tile roof repair for affected homes. These cool-season winds blow hot and cause more than fire damage. They lift and crack roof tiles. Over time, ultraviolet light breaks down the tile granules as well.
Poor Installation
A watertight roof starts with a watertight installation. Roof tiles shift and slip when not installed properly. This allows moisture underneath, where it damages the roof deck. Having your roof installed and repaired by a reputable contractor like Crank Waterproofing, Deck, and Roof ensures your roof tiles stay watertight and installed right.
Falling Debris and Algae
No roof stands up to falling debris. If winds toss large trees onto your house, the roof takes a real hit. In the coastal areas, falling debris damage is much more subtle.
Humidity and fog provide moisture for algae growth on roofs. Small airborne particles land on roof tiles and supply the food. Add in a little bit of shade and you’ve created the perfect conditions for algae growth. Algae traps moisture, the enemy of roof tiles, and shortens the life of the tile.
To combat this problem, people in coastal communities often have their tile roofs cleaned. Which leads us to the most common reason for tile roof repairs: foot traffic.
People
Roof tiles are made to sit on the roof. They do not stand up well to foot traffic. However, this doesn’t stop people from walking on tile roofs. Too bad!
Foot traffic cracks, breaks, and crushes roof tile. Even a shoddy roofer creates more damage when performing a simple tile roof repair if they don’t watch their step.
This repair requires a crew
Steps to Tile Roof Repair
Tile roof repair starts by assessing the extent of the damage. Most tile roofs need repair and not a total replacement to restore them to a watertight condition.
- Inspection – Crank Waterproofing, Decking, and Roofing begins every tile roof repair with a thorough inspection to identify all damaged areas. Crank examines the flashing and vents as well as the tiles.
- Tile Replacement – Replacing damaged tiles involves carefully removing the damaged tiles and possibly adjacent tiles as well. Then, new tiles go up and are nailed in place. Great care goes into matching new roof tiles to existing roof tiles.
- Flashing Repairs – Damaged flashing around chimneys, vents, or skylights cause roof leaks too. If the leak comes from the flashing, Crank repairs or replaces flashing or adds crickets to redirect water and stop intrusion.
Consider Tile Roof Repair Investment Protection
The single largest investment in your portfolio is probably your home. You insure your home against loss from fire. Consider tile roof repair as a type of investment protection.
Left to neglect, even a small leak becomes a major expense. Keep your home watertight and repair the roof when it needs it. You save time, money, and stress in the long run.
Trust Crank Waterproofing, Decking, and Roofing for your tile roof repair. They understand Orange County homes because they live here and have served the area since 1945. Contact Crank to schedule a quote for your tile roof repair.
