Concrete Tile Roof

When you think of concrete tile roof or clay tile roofing, you often picture the terra-cotta coloured skyline of California, Florida, or some other warm destination. Many builders and home owners have tried to replicate this coastal look on the West Coast, but unfortunately have run into issues over the years, mainly because in Greater Vancouver we don’t have the same high-heat climate. Vancouver is a rain forest, and in order to protect one of your biggest investments, you need a roof that has zero water absorption and can withstand years of rainfall.

A majority of tile roofs in the lower mainland are concrete roof tiles, not clay tiles. Concrete roofing tiles are a porous material that absorbs water which freezes and creates spider cracks over time; coupled with months of rain which erode and wear down the surface of the concrete tile makes for an undesirable situation and leads to premature failure of this roofing product. Concrete tile roofs can reach high surface temperatures in the summer contributing to the expansion and contraction of the tiles. This leads to failure of the concrete roof tile system. Unfortunately, most concrete tile manufacturers and roofing companies who install concrete tiles are no longer in business in BC which leaves home owners with concrete tiles in a difficult position when in need of repair for their roof.

Repair Broken Concrete Roof Tiles & Concrete Roof Tile Maintenance

All roof types require maintenance and concrete tile roofs are no exception. Regular gutter cleaning, skylight washing, removing leaves and moss from your roof are needed to keep your roofing system performing adequately. Difficulty comes into play with concrete tile roof maintenance because walking on concrete tile roofs often cause the tiles to crack and break. Over the years, concrete tiles become brittle due to exposure to ultra-violet light and will crack or break under pressure. Storm debris, such as a falling tree branches, or the natural expanding and contracting of concrete roof tiles due to freezing and thawing cycles over the years are common factors causing concrete tiles to crack. Once a crack is noticed, it’s important to correct immediately because the roofing underlay is exposed to the elements. This can prove difficult to repair because someone walking across the brittle tiles often cause further damage by breaking other tiles. For this reason, concrete tile roofing is known for being high-maintenance in comparison to other types of roofing like standing-seam metal or rubber roofing which require very little maintenance over the years.

Due to these challenges of repairing or replacing cracked roofing tiles, many roofing contractors will not repair concrete tile roofs. As the roofing industry has identified these issues with concrete tiles, there are fewer and fewer concrete tile manufacturers. This makes finding replacement tiles even more difficult and often leads homeowners to replace their entire roof. Converting your roof from concrete tiles to another product can be a larger more costly project. Our roofers are experts at completing concrete roof conversions in a timely manner, while also ensuring your roof meets and exceeds all of the current building codes. Contact our experts for your FREE CONCRETE ROOF CONVERSTION ESTIMATE TODAY!

EPDM Gutter Lining Failure in Concrete Tile Roofs

One of our most common concrete tile roof repair calls from home owners is to repair leaks. Often, leaks are caused a failing EPDM internal gutter lining. Many homes that were originally built with concrete tile roofs in Greater Vancouver were installed quickly and the EPDM internal gutters were not installed to today’s rigorous roofing standards. Nowadays, EPDM internal gutter lining is installed at tie-ins, drain seals and around other protrusions where water could potentially ingress. Many of the homes we have converted to other types of roofing materials show that the previous installers did not install EPDM internal gutters correctly at these locations or sometimes did not install any at all!

It’s important to remember that concrete roofing tiles are not waterproof and once EPDM internal gutters have been damaged your home is no longer protected from the rain as water will ingress through these points and create damage, which often goes for months undetected.

The Best Roofing Material For Your Home

At Penfolds Roofing & Solar we do not install concrete tile roofing because of the reasons above. To our customers we recommend converting away from concrete tile roofing to better weather-proofing material made for the West Coast, such as our exclusive CedarTwin asphalt line or our environmentally-friendly EcoRoof. If the elegant design of slate tile is what you’re after and you live on the “wet coast”, no need to despair; EcoRoof is available in a variety of colours and also comes in a medium and heavy slate tile profile to give you the texture and style you prefer for your home. Aside from knowing your home will be protected from the wet weather along the coast, you can feel good knowing that EcoRoof is made of 95% recycled material and is keeping 200-400 tires out of the landfill fore every home using this product. No longer will you need to worry about broken tiles cascading off your roof or leaks in the internal gutter lining, the EcoRoof comes with a 50 year warranty so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your beautiful, waterproof roof for years to come.

Before – Concrete Tile Roof

After – EcoRoof Medium Shake in Woodlands Brown

Additional Pictures of the Durable Rubber EcoRoof: