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Concrete roof tiles. Advice?

| Posted in General Discussion on April 18, 2000 06:51am

*
I am moving back to Arizona, and just purchased a house there (about 20 miles northeast of Phoenix).

The house (built in 1996) has concrete roof tiles. The house inspector noted that about 30 of the tiles were cracked/broken . . . they need to be replaced.

Does anybody have experience with these types of tiles? Are they more prone to breakage than non-conrete roof tiles? Do they break easily? If I walk on the roof (I weigh about 170 lbs), can I break the tiles if I’m not careful? What are the pros/cons of these tiles vs. a “regular” tile roof? Is there anything else I should know about these tiles??

Thanks for the help!

Dan.

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  1. Guest_ | Apr 17, 2000 07:22pm | #1

    *
    They should be covered under the warranty for the tiles/installer, labor may or may not be covered.

    Some tiles do break and I can not tell if 30 is okay or not, What is the size of the roof, etc...?

    Installers typically leave a dozen or two after finishing for just such a thing, where are they?

    You're in a extreme area for heat and I would expect some breakage based on that. The next variable would be the installer, and lastly the material.

    As for going up on the roof/tiles I don't reccomend that you do that unless you can disperse your weight. We typically use a boom/lift and put weight on the tiles by laying a thick high density foam cushion to kneel on, etc... but only rarely replace tiles, more often to handle changes/modifications.

    Maybe someone else will add more info to help you. I sure would get some professional opinions from the area of the home to give you some basis on what to expect. And do press for the original installer/builder and warranties.

    1. Guest_ | Apr 17, 2000 08:08pm | #2

      *I wonder how many were broken before the inspector went up on the roof. It's hard to say why they broke. I know from living in AZ that many houses have roof-top mounted A/C units. The guys that maintain these don't necessarily know how to navigate these roofs without damaging them. I would advise you to stay off the roof unless you know what you're doing. Tile maintenance/replacement is a specialty. You could do more damage trying to fix your broken tiles.What kind of tiles are they? Barrels or flats? Does the seller have a transferrable homeowner's warranty?Also, if you have kids, don't let them throw a basketball up onto the roof. This can also break tiles.EricPS Sounds like you're in the Cave Creek / Carefree area. Real pretty country out there. Enjoy!

      1. Guest_ | Apr 17, 2000 08:13pm | #3

        *I wonder how many were broken before the inspector went up on the roof. It's hard to say why they broke. I know fron living in AZ that many houses have roof-top mounted A/C units. The guys that maintain these don't necessarily know how to navigate these roofs without damaging them. I would advise you to stay off the roof unless you know what you're doing. Tile maintenance/replacement is a specialty. You could do more damage trying to fix your broken tiles.What kind of tiles are they? Barrels or flats? How old?Also, if you have kids, don't let them throw a basketball up onto the roof. This can also break tiles.Eric

        1. Guest_ | Apr 18, 2000 06:51pm | #5

          *Last year I finished putting concrete tile on our new house. They are Monier brand slate style which means they are flat. I weigh 200 lbs and have walked on them repeatedly and haven't broken any. The Monier rep told me to step on them with a flat footed step, no sprinting. The lower exposed edge is the strongest area as it lies on top of the upper hidden edge of previous row that is supported by a 1x2 cleat/batten. This is a 6-12 roof. By walking on the lower edge, the tile supports your weight by compression and breakage is unlikely. Spanish barrel tile would not have the same support mechanism and would be more subject to damage. While it doesn't get as hot in Boise, Idaho, our winters give us a wide temperature range and I haven't heard of any problems with breakage due to heat or cold. Replacement is not difficult, you mostly break the cracked one into small pieces, remove the debris, and slide a new one into place. If hurricane clips have been used, then your job is more complicated. Somehow I doubt that you will find any hurricane clips in Phoenix. The tile we used is rated for 70 mph just lying on roofs with 6-12 or less pitch. Most likely they are attached with a single nail.

  2. Daniel_Krause | Apr 18, 2000 06:51pm | #4

    *
    I am moving back to Arizona, and just purchased a house there (about 20 miles northeast of Phoenix).

    The house (built in 1996) has concrete roof tiles. The house inspector noted that about 30 of the tiles were cracked/broken . . . they need to be replaced.

    Does anybody have experience with these types of tiles? Are they more prone to breakage than non-conrete roof tiles? Do they break easily? If I walk on the roof (I weigh about 170 lbs), can I break the tiles if I'm not careful? What are the pros/cons of these tiles vs. a "regular" tile roof? Is there anything else I should know about these tiles??

    Thanks for the help!

    Dan.

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